In which G.M. Norton enjoys a forgotten gem.
I recently had a yearning to re-watch BBC television show,
The Hour.
I watched it when it first aired in 2011 and enjoyed it
enormously. At the time, it was unfairly compared to Mad Men, which was at the
height of its popularity. I don’t think this did The Hour any favours, as they
are completely different beasts. While Mad Men is a slick American show set in the
vibrant 1960s, The Hour centres on British life in the 1950s – so less
glamour, more grit.
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| Gritty |
Of course, that’s not to say that The Hour is lacking in
glamour. Far from it. Just look at the main character, Bel (also affectionately
referred to as Moneypenny) or my favourite, Marnie played by the delightful
Oona Chaplin (real-life granddaughter of Charlie).
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| Bel |
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| Marnie |
While Mad Men centres on the booze-laden office antics at a
New York advertising agency, The Hour follows the drama that unfolds as a team
of investigative journalists fight against political spin doctors and police
corruption to broadcast a BBC news programme. It’s all very exciting, covering
topics such as the Cold War, the Suez Crisis and racial tension.
My favourite character is Freddie Lyon, played by the
talented Ben Whishaw – a fearless reporter with a bee in his bonnet about the
class system. Of course, from a sartorial perspective, handsome news anchor
Hector Madden is the one to watch. He has an impressive tie collection, I must
say.
I was terribly old-fashioned and bought the two series on DVD on Amazon (used, rather than new). Very much worth the investment.
G.M. Norton
Protagonist of 'Norton of Morton'
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