The Hour (BBC Two)

[BrntO4Life]

I just wanted to make everyone aware of the most brilliant television show going on right now. Take Mad Men, switch the ad agency out for a television production and give it some real fucking substance and suspense. Then you have The Hour.

The Hour is a 2011 BBC six-part television drama series, starring Ben Whishaw, Dominic West and Romola Garai, with supporting cast including Tim Pigott-Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Burn Gorman, Anton Lesser, Anna Chancellor, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Oona Chaplin. It was written by Abi Morgan (also one of the executive producers, alongside Jane Featherstone and Derek Wax). The series centres on a new current affairs show being launched by the BBC in June 1956, at the time of the Suez Crisis - a period setting which has led to comparisons with Mad Men.

Ben Whishaw is incredible as Freddie Lyon and Romola Garai is not only attractive, but her character (Bel Rowley) actually has depth.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

[Houston]

I'll trust your recommendations on a TV show, will check it out tonight.

 

[BrntO4Life]

I'm now completely caught up and ready for the first series' finale next Tuesday. This show has gotten more intriguing and suspenseful with each episode and it all seems to be coming to a head.

Can't wait!

 

[BrntO4Life]

The final episode aired tonight on BBC Two. The absolute best ending I could have imagined for such a wonderful program.

A little bit of the twist wasn't all that surprising, but the context in which it was delivered was fantastic.

 

[Houston]

Damn, why did you let me procrastinate with this so long? Please find more shows like this

I've realized lately that I love shows/movies that are about with producing and making shows/movies.

 

[BrntO4Life]

Damn, why did you let me procrastinate with this so long? Please find more shows like this

I've realized lately that I love shows/movies that are about with producing and making shows/movies.

I pushed you as much as I can through the internet. I've been getting it to everyone I know personally.

 

[BrntO4Life]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/27/bbc2-the-hour-second-series

BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow has commissioned a second series of The Hour, the drama set behind the scenes at a 50s TV current affairs show.

Speaking at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival on Friday, Hadlow also said that "there are no plans to scrap Newsnight".

When asked if the BBC was diverse enough in terms of class, Hadlow said that diversity should also be about "making sure we have the correct class balance in the people who make the programmes as well as the people who front them".

On the subject of the impending "Delivering Quality First" cuts as the BBC tries to make 20% budget reductions as a result of last year's licence fee settlement, Hadlow said: "I think clearly that's going to be a significant task for us to achieve. You have to get to place where you're talking about scope rather than salami-slicing thing. We're going to have to look at what we're not going to do as well as doing things more efficiently."

When asked how different BBC2 might look and if daytime programming on the network could be replaced by the BBC News channel or repeats of BBC4 shows, Hadlow replied: "We just don't know. Nothing's been decided, we're still in the process. Not in a place where got concrete proposals."

She said annexing BBC4 to BBC2 – one proposal understood to be under consideration as part of DQF – is "not a good thought".

FUCK YES

 

[BrntO4Life]

A small tidbit about the second series...

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/bbc-2-renews-the-hour-for-a-second-season

At the risk of spoiling anything for American viewers who have, thus far, seen only two episodes, the second season will skip 10 months ahead from the conclusion of the first series.