I know many of our patrons like television series. I have recently found a new British series that I really like. It is entitled “The Hour.” Set in the early 1950s, in London, it centers on the development of a news-format show on the BBC.
Series One dealt with a mole working at the BBC and the death of the daughter of a member of the House of Lords. The historical event that serves as the back drop is the Suez Canal crisis. If you like dramas about politics, and in particular British politics, this series is very good. The personal stories of the characters are interwoven with the day-to-day job of putting on a weekly television show. Dominic West, of “The Wire,” plays the star of “The Hour.” Ben Whishaw, the new “Q” in the last Bond movie, is the brilliant researcher who gets to the bottom of the death of his friend. Romola Garai is the female producer of “The Hour.” She and several other strong female characters add to the mix of personalities.
Series Two, which I am watching now, begins one year after the discovery of the mole. These shows deal with anti-black feelings in Britain at that time and a crack down on pornography in London.
If we are looking to add to our DVD TV series collection, I strongly suggest “The Hour.” I think it would be very popular.