BAFTA Award Winning Writer Abi Morgan Brings Espionage Thriller to BBC America

BBC AMERICA is co-producing a new six-part drama series, The Hour, to premiere this summer on BBC AMERICA. Created and written by BAFTA award-winning Abi Morgan (White Girl, Sex Traffic, Brick Lane, Murder), The Hour stars Dominic West(The Wire, The Devil's Whore), Romola Garai (Emma, Atonement) and Ben Whishaw (Bright Star, Criminal Justice, Brideshead Revisited) locked in a highly competitive, sharp witted and passionate love triangle. The series, set behind the scenes of the BBC's news room in London in the mid '50s, is an edge-of-your-seat spy thriller unfolding over six episodes. Produced by Kudos (Life on Mars, Spooks, Law and Order U.K.), it is distributed by Shine International. It is a Kudos Film and Television/BBC AMERICA co-production for the BBC.

The Hour is set on the threshold of a decade in change, from the ruthless sexual politics behind the polite social facade of the '50s, to the revelations that redefined the world for a new generation. It follows the lives of three characters who are tasked to set up a new weekly investigative news program, The Hour. The drama plots the personal lives, professional interplay and jealous ambition between aspiring but renegade journalist Freddie Lyon (Whishaw), the beautiful ambitious young producer Bel Rowley (Garai) with whom he is in love, and his handsome rival Hector Madden (West), the face and lead anchorman of this rising television news team. Driven by quick-witted characters and fast paced dialogue, The Hour plays out as a riveting thriller set against the backdrop of the Cold War and Ian Fleming's world of espionage.

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America says: "I'm very proud that BBC AMERICA is co-producing The Hour, a drama with complex storytelling and a range of compelling characters. It's another example of BBC AMERICA's commitment to bringing the highest quality British drama to American audiences. I'm also delighted to be partnering again with Kudos, the producers of Law And Order UK, one of our channel's signature series."

Supporting cast includes Tim Pigott-Smith and Juliet Stevenson as Lord and Lady Elms; Anton Lesser as Clarence Fendley, the BBC's Head of News; Anna Chancellor as Lix, The Hour's brave and maverick hard-drinking foreign correspondent; Julian Rhind-Tutt as Angus McCain, the Prime Minister's eyes and ears; and Oona Chaplin as Marnie Madden, Hector's spoilt and beautiful wife.

The executive producers are Jane Featherstone, Derek Wax and Abi Morgan for Kudos Film and Television and Lucy Richer for the BBC. The producer is Ruth Kenley-Letts (The Nativity) and the series will be launched by director Coky Giedroyc (The Nativity, The Virgin Queen). Shine International brokered the co-production deal between Kudos and BBC AMERICA and will debut the series at MIPTV, one of the leading television markets, April 4-7 in Cannes, France.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy, four Golden Globes and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 68 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

 

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