Latest news with #TheHour
Metro
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Sexy' Netflix period drama with near perfect rating has just days to stream
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video BBC political thriller The Hour which has been praised as 'outstanding' is imminently leaving Netflix UK. The 2011 drama which ran for two seasons is a star-studded affair featuring Dominic West, Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Peter Capaldi. Set in June 1956, the six-part drama, 'focuses on the launch of a new BBC program as the Suez Crisis is unfolding in the Middle East.' There's political intrigue, high-stakes reporting and messy romances – essentially all the ingredients which make a short BBC drama tick. And critics would agree with The Hour securing 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. As The New Yorker put it: 'With its casting, its look, its unfolding mysteries, its attention to important historical events, its sexiness, The Hour hits every pleasure center.' Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. And The Spectator added: '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. And all against a setting best described as nostalgia on heat.' Den of Geek had nothing but love for the high-caliber cast, reflecting: Ben Whishaw is great as bitter, passionate hack Freddie, as is Romola Garai as Bel, an ambitious woman seemingly decades ahead of her own time. Both are upstaged, however, by the towering presence of Dominic West.' As for fans, one anonymous RT user said: 'Outstanding show: fantastic script by Abi Morgan who also did River and The Split and outstanding performances. Season 2 was even better than season one. The best show we saw this year!' 'Incredible cast and well written series, the historical setting is brilliant. Definitely worth a watch,' Debbra W echoed. In an interview with Uproxx at the time, writer Abi spoke about her approach to portraying women in the newsroom in this era. More Trending 'Well, Bel was inspired by a handful of women who were working at the BBC, most notably Grace Wyndham Goldie, who was a female producer of Panorama Tonight, which is like 60 Minutes. 'And so I knew those women existed, although they were a minority. But I think also what was kind of exciting for me also about Bel was I wanted to write about women in a post-war culture,' she said. She later added: 'I feel like this was a show that had a lot of women on it. Yet I'm still only one of a handful of female writers around. And invariably that sexism is still prevalent, still quite relevant to today.' View More » The last day to stream The Hour on Netflix is June 4. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Chilling' true crime documentary takes Netflix charts by storm MORE: 7 shows Eurovision haters can watch tonight if they can't face the music MORE: Forgotten sequel to Denzel Washington thriller becomes surprise Netflix hit
Spectator
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The overlooked brilliance of BBC's The Hour
With reluctance – but enticed by its surprisingly starry cast and the fact that it had landed, ironically enough, on Netflix – I recently tuned in to The Hour, the BBC's 2011 political drama series. It's about a BBC TV news programme being launched in 1956, against the backdrop of the Suez Crisis. And, goodness me, isn't it good? Better than good, in fact – it's a high-carat television diamond, and not some lab-grown job either, but the real, romantic, sparkling deal hewn out of the earth and hawked via Antwerp before ending up in the Imperial State Crown. 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.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix fans have just days to watch 'sexy' period drama with near perfect rating
The enthralling and 'steamy' historical drama — set in 1956 during the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution — is currently streaming on Netflix, but will depart from the streamer on June 5. British television drama series The Hour was first broadcast on BBC Two when it made its series premiere back in 2011. Starring Ben Whishaw, Dominic West, and Romola Garai, supported by Burn Gorman, Anna Chancellor, Tim Pigott-Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Anton Lesser, Julian Rhind-Tutt, and Oona Chaplin, the riveting historical drama has been penned by Brick Lane screenwriter Abi Morgan (who also serves as one of the executive producers on the show). With hour-long episodes across its two series, the show was mostly filmed in Hornsey Town Hall and its lead director was Coky Giedroy. The Hour is currently streaming on Netflix, but will depart from the streamer on June 5. Centred around a fictional current-affairs show being launched by the World Service in June 1956, The Hour is set in a BBC newsroom at the time of the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution. It follows maverick journalist Freddie Lyon (Whishaw), ambitious producer Bel (Garai), and enigmatic anchor Hector (West) as they launch the investigative news show — The Hour. Drama and tensions run high as the three protagonists become embroiled in a steamy love triangle, playing out against the backdrop of a cryptic murder. Set in the ruthless area of sexual politics, The Hour is a show that redefines the historical drama. Speaking to Digital Spy about what he felt when he first walked onto The Hour's set, actor Dominic West said: 'It's extraordinary, the detail. You get a sheet of paper which I have to hold while I'm being broadcast, which is in the background anyway. There's no way it'll ever be on screen, and yet it's a detailed timetable or list of detailed questions