What are the two best things in the world? Not the two best individual things in the world cos sex and a toastie doesn’t really work together, let’s be honest here. The crumbs would get everywhere meaning the clean-up process would be a nightmare and what would you start with? Would you make the toastie first thus meaning that it would be cold once foreplay is completed? Or would you commence the sexual warm-ups and then take a break to make the toastie resulting in either loss of wood or forgetting the toastie making altogether? Such a conundrum.
Anyway, I digress. What I mean to say when I ask what are the two best things in the world is what two things, with their own relative individual merits, combine to make something truly awesome? For my money, it’s period journalism and conspiracy theories. Hells yes, I am a nerd. This brings me neatly on to the BBC’s latest drama attempt; ‘The Hour’.
For the unaware, ‘The Hour’ takes a dramatised look at the creation of a new BBC current affairs TV programme, and with it the dawning of the golden age of British TV journalism, in 1956 with a subplot involving intrigue and conspiracy and murder and general murky stuff presumably the fault of Russian spies. It is 1956 after all so the Russians are the go-to villains and scapegoats should something bad happen (the Muslims of today pretty much).
As dramas and conspiracy theories are a bad combination due to the overlap between fiction and reality, what follows is a short description of the plot of the show laying out what is real and what is fiction, just in case things need clarifying.
Basically, the show follows Freddie Lyon (fictional), played by Ben Whimshaw (real), a BBC current affairs journalist who, along with his long-time friend and target of his love (real/fictional), Bel Rowely (fictional), played by Romola Garat (real), are chosen to head up a new BBC (real) current affairs show based on real issues, called the “The Hour” (fictional). The show would showcase important news like the upcoming Suez Crisis (real) and the possibility of John F Kennedy being chosen as a running mate for Dwight Eisenhower (real), rather than the contemporary current affairs generally regarding the “outing” of young heiresses. Meanwhile, Lyons (fictional, remember) uncovers a sinister plot (fictional) involving the murder of a (fictional) academic on the London Underground (real), a murdered heiress (fictional, probably) and a man in a hat (fictiona/real) that arouses all kinds of suspicion as in a world where many people wear hats, a bowler hat stands out as evil. Further meanwhile, Lyon’s love for Rowley (and vice versa) cannot be expressed due to their own high-mindedness and history of friendship. This situation is compounded with the arrival of suave older gentleman Hector Madden (fictional) (Dominic West, real) as the anchor of “The Hour” to flirt lots with Rowley despite having the constraint of a marriage but hey, it’s the 50s, post-war laissez-faire-ism is all the rage baby. “We’re the greatest generation ever and we do what we wanna do.” was probably their catchphrase.
Played up as the British “Mad Men”, “The Hour” is something completely different. It is its own show. Yes, the casual alcoholism and the excessive smoking and the casting of a curvy lead woman in figure-hugging dresses and the sexism (a woman producing a current affairs television show?! Heaven forefend) is all present and the fact that the show is set in the same period leads to such comparisons but that is about it.
What “The Hour” is is a very impressive drama around a very important time for British journalism when (for better or for worse) the fourth estate started questioning the establishment. This is embellished in the character of Lyon who wants to chase stories that are out from the left-field like chasing up landlords who don’t admit “blacks or Irish” onto their premises. His character may well be hot-headed and temperamental and arrogant but hey, that’s journalism and that’s journalists. His summing up of why he hates Madden (hard work vs contacts to get where they are) is a terrific summing up of the class battle of the time and the portrayals of editorial battles is wonderfully enacted.
Whilst the linking of a conspiracy theory and journalism is a good mixture as one leads naturally to the other, my one concern so far is the balancing act between the two. Both story arcs are written and directed well enough so far but it will be interesting if this is carried on to such a high standard for the rest of the series.
But other than that, there is more than enough in this show for not just journalism nerds like this writer but for everyone. The cast for every role is perfect and the writing (from Abi Morgan) is as tight as any British drama around right now with the added bonus of the stunningly ironic/suitable/well-timed plotline of the relationship between the press, the police and the government (Hell, Lyon even gives a copper a few fivers in the first episode, albeit for a look at a corpse rather than anything really bad).
Overall, “The Hour” is well worth keeping up with whichever direction the plot looks to go in and if all else fails, marvel at the very 1950s stylings of just everything; the clothes, the hairstyles, the buildings, the transport and Rowley’s suspiciously looking modern watch.
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