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Related: Film discussion forum.

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Related: Film discussion forum.

Telly addicts

the hour

109 replies

HoneyDuke · 19/07/2011 21:34

Not as good as mad men is it?

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LadyClariceCannockMonty · 02/08/2011 13:22

I know, I keep thinking 'It's only episode 3; I should give it another go' but then on the other hand we will be halfway through, and if it hasn't picked up by halfway when WILL it pick up?

Have started on Mildred Pierce as DP has finally got round to illegally downloading it. Have you watched it? I've only seen the first one but the jury is out ? not at all sure what the tone is meant to be or what we're meant to think of any of the characters.

ppeatfruit · 03/08/2011 09:18

I saw some trailers for it which looked interesting but i can't remember which side it's on and i think i thought it too late for me! Isn't it based on a film? I'll google it.

Well what do you reckon the Hour then? I thought it improved last night sort of 'opened out' IYSWIM. The Dominic West character was more attractive I'm still not particularly warming to Garai's character or more impressed by her acting powers. I liked the young lead guy more though, he's cute .I liked Anna Chancellor and the young secretary who was properly 50s dressed. (though I'm not sure that ANYONE spoke with a cockney accent who was employed by the Beeb in those days!!)Apart from the manual workers of course!! Oh and there would certainly have been a caretaker or a security guard about to notice a dead body falling down the main stairs!!

I worked out why the set for the Beeb is so weird it's all painted grey!! As i remember the 50s offices all had dark or mid coloured wood furniture.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 03/08/2011 10:58

I thought it was better.

I agree that Hector is getting a bit more depth as a character now I thought he was a bit two dimensional in the earlier episodes. I remain to be convinced by Garai's acting which seems a bit flat but I am not sure she has much of a script to work with.

Anna Chancellor is an actor I really like and I feel she is a bit underused here. Freddy growing on me (I found him quite annoying initially) and Whishaw appears a good actor.

I am not entirely convinced by the script I think the pacing is odd and some of the exposition of the plot is contrived. I thought the hint Hector gave during the shooting about the Ruth Elms engagement being a cover was enough and we didn't need the drunken revelation later.

More than anything I wish there was more funding out there for original TV drama in the UK.

sockpoppet · 03/08/2011 12:01

Much better last night. They could have strung out the Hector belle getting together a bit longer.

frillyflower · 03/08/2011 12:14

I really like it.

limitedperiodonly · 03/08/2011 14:23

I don't think the cockney secretary would have gone into the men's in 1956 because the women's loo was busy.

My mum is about the same age and background as her and she's horrified to this day if she goes somewhere that has unisex toilets. She genuinely believes it's against the law.

Not bitching. I quite like the show. But since people have noticed anachronisms I thought I'd join in.

sockpoppet · 03/08/2011 15:28

It's not that long after the war is it though, guess people remembered seeing a lot more shocking things.

limitedperiodonly · 03/08/2011 16:24

My mum lived through the Blitz. Trust me, she'd take a blown off limb in her stride, but a strange man's willy at a urinal... What would the neighbours say?

ppeatfruit · 03/08/2011 17:56

Yes limitedperiod the urinal thing amazed me too but sadly there are so many anachronisms in it.

Weirdly sockpppet after the 2nd W.W. people thought everything was going to be the same; women back in the kitchen etc.

frillyflower · 03/08/2011 21:02

I don't care about the anachronisms. I just prefer to watch a story than some godawful reality tv or celebrity shite.

ppeatfruit · 04/08/2011 08:56

I totally agree about the crap shows frillyflower. What annoys me is that the stations seem to compete to produce the nastiest and most 'populist' shite that they can even ,sometimes, the Beeb

slartybartfast · 04/08/2011 09:06

i enjoy it as well. not Fantastically. but i do enjoy it.

never watched mad men so no comparisons for me.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/08/2011 10:54

Frillyflower you make a fair point. Given the choice I would prefer to be watching a reasonable drama than some of the pointless sitcoms, repeats, reality shows that seem to be the standard fare of a lot of the stations now.

campocaro · 04/08/2011 11:06

I love it. For me interesting to see gender politics going on. The character played by Garai is based on Grace Wyndham -Goldie who set up much of BBC radio news.

