Posted on July 27th, 2011 at 9:31 am by 
Am I loving this! The Hour, BBC 2′s new drama series (Tuesday at 9.00 pm) is improving by the minute – and at the end of the second episode I think its starting to get going and get us all guessing.Â
For me it ticks all the boxes – fashion, intrigue, good looks, nostalgia – a bit like the best bits of all the films/series you’ve enjoyed rolled into one 60 minute news episode. Its certainly not perfect – Belle’s (Romola Garai) character seems far too gentle to have reached her position as producer of a live news programme in her late 20′s (remember, this was the 50′s) and it’s been slow to get going, but the casting is great and Ben Whishaw shone again last night. I think we’re going to hear so much more of this talented man.
I also love the absence of too many ‘clipped’ BBC accents which TV dramas love to pepper throughout their characters to give an instant feeling of a former era. Whilst they may be true to a time, they can often detract from the character’s depth and lend characters to becoming caricatures of themselves. Everything doesn’t have to sound like the Queen’s Christmas broadcast!
The Hour is my mid week guilty pleasure. More please.
Marigold x
