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After the first episode of The Hour, I was cautiously optimistic that the problems I had with the opening offering could be ironed out and that the programme could develop into something great. Now that the series has finished, I feel like it both steadily improved over its course but ultimately ended up being a waste of its considerable potential.
The main weakness of the series was the frequent moments when it felt far too much like a modern perspective on the 1950s, a feeling that was not helped by the too-modern language. And don't even get me started on the horrible and ham-fisted satire sketch in the final episode, which rendered the character of Isaac even more stupid and pointless than before. The most problematic thread of The Hour, though, was the mystery surrounding the Russian mole. The idea that it was Clarence seemed so obvious I figured it had to be a double bluff, and despite the sheer brilliance of Anton Lesser, I found myself disappointed by the revelation scene - his plan to use his long sought after programme as a vehicle to out the government's dodgy dealings seemed ill-thought through to say the least, and it meant that the final episode petered out rather than taking advantage of the tension that had been building throughout.
Still, there was much to admire and enjoy about The Hour, and I'll be looking forward to the second series, especially if the espionage plot is forgotten about. The Hour was undoubtedly at its strongest when dealing with the world of TV and the journalists' attempts to report political events effectively. Lix's investigating the Suez crisis or Freddie and Hector reporting from the protests offered a much more engaging sense of the 1950s than any of the shadowy Russia figures, while Freddie's investigation was most interesting at its most personal moments, particularly thanks to two absolutely blinding performances from Tim Piggott-Smith and Juliet Stevenson.
Romola Garai, Ben Whishaw and Dominic West are all charismatic and charming screen presences, but their characters were bogged down by their rather tedious love triangle. Garai in particular was short changed by it, as Bel was at her most likeable when she was going up against McCain (a wonderfully creepy turn from Julian Rhind-Tutt) rather than fretting about how dreamy but married Hector was. Her easy, comfortable relationship with Freddie also showed her at her best, particularly when at the country house party (and her delicious grey coat has been the subject of many a fantasy of mine since that episode). The Hector/Bel element of the triangle was actually its least intriguing – I found Hector and Freddie the most appealing when they worked together, and Whishaw and West had a wonderfully sparky chemistry. Of the consistent supporting cast, no words can describe the sheer magnificence of Anna Chancellor – her scene with Hector, discussing her work as a photographer, was one of the highlights of the series – while Jessica Hynes, Jason Watkins and Burn Gorman all made the most of relatively small roles.
The elements were all there to make The Hour an instance classic – great writer, beautiful sets, wonderful actors – but instead, it only fulfilled its potential sporadically. Still, the considerable talents of the cast meant that it was always engaging and entertaining, and hopefully the second series can build on its potential and create something consistently excellent.
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