The overlooked brilliance of BBC's The Hour
From the get-go – those classy, Hitchcockesque credits – you know you're in for a treat, and it doesn't disappoint: the dialogue brims with zingers and has the velocity of an assault rifle, like the West Wing in its pomp, while the plot zooms along, twisting this way and that, oozing corruption, sex and ambition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a few seconds ago
- BBC News
'Having a drink cost me my family'
"Having a drink is what cost me my entire family."It is the first episode of Tommy Fury's BBC documentary and he is explaining why his very public break-up with Molly-Mae Hague boxer, whose profile skyrocketed when he went on Love Island in 2019, is sitting in his self-described "big" house, alone.A graphic pops up to say it is 110 days since Hague and their young daughter, Bambi, Hague announced their break-up in August 2024, Fury immediately began facing accusations of cheating and getting another woman denied all those "disgusting" claims, and he reveals that after having an operation on a long-term hand injury, he began drinking Fury, the father of both Tommy and former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, says he told Hague to leave his son."During this documentary a lot of my hardest times have been documented," Fury tells BBC Sport."[The documentary is about] how to navigate tough times."What's it like behind the scenes of an actual boxing fight."And how difficult it is to balance everything - being a family man, fighter and work life."The documentary follows Fury as he charts his way back from mental health struggles and excessive Englishman credits boxing and his daughter Bambi, "the best thing in my life", with helping him in May this year it was confirmed Fury and Hague had reconciled."Training was my escape. I'd always feel amazing coming out of the gym no matter what was happening, even if my life was falling apart," Fury says."My relationship with boxing is as it's always been. I've still got the same goals, I'm still hungry."I am still up at four or five in the morning running, still training three times a day. The hunger is still there."If it wasn't for boxing, I wouldn't have what I have in my life."Boxing has opened every single door for me. I owe my life to boxing."Watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three from Tuesday, 19 August 'Jake Paul knows where I am' Fury's boxing career has followed an unusual Mancunian had two professional fights under his belt when he appeared on Love Island, but with his fame and the emergence of influencer boxing, Fury stepped into that says his goals are still the same, he still wants to be a world champion one day."I am 26 years old, I believe I have the talent to do so, I just need the experience and the time," he Fury's two biggest fights have been against YouTubers KSI and Jake Paul. Paul is a regular competitor in boxing and continues to be one of the most marketable fighters in the beat Paul by split decision in 2023 in a lucrative bout and while his ambitions are to establish himself as a top contender at cruiserweight, he is not ruling out more crossover Englishman was scheduled to fight ex-UFC star Darren Till earlier this year in a boxing match, before Fury pulled out of the returned from an 18-month absence from the ring in May when he beat Kenan Hanjalic in Paul on a six-fight winning streak since facing Fury and bringing boxing to streaming giant Netflix, Fury is open to a rematch."Jake Paul's a unique character. He's doing well. There's no animosity or jealousy there," Fury says."He's making big waves and good luck to him. I'm doing my thing."I'm here, I'm ready but I'm not begging for a fight. I've done my job, I've beat him. I've got the win, he's got the loss."Any day he wants to rectify that, he knows where I am."If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article you can visit the BBC's Action Line for information and support on addiction.