I am also a Mad Men fan but The Hour is completely different. The lighting reminds me of the Dennis Potter Pennies from Heaven series (a classic)

KurriKurri · 04/08/2011 14:23

I am enjoying it too, - it really picked up this week, and I'm starting to care about the characters - especially Freddy.

javo · 04/08/2011 15:33

I'm surprised by how bad all the reviews of this have been. I like it and so do my 2 teen DD's (13 and 15). They were shocked at Bel having the affair as Dominic West's wife had beeen so sweet to her. Great to have some original non cop based drama on even if it not 5 star.

GrendelsMum · 04/08/2011 21:22

Well, as people have said, at least it is original drama.

But God, that Freddie is annoying. I wouldn't stand for him and his petty tantrums mucking up my news show if I were Bel.

GrendelsMum · 04/08/2011 21:23

And DH and I liked the house party very much - we're going to have a 1950s house-party themed weekend, just for ourselves. It will make playing sardines a bit difficult...

midnightexpress · 04/08/2011 21:26

I agree that it was better last night - esp the 2nd half was a bit more pacy.

So, who is Brightstone then? Whaddyareckon?

Dominic West?
The BBC boss man?
Duckface?

I reckon the MP is too obvious.

slartybartfast · 04/08/2011 21:41

and why did kisch, or whatshisname, kill himself?

Pawsnclaws · 04/08/2011 22:02

What happened to Pennies from Heaven - or even better, Lipstick on your Collar? They must have cost a fortune to produce, and were fantastic dramas, but never seem to have been repeated!

sockpoppet · 04/08/2011 22:26

Cause he gave away about brightstone and didn't recruit Freddie

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LadyClariceCannockMonty · 05/08/2011 08:54

Just watched it! It was better, wasn't it? I think it seemed pacier and more interesting because there wasn't so much about the TV show itself, which they don't seem able to handle/dramatise very well. I'm still unimpressed by Ben Whishaw and thought he was awful when he bursts into Bel's room and jumps on the bed ? really overdone and unconvincing. (I never would have thought it was possible to jump on a bed badly, but he managed it!)
javo, Hector's wife wasn't sweet to Bel! She was nosy and prurient about her relationship with Freddie, and was a cow to her, especially with the (admittedly very funny) crack about her 'silk' dress and 'marvellous cheap new synthetics' . I didn't find Hector and Bel running around the house stopping for the odd snog sexy, or exciting; it was just weird.
I couldn't decide if I liked Andrew Scott's performance as the debutante's widower or not. At points he was good but then he'd go over the top and I'd just see his shrieking, camp Moriarty from Sherlock.
My main gripe though is the class stuff. They're obviously taking class as a major theme, or at least a major background detail, but I don't think they're doing it well or convincingly. I still don't believe that Freddie is a chippy working-class scrapper. But then again I don't believe that he's a maverick genius journalist either, so maybe he's just not nailing any of it. I think Anna Chancellor and the guy who worked on the tape in the office on Saturday are the only ones who are convincing at belonging to the class they're supposed to. Hector's wife is obviously supposed to be from an old-money family but I didn't believe it for a second. The debutante also seemed too modern. I don't quite know what the problem is ? did they just not cast actors who can convey the right class 'air' or is the script at fault too?

Phew, long, sorry! Shutting up now ...

campocaro · 05/08/2011 11:13

See here for DVD The Singing Detective was also fab. Cant believe it was 1978...I feel really old.

ppeatfruit · 05/08/2011 11:46

But Ladyclarice she's found out ,or suspects, about Bel's affair with Hector so is JEALOUS isn't she? The reason for pointedly mentioning to him seeing Bel in in Freddie's room. Yes i agree about Freddie's character i was trying to work out where his father lived when you see him on the phone after the break in.

I also agree about the 'class' theme.

Yes campocaro The Singing Detective was incredibly good (it can be done!)

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