Radio Times: Review by:; Alison Graham

Bel is coquettishly sharing a slice of toast AND her tongue with the vulpine Hector (Dominic West) as the pair have a nuzzle in the newsroom, delighting in their apparently “secret” affair.

But world events are closing in on The Hour and its breathless staff as the Suez Crisis deepens, and to top it all Freddie (Ben Whishaw) has gone AWOL. “We could be at war this time tomorrow,” wails Bel (Romola Garai). “We’re on air in ten hours!” Ten hours… ah, those were the days, before the relentless treadmill of 24-hour TV news hit our screens.

After an exasperating, sluggish start, Abi Morgan’s drama at last looks like it might be about to lift off. Certainly the pace picks up as the mystery of who or what is Brightstone creeps to the foreground and there are ominous signs that the security services are starting to take an interest in The Hour’s personnel.

The episode also contains the best line of the series so far, as Freddie tries to persuade a reluctant interviewee to let him in: “I’m not here to hurt you,
I’m from the BBC.”

About this programme

4/6. The effects of Tom's death are still being felt in the newsroom and MI6 have become a regular presence - keeping a particularly close eye on Freddie. Undeterred, the reporter pays a visit to Tom's widow, convinced she could hold vital information. Meanwhile, Bel and Hector's affair gathers steam and Isaac has his eye on Sissy. Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Dominic West star in the 1950s-set drama, with Jessica Hynes.