The Hour

I'm not sure where exactly I heard of this (TV show? mini-series? I'm not sure exactly what it is--just that the BBC makes it), but I was interested, particularly because it was being billed as Mad Men-esque. Not that I'm a big fan of Mad Men, personally, but I can tell it's well made and pretty. The Hour, not to be confused with the movie, The Hours, is even better, I think--it mixes Mad Men's dialogue and character development and period setting with a spy show! (Those of you who know that I watch Chuck and Covert Affairs know that I'm a sucker for a good spy show--or even a really bad one.) The Hours is, unlike Mad Men, rather dark (due to the whole spy plot). It is also scary! I mean, I'm easily scared by TV and movies, but I definitely screamed out loud at one point! Which has never happened to me before, although I may have wanted to during Monsters Inc.

The Hours may not be superior to Mad Men in its dialogue or subtlety, but it is superior in one very important way: the presence of Dominic West. Also: something that I would not have guessed from The Wire: Dominic West is British! And as attractive as ever.

The Hours is set in a journalism office. It's very meta, actually--it's a BBC show about a BBC news show. Since the focus is journalism, the show inevitably is all wrapped up in politics--it deals with Egypt's seizure of the Suez Canal and Britain's response. There are smaller comments in the show about the treatment of racism, sexism and homophobia. Certainly less subtle than Mad Men.


One of the best parts of this show is the friendship of Belle and Freddie. They are best friends; Freddie clearly has feelings for Belle that he doesn't even try to hide. There's a love triangle, though (I don't believe in affairs, but, boy, Dominic West would be hard to resist...). Anyway, romantic or not, their relationship and both Belle and Freddie themselves are utterly charming. Belle is quite a lovely and competent woman (and please notice the green dress in the pictures! This woman can dress--I guess in the 50s business professional still meant flattering and feminine). Freddie is intelligent and outside-the-lines. Attractive qualities, all.

The show is only 4/6th of the way out, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. And sitting by my computer, waiting for the next installment to emerge.


(picture, picture, picture)