the hour

[HoneyDuke]

Not as good as mad men is it?

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

Oh, I suppose. Is she nice to Bel before she starts suspecting about Bel and Hector then? Can't remember.

I think Freddie and his dad's house is quite convincingly working-class. Just find his actual character hard to pin down.

[teejwood]

'lo all! lovely to see someone else is watching this as it seems to have passed by most people I know!

I tuned into this with no preconceptions and have enjoyed it so far. It probably helps that I like quite a few of the actors - e.g. Wishaw was amazing in Perfume, Anna Chancellor is a stalwart and Burn Gorman does conflicted/baddie so well ...

What I have done is look at the BBC microsite and that sheds a little light on some of the characters. You could say it shouldn't be necessary to do so - we should gain enough information through the script - but perhaps I may have missed some key nuggets? Anyway, Hector's wife is very much new money according to her bio, so imho she is trying to act all old money and cool about everything, including her husband's infidelity. The way she reacted to the lipstick behind Hector's ear indicated that it probably isn't the first time he has played away and she recognised that there was an attraction with Bel at quite an early stage, hence the bitchy comments and trying to ascertain whether Bel and Freddie were an item.

And I have quite liked Freddie, actually. He is a working-class, grammar school boy done good in an organisation that at that point was still very much the preserve of a public school/oxbridge elite. He also was exposed to this upper class world at an earlier, impressionable age because of the Elms - but was held at arm's length and ultimately pushed away from it. Consequently he knows that nomatter how brilliant he is, nomatter how close he gets to these people, he is always an outsider looking in - hence the self-protective veneer of chippiness and indifference. The jumping on the bed thing I saw as him literally stamping on this symbol of affluence, messing it up. But it's fair to say there is also an element of arrested development about Freddie - and actually he wouldn't be the first journalist I've come across with that type of personality.

What HAS bugged me is Bel herself. There are many women who are quite feminine in the workplace, but you know they have an iron rod up their spine that has helped them achieve career success. Bel just seems so drippy and nervous so much of the time it makes her less believeable - whether that is down to direction or acting I'm not sure. For example, when she was fumbling with her fingers in the meeting with the government minister it just seemed so weak. I just don't think that character would have let herself give away a "tell" like that. I believe her more when she is in the loo going "oh crap" and then composes herself, comes out and starts calling the shots.

Oh and for what it's worth, i think it's quite possible duckface is brightstone.

[teejwood]

eek - sorry for essay - got carried away

[KurriKurri]

Ooh - duckface eh? - interesting

I agree with you about Freddie, I like him too, his complexity is showing through now. Also find his relationship with Hector interesting.

I've loved Burn Gorman since Torchwood, he is so unusual looking, and does sinister and creepy very well.

Essays welcome - love hearing others views, no one I know in RL, including DH, is watching this.

[anonymousbird]

Mad men is mesmerising. It is all powerful in terms of how it works its way into you, pulls your heart strings, and captivates you. It is almost real.

The Hour is good, I'm intrigued, I love the cast, but it doesn't feel real in the same way, it's just a story.

[teejwood]

Kurri yy - I am most probably wrong about duckface but:

a) she spent time on the front line during the war - could that tie in with her being recruited as a spy or similar?
b) she was bothered enough about Owen Kish to check out his background (having been at beeb for 8 yrs and never having worked on a programme) and flag it
c) she was hanging round the office 'avoiding her auntie' while Kish was there by himself - as soon as Freddie turns up all of a sudden she can't put off her auntie any more - could be nothing but seemed to jar slightly
d) Freddie asked her to make sure Isaac hides the film of Ruth - we don't yet know what happened to the film, whether it is safe or not - but it would be convenient if it going missing (and everyone assumes Kish got his hands on it) actually worked to her advantage...

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

teej, I didn't mean that I didn't like the FACT that Freddie jumped on the bed. I meant the way he did it. I know that sounds stupid; it's hard to explain my weird feelings but I just found it ... unconvincing. Like he was very consciously ACTING someone jumping on a bed. He didn't look the way someone looks when they're jumping on a bed in real life, IYSWIM.

And yes, I agree about Anna Chancellor's character. The 'going out with my great-aunt' thing was a bit weird, especially the abrupt way she left the office. If it were another of the actors I'd put it down to bad acting but she's one of the few that I'm actually impressed by. Also the exchange with her colleague (can't remember his name) about her not having a partner: 'I like it that way'.

[midnightexpress]

Hmm, I also wondered whether it might be Isaac (the mild-mannered janitor). There was one scene in the first or the 2nd episode where he was looking funny at Freddy.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

teejwood I think the point you make about Bel is very true. I work in the City and I don't get the feeling she would survive very long there. She doesn't have hardness or the ambition you would expect (not necessarily in your face IYSWIM but bubbling underneath).

On a different note I went to see Dominic West in Butley last week. It was a good play, very funny and full of energy (a very different role to Hector). West was superb, well supported by Martin Hutson and the rest of the cast. I've added a photo I took of Dominic West outside the theatre to my profile for your ogling perusal.

[ppeatfruit]

Chazs Do you think as I do that it's Romola Garai being cast out of type (for her looks) and possibly out of her depth rather than the script, of course it could be both.

