Last year the gripping 6-part series THE HOUR debuted and knocked fans off their feet. Its slumbering tale of newsroom politics intersecting with global terrorism in the late 1950’s was glorious to behold. It introduced to the dawn of television as it struggled to find a foothold in serious journalism and still meet the increasing demands for sensationalized news.
Carried by the strong ensemble of Romola Garai, Dominic West, Ben Whishaw, Anton Lesser, Anna Chancellor, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Oona Castilla Chaplin, as well as a special guest appearance by Burn Gorman, THE HOUR proved a captivating drama. In fact it earned a coveted spot on our Top 10 List for 2011.
What really set it apart was how delicately THE HOUR brilliantly wove a tightly nuanced conspiracy thriller amongst the subtle burning desires of the newsroom. It showcased how greed, ambition, lust, wantonness counterbalanced by civic duty and political interest that can dominate what we see in the news. In the 1950’s, television was just beginning to learn its power of persuasion and its power over people and government.
Simply put, THE HOUR was a very clever series reminding us how different variables and shifting alliances affect what we see on the screen.
As THE HOUR returns for its second season, we are reintroduced to lives of Freddie, Bel, Hector, Marnie and the rest of “The Hour” news crew; and joining them this season is Peter Capaldi as Randal Brown, the new Head of News, and Hannah Tointon as Kiki Delaine. The year is 1957 and the world is on the brink of scandal. Hollywood has become a rage and everyone is entranced by the glitzy glamor it offers, though many are not yet aware of its fiery potential to burn them all if they get too close.
So as THE HOUR continues its countdown through its second season, it will again blur the line between those who report the news and those that make the news. After nearly watching their carefully constructed news show “The Hour” be take down by a Communist spy with a personal agenda last season, surely they will have learned to vet their own more carefully – and learned all too well that it is a dangerous thing to mix politics with their personal lives. But the temptations of their desires may yet again be their undoing.
Shall Bel be able to resist Hector’s devastating charms? Will Freddie still carry a torch for Bel? With Hector’s long-suffering wife Marnie continue to stand by her man through all his notorious affairs? Will their passions cloud their judgment and determine what news is or is not reported? 
THE HOUR invites viewers to take a dance within this murky world and discover what is lying in wait. Find out who may be the villain hiding in plain sight this season as THE HOUR returns Wednesday, November 28th at 10PM on BBC America’s Dramaville.
Tiffany Vogt is the Senior West Coast Editor, contributing as a columnist and entertainment reporter to TheTVaddict.com. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).