To many, Dominic West is best known for his performance as Prince Charles in The Crown or Baltimore detective Jimmy McNulty in the hit series The Wire. But he actually has a lot of projects to his name, and a full catalogue to binge-watch if you're in need of a new show.
The one we're keen to spotlight today is The Hour, a gripping newsroom thriller that first came out over a decade ago. If you've never seen it, here's everything you need to know about the slow-burn drama, which you can binge-watch in full this weekend.
What is The Hour about?
The Hour is a fictional political thriller set against the backdrop of real events like the Hungarian Revolution and the Suez Crisis. It centred on a TV studio who are launching a new BBC current affairs programme called The Hour. But what starts as a former war correspondent fronting a successful programme falls into a web of secrets and deception, exploring ambition, love and infidelity.
It's a perfect pick for fans of Mad Men or Slow Horses, thanks to its slow-burn drama that pairs together an office environment with a world of espionage.
The BBC description of The Hour reads, "June 1956. BBC reporters and soulmates Bel Rowley and Freddie Lyon join a brand new current affairs programme and become involved in a dark and dangerous conspiracy."
Who's in the cast of The Hour?
As well as Dominic West as Hector Madden, the charming but flawed presenter of The Hour, the stellar cast includes:
- Ben Whishaw from Black Doves and This Is Going To Hurt as Freddie Lyon, the investigative journalist who is pulled into a sticky situation while searching for the truth.
- Romola Garai from One Life as Bel Rowley, a producer trying to level the playing field in a male dominated newsroom
- Anna Chancellor from The Split as Lix Storm, a fearless foreign correspondent
- Oona Chaplin from Treason as Marnie Madden, Hector's wife
- Peter Capaldi from Criminal Record and Doctor Who as Randall Brown, the Head of News
- Anton Lesser from Andor as Clarence Fendley
The show as also written by the brilliant Abi Morgan, who is responsible for shows like River and Shame, as well as movies The Iron Lady (2011) and Suffragette (2015).
Where can you watch The Hour?
WATCH NOW While The Hour was originally made by the BBC, it's now available to watch in a number of different places. Those include Channel 4 and AppleTV+. There are two series of the show, each of which contains six episodes which are about an hour each.
What are reviews of The Hour like?
The Guardian were big fans, writing that it's "a gripping thrill-ride of a show; escapist and stylish despite playing a bit fast and loose with historical accuracy at times. That the action and the characters have proved so enthralling is largely down to Abi Morgan's brilliantly involving scripts.
The Times agreed, adding, "It’s a cracking story and the three principal leads — West, Romola Garai and Ben Whishaw, above — give faultless performances."
One to watch for sure!
