The Hour BBC

The Hour, BBC's new series is set in the mid1950's. Chronicling the rise of television and evolution of news reporting as we know it now, The Hour is a beautiful look at a period of history that has captured recent imagination with shows such as Mad Men. However, The Hour is so much more. Thick with plot, it has twists, turns, and surprises which remind me of AMC's sadly cancelled series, Rubicon. Between reporting the news and chasing down spies and murderers, the series is smartly written, leading the viewer on through the looking glass into dark underworlds of London circa 1955. I am absolutely in love with the unfolding of historical events such as the challenge by Egypt to the ownership of the Suez Canal. But I am equally enchanted by the steamy tension between the main characters. Carefully crafted, The Hour boasts richly visual sets and not only a beautiful but talented cast. My only complaint is the soundtrack does not capture the imagination. It seems stale but then I suppose I shouldn't be focused on the music. Let us hope that this series continues and doesn't go the way of other intelligent, gorgeously filmed television. Check out the scenes below from the first two hour premiere episode for a taste of this stylish series!