Fans of the recent Netflix release, Black Doves, have been advised to check out a series that’s been dubbed ‘The Crown meets Mad Men’, and it’s available for free binge-watching.
Originally aired on BBC Two from 2011 to 2012, The Hour is being suggested for those who enjoyed the latest spy thriller series.
This British-made drama centres around a fictional current-affairs show launched by the BBC in June 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution and Suez Crisis. Interestingly, The Hour shares a cast member with Black Doves – Ben Whishaw, SurreyLive reports.
He is joined by Dominic West from The Crown, Vanessa Kirby from Mission Impossible, and former Doctor Who Peter Capaldi, among others. The Hour was created and penned by Abi Morgan, who later went on to create the popular BBC series The Split.
Although the show was cancelled by the BBC in 2013, fans rediscovering it will be intrigued to learn that Morgan has previously expressed interest in a revival. She even disclosed that they had an idea for a third series set in 1960s London, reports the Mirror.
Viewers wishing to catch up on the series have multiple options. All episodes are accessible to those with a subscription to Netflix or Amazon Prime.
However, there’s also an option to binge-watch the entire series for free. This is because the complete series of The Hour is available on U, the platform formerly known as UKTV, which broadcasts channels such as UandDave and UandYesterday.
When it first aired on television, the series drew comparisons to the popular US show Mad Men due to its 1950s setting and depiction of stylish media professionals. An article on Collider noted that it shared similarities with The Crown, which premiered on Netflix years later, despite being set in a different era.
The Hour explored similar themes of bureaucracy and espionage, which also appealed to fans of the more recent Black Doves. As viewers discover the show on streaming services, many are left wondering why it was cancelled.
One online comment read: “Just watching this on Netflix. I totally fail to understand how the BBC axed this well acted, beautifully written and intelligent drama with such an incredible cast.”
Another viewer echoed this sentiment, saying: “What a fantastic show. I just found this recently, and after completing both seasons, I am scratching my head wondering, how the hell did this ever get cancelled.
“The acting is Top Tier. I feel like I want to single out people, but the whole cast is sublime, from the always wonderful Ben Wishaw to a stand out performance from Oona Chaplin, in what some would consider, not a major role, but she killed it, in every scene she was in. I highly, highly recommend this compelling drama.”
A third fan expressed their deep appreciation for the series, “I used to think this show was the best drama series the BBC had ever done, and was devastated when it ended prematurely, the BBC having pulled it.
“Now that I can watch it again on Netflix, I am again transfixed and watching it every night instead of the news. It made such a mark on me the first time that, over the intervening years, I thought of it often as, still, the best thing I have seen on TV. The acting from Romona Garai, Dominic West and Ben Wishaw is worthy of BAFTAs. “
They added: “The cinematography is beautiful and the storyline, always ambitious and complex, is even more relevant today. So much so that it is still crying out for a third season. Meanwhile it gets harder to find anything worth watching. Thank goodness for Netflix.”
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