The Hour: "Episode One"

Please don’t think of it as “The British Mad Men”

“A lot can happen in 24 hours.”

– Freddie

Most the press concerning The Hour, at least stateside, at some point touched on the similarities (or more often, the lack thereof) of this show to Mad Men. As both shows are period piece dramas that seek in part to give a bold, glaring look at the social problems inherent in each of their eras (1950s London and 1960s America, respectively), it’s an obvious and understandable point to make. But as I was watching tonight’s premiere episode, the idea that critics would spend so much time on such a comparison became increasingly ridiculous, even if it they were doing so in order to dissuade the more casual viewing audience from such a notion.

My point is not that we should compare The Hour to the 1987 film Broadcast News – as most critics have also done, and a film that creator Abi Morgan cites as an influence on the show. Though I have not personally seen the movie (it came out a year before I was born, and statistically speaking, I’m terrible about catching up with movies before my time), I’m sure the comparison is apt, but that doesn’t mean it’s a right one for critics to be making.

Though most critics seem intent on proving the narrative differences between the two shows in order to get across the point that “The Hour ≠ Mad Men”, I think what’s missing in this discussion is that there is a key difference in storytelling that sets a huge gulf between the two shows. This is an important distinction to make, because as more networks start to get in on the period piece drama game in an attempt to gain critical recognition (or to jump on that practically non-existent Mad Men bandwagon), as both CBS and NBC are doing this fall with Pan Am and The Playboy Club, we must not lose sight of what makes Mad Men work. I’m not saying that critics are suddenly going to forget to discuss things like story and characterization, but if we fail to incorporate enough of these point in our reviews of these shows (or worst yet, if we keep comparing each period piece drama to Mad Men itself), we run the risk of confusing the issue over whether it’s the premise or the execution that is more important in terms of a show’s quality.

So if The Hour is not Mad Men, then what is it exactly? Well, if Mad Men is a slow, contemplative, character-based drama that mainly focuses on social commentary, then The Hour is a fast paced show that manages to juggle a love-triangle, a conspiracy plot, and the traditional workplace drama beats on top of thin layer of social commentary. This trio of element which normally belongs in more traditional fare may make it seems as if The Hour is a totally middling drama, but for now, that is not the case; though it may not be as great as Mad Men, The Hour is still very good. (Or, to put it another way, if I were forced to identify the show’s weakest element based on this episode, I would have to say it’s the score. It’s way too jazzy and upbeat for what is mostly a serious show.)

Of course I worked in the “for now” because it’s all very possible that these plots might devolve into an unholy mess. But tonight’s script managed to stay light on its feet, deftly switching back and forth between these three elements, never giving either one too much time in the spotlight. (As to the social commentary: Without being too familiar with British social history, it’s hard to say for certain, but it seems as if the show is purposely downplaying this element without outright excluding it, so that it can maintain historical accuracy without encroaching on Mad Men’s bread and butter.) Instead, “Episode One” was mostly focused on introducing us to the main characters, which, as we all know from Lost, is a smart move if the show expects us to be invested in the central mystery going forward.

In perhaps Morgan’s smartest move, all of the characters here are bold in a way that grabs your attention without seeming as if the actors are swinging for the fences, and their excellent performances really help the material along. Freddie, for example (played by Ben Wishaw), who is a surprisingly strong anti-hero for a audience identification figure, is a self-saboteur whose beguiling enough that we still want him to succeed. Freddie’s friend and love interest, Bel (Romola Garai), is the kind of career-advancing female/historical anomaly that TV shows love to include, but it’s telling that’s she not entirely sure how to go about being a strong woman in a man’s world. And Hector (Dominic West, whose finally free from having to do an American accent), plays the kind of lothario that you would expect him to play, but there are also layers of anger and frustration beneath his calm exterior that should be make for some good viewing as they become unearthed.

Perhaps even more telling, the premiere purposely refrained from showing us the titular program; Morgan clearly wants there to be no doubts that this show is never really going to be about the program that holds all of this together. It’s a risky move, but I applaud Morgan for understanding that as source of story, the program is always going to be there, but it works better as a template to push the other stories forward. The downside of this of course is that the conspiracy, like most TV show mythologies, took (or seemed to take) up a good chunk of tonight’s running time, and that’s worrisome for the element of the show that’s most likely to blow up in our faces. Still, with a strong premiere and a good sense of purpose, I’m willing to give The Hour of the benefit of the doubt, and six weeks of my time.

Quotes, Etc.:

Along with Dominic West (from The Wire), there were a few other faces that I recognized, and whose presence might be distracting because of it: Burn Gorham (of the first two seasons of Torchwood) played the mysterious murderer/conspirator, and Julian Rhind-Tutt (of Keen Eddie fame) played Angus McCain.

Not only will I be covering The Hour for its entire run, but I will also be covering the rest of BBC-A’s “Dramaville” presentations as they air. They are: the second season of Luther (Sept. 28), Whitechapel (Oct. 26), and State of Play (Dec. 7).

So apparently some of the conspirators pass messages through crosswords. Man, I miss Rubicon.

“Think I should start off with the Marx quote?”

“This is where I ask you for a drink.” “Sorry, I have to pack for South America.”

If you are a UK resident, or the kind of person who just couldn’t wait the few weeks to watch the show as it aired in America and torrented the episodes, please be kind to those of us watching for the first time, and don’t share any spoilers. Thank you.