as it would have been." Actress Romola Garai also talked about her experience filming for the show and said: "You'll sometimes get someone say to you, 'Do you want something to hold?' because quite often it's nice to have a prop or something. "So you'll get a piece of paper and it's normally just the lunch menu! You'll get a piece of paper on this job and it'll be typed from a Corona typewriter and it'll be the schedule for a made-up show that isn't even in the script with all period dates of the shows that we would be covering. I think the production design might have OCD! It's really, really accurate." With a smashing 94 per cent rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, The Hour has been lauded by critics as well as audiences. One critic wrote: 'With its casting, its look, its unfolding mysteries, its attention to important historical events, its sexiness, The Hour hits every pleasure centre.' While another said: 'A gripping thrill-ride of a show; escapist and stylish despite playing a bit fast and loose with historical accuracy at times.' Another positive review added: 'The Hour is alternately ferocious and tender, and refreshingly clear-eyed about the interactions between gender and class,' and one reviewer observes: 'What makes it so engaging is that it works so well with and within the strictures of the well-thumbed genres it combines in equal parts: spy thriller, murder mystery, backstage drama, triangular romance.' Praise for director Abi Morgan also ran abound, with one viewer saying: 'Outstanding show: fantastic script by Abi Morgan who also did River and The Split and outstanding performances. Season 2 was even better than season one. The best show we saw this year! I just hope we see more shows from Abi Morgan. She is so talented.' Another audience review calls The Hour a 'fab series' that's witty and has 'great sets and clothes'. Commending the 'superb line up of the cream of actors', the audience review further states that the show is 'well cast', however 'the pace is a bit odd but it's great evening watching.'
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
What We Know About 6 Bodies Found Across New England — and the Serial Killer Fears They've Sparked
Residents across several New England towns are expressing concerns about a possible serial killer after at least six bodies have been recovered in a little over a month. The remains were found in four towns in Connecticut, one town in Massachusetts and one town in Rhode Island — all within a couple of hours of each other and on the Atlantic coast. As the notion of a possible serial killer floats across social media among web sleuths, some investigating agencies have dismissed the theory, PEOPLE previously reported. Two of the women connected to the case disappeared in the fall, per local media reports. Here's what we know about the victims and the timeline of the bodies discovered: Paige Fannon, Female, 35 The body of Paige Fannon was recovered by Norwalk police's scuba team and fire rescue team on March 6, local outlets The Hour and the Daily Voice reported. Norwalk police were assisting authorities in nearby Wilton, Conn., search for a missing person, The Hour, the Daily Voice and the New Haven Register reported at the time. Per the New Haven Register, Wilton authorities were looking for Fannon, a resident of West Islip on Long Island, as she was seen in their jurisdiction on March 5, a day after she was reported missing in New York. Authorities located clothing and personal items left on the bank of the Norwalk River before eventually discovering Fannon's body. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist her family as they cope with her untimely death. Unnamed, Female, 40 — 60-years-old Authorities recovered a body inside a suitcase near a cemetery in Groton, WTNH reported. State police told the outlet they do not believe there is any information suggesting a connection to the discovery of other remains. Groton's police chief echoed the statement, urging people to not 'rush to judgement,' per the outlet. Groton is 80 miles east of Norwalk. Unnamed, no information on gender or age Human remains were found by a hunter in a wooded area in Plymouth, Mass., about 108 miles east of Groton and 178 miles east from Norwalk. The hunter initially thought the remains belonged to an animal, before realizing the bone was not consistent with the shape of animal bones, Boston 25 reported at the time. Officers responding to his report determined the bone was the top half of a human skull, with its jaw and nasal area missing, per the outlet. Authorities did not release any identifying information, such as the age and gender, of the victim. PEOPLE did not immediately hear back from Plymouth police regarding updates. Related: Dead Women Are Turning Up in New England Beach Towns. Police Deny a Pattern, But Locals Fear a Serial Killer Denise Leary, Female, 59 Authorities in New Haven found the body of Denise Leary after residents reported discovering human remains in a wooded area near a home, the New Haven police announced on X at the time. The remains were 'in an advanced state of decay' when they were found, police said. On March 25, police confirmed the body belonged to Denise Leary, who disappeared in September, per WFSB and the New Haven Register. Police claimed Leary suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, per WFSB. New Haven is about 156 miles west of Plymouth and about 50 miles west of Groton. Michele Romano, Female, 56 The body of Michele Romano was found on March 26, eight months after she disappeared. Her remains were found in a wooded area, Rhode Island authorities said at the time, per WJAR. Investigators began looking into the "suspicious circumstances" surrounding her death. A man in the neighborhood told WJAR that his dog may have noticed the remains before they were found by the individual who reported it. "I know my dog has been acting strange when he comes out here," Tom Slater told the outlet. "He's always sniffing over that way. I don't know how long the body has been over there but he would pick up on it." Foster is about 89 miles northeast of New Haven. Unnamed, no information on gender or age Last week, unidentified human remains were found in Killingly, the Connecticut State Police previously told PEOPLE in an email. 