Wales Online
30 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Strictly Come Dancing's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey staggering net worth leaves fans stunned
Strictly Come Dancing's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey staggering net worth leaves fans stunned Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is the only Gladiator in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. Here's everything you need to know about the sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey will be competing in this year's Strictly (Image: BBC) The legendary 90s programme Gladiators has returned to our TV screens, with viewers thrilled to witness the comeback of beloved challenges such as Duel and Hang Tough. Among the 16 'superhumans' facing off against challengers is Nitro, better known as Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who has now traded press-ups for Paso Dobles as he tackles Strictly Come Dancing. He is following in the footsteps of his fellow Gladiator Montell Douglas, who appeared on the main programme this year. But what more can we discover about this Gladiator?, reports OK!. Let's explore his remarkable background, his dedication as a loving father and his outstanding athletic achievements.... This champion sprinter has dominated British athletics from his teenage years. Article continues below Harry is appearing on the Strictly (Image: Getty Images for Lupus Films) He secured the 2005 BBC Young Sports Personality Of The Year title at merely 17 and made history by securing gold in both the 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships. "I was gifted from a young age," he modestly admitted. During his adult career, Harry's achievements include capturing gold in the 4x100 metres relay at both the European Championships and Commonwealth Games. He's a two-time Olympian and World Bronze Medallist, possessing an extensive collection of athletic honours, reports the Mirror. Taking inspiration from Muhammad Ali, Harry said: "When the odds were against him and people didn't think that he'd be as successful as he was, that's one of the things that drives me. sometimes in the face of adversity you've just got to drive through it." Harry balances his Gladiator duties with his online fitness coaching business, overseeing a successful app and continuing his athletics career. His estimated wealth stands at an impressive £3.9 million. Harry Aikines Aryeetey is known as Nitro on Gladiators (Image: BBC) Measuring 5ft 11ins with remarkable 25ins thighs, Harry maintains his physique through a predominantly protein-focused diet, often beginning his morning with a steak breakfast and enjoying cured meats as snacks. Nevertheless, he also acknowledged to Men's Health magazine: "I've been blessed with good genetics, obviously." Harry commands a substantial social media presence, boasting 303K followers on Instagram and regularly posting popular exercise clips on YouTube. He also provides charming insights into fatherhood, lovingly calling his daughter Aubreé-Isla his "Mini Me". He enjoyed a Cornwall break with his daughter and partner, posting a collection of photographs as they took a dip in an outdoor pool and enjoyed beach time. Harry has a daughter called Aubreé-Isla, who he often refers to as his 'Mini Me' (Image: Instagram/Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) He offered another glimpse into family life during Christmas 2022 as the trio donned coordinating festive pyjamas and posed for a heartwarming photograph together. Harry revealed that becoming part of the Gladiators earlier this year was "a childhood dream come true". Article continues below Reflecting on his background, he explained: "You think: 'Gosh, I played those games in the estate where I grew up and I've got the opportunity to actually bring it to life. "It's a celebration of what we are and what we've done." Beyond the arena, Harry commands a substantial social media presence, boasting 303K followers on Instagram.
Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Tech companies know when ‘you're looking at pictures of your ex'
Social media developers have worked tirelessly to track your every move, and the designers behind these apps have confirmed they can even see when you're stalking an ex's profile Tech experts who helped to create the apps we use day in day out have since opened up about just how much of your online behaviour they track – and it turns out it's just about everything. The Social Dilemma is a groundbreaking documentary that dropped on Netflix, revealing to audiences the inner workings of their most used apps. From Google to Facebook and Instagram, the creators behind some of these big hitters opened up about just how much of what you get up to on your devices is monitored and used to keep you online. "If you are not paying for the product. You are the product". These were powerful words used by former Google design ethicist and leading voice throughout the film, Tristan Harris. He explained in simple terms the ethics behind sites - that while they may seem like a simple way to see what your friends are up to or source new information, they are essentially "competing for your attention". The technology ethicist named some of the world's biggest social media apps and how their business models are all set to keep people engaged on their screens. Other experts chimed in to explain that while many of these services we deem to be free, they are in fact not, it's just that they are in fact paid for by advertisers – ultimately, our attention is the product. The documentary explains the way in which these booming tech companies, in order to be successful, need to have accurate predictions. How they do that is with a hell of a lot of data, which they gather through constantly monitoring our online behaviour. Jeff Seibert, Twitter 's former executive and serial tech entrepreneur, explained just how this works. He said: "What I want people to know is that everything they're doing online is being watched, is being tracked, is being measured. Every single action you take is carefully monitored. and recorded." "Many people call this surveillance capitalism," Harris explains. He added: "Capitalism profits off of the infinite tracking of everywhere everyone goes by large technology companies whose business model is to make sure that advertisers are as successful as possible." When explaining just how much tech companies monitor, Seibert said they have the capability to see not only when you look at something but also how long you're looking at it for. This helps them to understand users' emotions on a deeper level when they're feeling lonely or even in depressive states. "They know when people are looking at photos of their ex romantic partners," the tech entrepreneur explained. "They know what you're doing late at night. They know the entire thing." If one thing became clear in The Social Dilemma, it was that technology companies have more unprecedented amounts of information about us than anyone has ever had before. The more we continue to use these apps, the better they get to know their users and the more time they can guarantee we spend using their platforms. To uncover more about the online world and the intelligent minds behind these apps, you can watch The Social Dilemma, exclusively on Netflix. It's full description reads: "This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations."