[KurriKurri]

Agree with the comments about Bel, - I haven't seen Romola Garai in anything else, she's very beautiful, but maybe miscast here. Although I do think the author is trying to make a point about looks versus talent, and Freddy has the talent but not the looks so is unfairly held back while Hector gets the limelight, maybe Bel also fits that idea.

Like your theories about Anna Chancellor Teej. I'm slightly confused about the film of Ruth, I thought that was what Freddie found in Kish's coat pocket just before they had their fight, so think I'm a bit muddled there if anyone wants to explain

The picture of Dominic West is great Chazs - how nice of him to pose for you

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I am struggling with Bel's character, I think they have caught some of the casual sexism very well and perhaps they are trying to show how difficult it for a woman to be strong and assertive in such an environment (where such traits would be regarded so unfeminine). Undoubtedly, Romola Garai looks the part but I would have liked to have seen a tougher edge to the character. I think part of the problem may be that in the 50's its probable that the only woman who would have succeeded is Lix because she is more masculine in her style and in reality a Bel Rowley type would not have been taken seriously at all and would never have become a producer so her character is at odds with the era in which it is based.

Romola Garai is undoubtly a talented actress I am just not sure that the character works. Mind you, until the last episode I wasn't sure if half of the characters worked!

KurriKurri the cast of Butley were chatty and happy to sign programmes etc. which was really nice. (I usually try to get my programme signed and it also gives you a chance to tell the cast that you enjoyed the play.)

[teejwood]

LadyC re the jumping on the bed incident - yes that's kind of what I felt but in a deliberate way! Ie it was part of his "act" in front of Bel in this type of situation. Bless him he so wants her to be impressed when actually she's thinking "matured beyond 12 yrs old, much?"....

Chaz - lovely photo of DW - slightly sleepy eyes and bed-hair thing going on there or is that just me projecting

ppeat I'm taking the liberty of answering your question to Chaz - I think the problem with Bel might well be the direction, actually. After all, it's the director who decides to focus on those fumbling fingers etc and it's not generally the actor who has the final say over characterisation etc.

which leads me to - Kurri Garai was quite good in The Crimson Petal, imho, but whether Bel is doing her any favours
oh and as for the film - iirc Freddie found a small rattly tin in Kish's pocket but it wasn't the same size as the film - but it's quite possible I didn't watch that bit closely enough!

[teejwood]

x-post chaz! Women had to have backbone and determination to succeed then as much as now. I'm just wondering whether they make Bel more assertive in the coming episodes and it's to show her journey in becoming more confident as the show is better received and she becomes more used to her position over time...

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

Good point about Freddie, teej.

I don't remember the tin in Kish's pocket either ... Must pay more attention next time.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

It seems to be picking up the pace a bit this week. I hadn't expected the Freddy & Lix storyline. Good to see Bel finally (at least for 1 moment) show some real backbone in her exchange with Clarence. I still found there were a few times where the dialogue jarred as being too modern.

[MurielTheActor]

2 episodes behind so trying not to read any spoilers in the posts but I just have to say that in Ep 2 when Freddie's dad saw Hector and said "Captain" tears fell.
I don't think I've ever before cried over one word before - which must mean that they were getting a lot of things right for it to have that impact.
I'm LOVING it.

[muddlinleigh]

Sorry to lower the tone but am amazed noone has mentioned Dominic West's lovely bot.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

muddlinleigh


There's a photo of DW on my profile which I took outside the theatre a week or so ago.

[campocaro]

Loving this series. Does anyone know if the Tues episode is repeated later in week?

[KurriKurri]

campocaro, it's repeated tonight. 11.20 BBC2

[teejwood]

Muriel that bit got to me, too. To me it was that combination of demonstrating his dementia and also showing how someone like Freddie's dad would assume someone like Hector was in a position of authority without even having to say a word.

Chaz agree that Bel finally showed come backbone for a change!

I did waver in my theory this week - thinking it might be Clarence rather than Lix - but then maybe he did just want to ensure that his team was "clean"?

And I agree - I'm loving this, but have made a conscious decision to just park the inconsistencies and enjoy the ride!

[MurielTheActor]

So I'm developing a bit of a theory here re the class thing.
Mrs Hector is very new money. In fact the family are, I think, Jewish. The father looks very Jewish. Their name is Sherman - a Jewish name. I'm thinking that Hector doesn't quite belong to the true establishment - minor public school, third at Cambridge and has married into a family that have merely acquired the trappings of upper class (and being Jewish can never belong themselves) which makes him as much an outsider as Freddie and Bel and makes him somewhat of a phoney.
I'm hoping his 'journey' will illuminate this for him and he will eventually assist in the bringing down (exposing) of the establishment forces and turn him authentic, as Freddie is the only true authentic, class wise.
Well that's my theory FWIW...

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

Interesting, Muriel. I've been finding Hector unconvincing as the 'smooth', 'confident' upper-middle-class type that the script keeps telling us he is. I had put it down to a rubbish script but perhaps it's as you say and he is in fact masquerading as a member of a class to which he doesn't quite belong, and is uneasy about it.

[niccibabe]

Hello, new to Telly Addicts... can I jump in here?

Does anyone know if the series will be back on iPlayer?

I watched episodes 1, 2, and 3 on series catch-up and now it's disappeared.

If it's not coming back, what are you all watching instead?

thanks