Series synopsis
The Hour is a British comedy talk news television series that premiered on BBC Two on July 19, 2011. It ended on December 13, 2012. It was created by Abi Morgan. It stars Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, Dominic West and Anna Chancellor.
The 1/2 Hour News Hour was an American television news satire show that aired on the Fox News Channel. The program presented news stories from a conservative perspective, using a satirical format pioneered by Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and The Daily Show.
The first pilot aired on February 18, 2007, and the second on March 4, 2007. Fox News Channel later purchased 13 more episodes of the show, which started airing on May 13, 2007. The show was cancelled and t ...
Premise
The 1/2 Hour News Hour was an American television news satire show that aired on the Fox News Channel. The program presented news stories from a conservative perspective, using a satirical format pioneered by Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and The Daily Show.
The first pilot aired on February 18, 2007, and the second on March 4, 2007. Fox News Channel later purchased 13 more episodes of the show, which started airing on May 13, 2007. The show was cancelled and the final episode aired on September 23, 2007.
Cast and crew of the show included Kurt Long, Jennifer Robertson, Manny Coto, and Ned Rice. Longtime Weekend Update anchor Dennis Miller was a regular contributor to the program with his "The Buck Starts Here" segment.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Ben Whishaw as Freddie Lyon
- Romola Garai as Bel Rowley
- Dominic West as Hector Madden
- Anna Chancellor as Lix Storm
- Tim Pigott-Smith as Lord Elms
- John Bowe as Douglas Owen
- Anton Lesser as Clarence Fendley
- Juliet Stevenson as Lady Elms
Supporting cast
- Julian Rhind-Tutt as Angus McCain
- Burn Gorman as Thomas Kish
- Oona Chaplin as Marnie Madden
- Peter Capaldi as Randall Brown
- Vanessa Kirby as Ruth Elms
- Hannah John-Kamen as Rosa Maria Ramírez
- Peter Sullivan as Commander Laurence Stern
Guest cast
- Paul Chahidi as Ron
- Lisa Greenwood as Sissy Cooper
- Joe Cole as Trevor
- John Cummins as Floor Manager
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 14 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 2 | ||
| Season 1 | 6 | July 19, 2011 | August 23, 2011 |
| Season 2 | 6 | November 14, 2012 | December 13, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Making Of "The Hour (2011)" | |
| 2 | Production & Design |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Bel and Freddie, who work as BBC reporters, are given the chance to escape from their boring jobs to run a topical weekly show instead. With only one of them being able to be the producer, and with Bel in pole position for the job, Freddie is not happy. After a debutante and a childhood friend end up asking him for help in investigating a murder, he ends up realising that the only way he can investigate it is to join the staff of The Hour. |
July 19, 2011 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 It is July 1956 and The Hour is struggling as the ratings are down, the reviews are bad and Hector and Freddie are arguing like children. Freddie is still shocked following Ruth's death and is convinced that she was murdered. Peter's killer, Tom Kish, has started working as Lix's new assistant on the foreign desk. Bel and Hector end up being brought closer together under the watchful presence of Hector's wife, Marnie as they face their biggest challenge yet. n impromptu meeting with Ruth's devastated father, Lord Elms, ends up giving Freddie a vital clue brings him closer to the truth but also puts himself in further danger. |
July 26, 2011 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 It is now September 1956 and Hector's brilliant interview with Mr Hafiz has caused the fortunes of The Hour to pick up.. The team are invited to spend a weekend at Hector's in-laws. The attraction between Bel and Hector continues to grow and Hector finds it hard to deal with his growing feelings for her, despite Marnie's presence. The suspicion about Tom Kish continues to grow back at the office and Isaacs on the case. Bel is surprised by the sudden appearance of Angus McCain. As the weekend away continues Freddie's crossword continues to baffle him and he believes that there is a hidden code which is an important clue as to who killed both Peter and Ruth. |
August 2, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 With Freddie gone, Bel struggles to keep The Hour afloat as the new Head of News arrives. |
November 14, 2012 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Hector's drunken late nights at El Paradis catch up with him when he is arrested on suspicion of beating up Kiki. Bel has a fight on her hands to clear Hector's name and hide his disappearance from Randall. However Freddie complicates matters further when he decides to hold a controversial interview with a fascist on the same day as a visit from members of the board. |
November 21, 2012 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 It is Christmas at Lime Grove and a time for much soul-searching. Kiki has gone missing and Hector's self-destructive behaviour spirals as Bel and Freddie search for the truth about what happened to her. Meanwhile, Randall tells Lix the real reason for his return but is she willing to dredge up a painful past? |
November 28, 2012 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 19, 2011 |
| Last aired | December 13, 2012 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 21:00:00 |