Pilot (19 Jul. 2011)

1956. Bel Rowley and Freddie Lyon, BBC reporters and best friends, apply to join a new current affairs program. Meanwhile, Freddie is asked to investigate a murder.

Director:

Coky Giedroyc

Writers:

Abi Morgan (creator), Abi Morgan

Stars:

Ben Whishaw, Joshua McGuire, Vanessa Kirby

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Whishaw	...	Freddie Lyon
Joshua McGuire	...	Isaac Wengrow
Vanessa Kirby	...	Ruth Elms
Andrew Scott	...	Adam Le Ray
Romola Garai	...	Bel Rowley
Anna Chancellor	...	Lix Storm
Jamie Parker	...	Peter Darrall
Burn Gorman	...	Thomas Kish
Juliet Stevenson	...	Lady Elms
Jason Watkins	...	George Hemmings
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Lord Elms
Colin Spaull	...	Newsagent
Amie Francis	...	Cloakroom Girl
Robert Demeger	...	Malcolm Lyon
Anton Lesser	...	Clarence Fendley

Storyline

In 1956 pushy young BBC TV reporter Freddie Lyon,bored with covering celebrity banquets and debutantes' weddings,applies,with his more self-effacing platonic colleague Bel Rowley,to be on the new news magazine series 'The Hour' but loses out on the job of presenter to the suave,older Hector Madden. Bel however is given the producer's job and uses this to engage Freddie as home affairs correspondent with an assistant,would-be sketch writer Isaac Wengow. Dauntless foreign correspondent Lix Storm,who reported on the Spanish civil war,also joins the team. A man called Peter Darrall has been stabbed to death on the London underground and,whilst the police treat this as a robbery,newly-wed debutante Ruth Elms, a mutual friend of his and Freddie's,is unconvinced and asks Freddie to investigate. On the night of 'The Hour''s launch party Freddie gets an urgent phone call from Ruth,whom he finds hanged.

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Plot Keywords:

party | reference to dwight d eisenhower | knife fight | engagement party | dancing | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 July 2011 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Muswell Hill, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kudos Film and Television, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

59 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Bel is apologizing to Freddy her hair goes from over her ear to behind her ear and back in between shots.

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