'This investigation is in the early stages, remains active and ongoing, and there is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries actively under investigation by CSP or other CT law enforcement agencies,' the agency police across the towns remain tight-lipped, online sleuths are gathering on TikTok, Facebook and Reddit to discuss the matter. Many have joirned Facebook group "New England SK" to stay updated on the case and similar news. Read the original article on People
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
On my radar: Romola Garai's cultural highlights
Born in Hong Kong in 1982, actor Romola Garai grew up in Singapore and Wiltshire. She has starred in films including Atonement and Suffragette, and TV series The Hour and The Miniaturist. Her directorial debut, the horror film Amulet, was released in 2020. Last year Garai portrayed Annie Ernaux in Eline Arbo's adaptation of The Years at the Almeida theatre, later transferring to the Harold Pinter theatre, for which she won best actress in a supporting role at the 2025 Olivier awards. Now she stars alongside Ivanno Jeremiah and Jamelia in new BBC Three comedy drama, Just Act Normal, available on iPlayer. She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark I'm not usually a fan of the short story – I often find them not very fulfilling. But I really like Eliza Clark as a writer, so I was excited to read these. The stories are great and very funny: there's such weird and dark humour in them. There's one story particularly, called The King, which is about an alien living in the body of an ad executive. And at the end of the world they form a new civilisation. It's a really witty pastiche on gender relations, and quite horrific, but extremely enjoyable. Vollmond, Sadler's Wells I saw this about a month ago. I'm a huge fan of Pina Bausch and I always try to go when her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, is performing. I'd not seen this piece before, and the dancing in it was unbelievably daring. There's a whole section at the end where the stage is full of water and the dancers have to run backwards and forwards through it. Quite a few of the dancers fell over – it's amazing to see people who are so committed to what they're doing that they're putting themselves in physical danger to achieve it. Say It Like You Mean It by Sleater-Kinney This song does something weird to me. I quite often play it when I'm running, and then I start running really fast, like I'm chasing a mugger. It makes me feel intensely euphoric. It's a really sad song – Carrie Brownstein lost her mum in a car accident in 2022, so it's about grief and saying goodbye – but very beautiful. I've loved Sleater-Kinney for many years. All the music I like is sad – I don't like any upbeat music. But this song is incredibly purifying in its expression of grief. Yellowjackets The glut of television makes it hard to find things I really want to watch, but this show has struck me profoundly. It's about a group of women who go through an unbelievably extreme experience early on together, and it looks at the way they recover from trauma. They try to rationalise it, react against it, commodify the experience. It's truthful and brilliant. There's a scene in which one of the younger actresses, Sophie Nélisse, gives birth in the wilderness – it's a feat of acting. I don't understand why they haven't all won the top acting awards. The Rest Is History – The French RevolutionI'm a big history geek so I love this podcast. It's like you're sitting around a campfire. They're very good at bringing history to life in a vivid way. The one they recently did about the French Revolution was just incredible, particularly the ones on Marie Antoinette and what happened to her. They talk about revolution, and what happens to ideas when they're co-opted by the worst kinds of people, and excesses of ideology. When an ideology takes over, it's never really about the idea – the idea is to end up in charge. Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London Abney Park Cemetery is a mysterious and beautiful place that's been allowed to go somewhat wild. We have lots of lovely parks in London, but not that many wild places. You can walk around and hear woodpeckers and it feels very much like it's part of nature. Because it's full of trees, you see the passing of the seasons amazingly. And you can read the headstones – your brain is constantly whirring, thinking about all the titbits you get. There's one that I love where it says: 'Died in an accident.' And always, I'm like: 'What accident?' Le Cottage Bise, France We stayed in this hotel on the shores of Lake Annecy in a town called Talloires. It's been there since the turn of the last century. In the morning, when you have breakfast, you sit on a terrace which looks up at the Alps. Then you can walk 50 feet and just get into the lake and swim. The lake is like Evian water – it's the most unbelievably beautiful water to swim in. They have kayaks and pedalos. It's one of the nicest places I've ever been.
