'The Hour' is Upon Us

Continuing the BBC’s Original British Drama season and their commitment to ‘re-establish its reputation as the home of intelligent and ambitious drama’, the first episode of the 1950s set thriller The Hour hit our screens this week.

Undoubtedly following the success of the US hit Mad Men, writer Abi Morgan’s new drama whisks viewers into the turbulent behind-the-scenes world of the launch of new BBC current affairs programme 'The Hour', delving into the sexual and social politics of the era.

The six-part drama, with a star-studded cast, follows Bel Rowley (Romola Garai), the newly appointed producer of the show and her colleague/soulmate, Freddie Lyon (Ben Whishaw) an outspoken young journalist trying to escape the confines of working the Newsreel. The handsome and charmingly arrogant Hector Madden (Dominic West), new anchor for 'The Hour' and holder of the role coveted by Lyon, provides a spanner in the relationship of the pair.

But the creation of the programme itself isn’t the heart of the show, instead it is Lyon’s investigation into the murder of a local academic and how it will impact on his different relationships. Tipped off by debutante Ruth Elms (Vanessa Kirkby), an old friend of Lyons’ whom he met as an evacuee during the war, he begins to enquire about the murder and the strange way it is being dealt with by the police and MI6.

When Ruthie attempts to take her own life it soon becomes apparent that Lyon has found himself caught in amongst a much deeper investigation that will force him to choose where his priorities lie - with his new team on 'The Hour' (and keeping an eye on the blossoming relationship between Bel and Hector), or with his journalistic principles.

Visually The Hour is beautiful. The locations, props (check out those old BBC cameras) and costumes combine together perfectly to create a realistic, sexy (if repressed!), 1950s aesthetic. Instead of de-saturating the shots and filling it with luxurious soft focus in an attempt to recreate a Hitchcock-style thriller, it feels more as though it is in the now, like we are viewing a piece of the 1950s as it happened rather than a retrospective.

The score is at times bouncy and camp (think Rear Window), but it only serves to get the viewer into the bustling mood of a 1956 newsroom. And it’s only camp when you need tobe aware of it; when it serves to emphasise drama and tension it becomes far less ‘of the era’.

Narratively the first episode of The Hour is a bit of a slow burner; not only does the viewer need to be introduced to character and plot, but also era and as such it is full of dialogue and exchanges between characters. It does however build to a dramatic climax, opening it up for five more episodes of intriguing murder mystery and fascinating sexual politics.

Set against a beautiful 1950s backdrop The Hour rejects foul-mouthing and graphic sex and violence in favour of an intelligent murder mystery and insight into an era of broadcasting on the brink of dramatic change.