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The Hour won’t be back for a third season after all. The BBC today pulled the plug on the one-hour drama about a 1950s BBC newsmagazine show. “We loved the show but have to make hard choices to bring new shows through,” the BBC said. Staring Skyfall’s Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and The Wire’s Dominic West, the six-episode drama debuted in 2011 on BBC Two in the UK and was seen on this side of the pond on BBC America. While The Hour started off with strong viewership in the UK, its audience had fallen by almost half by the second season. The show was nominated for an Emmy and three Golden Globes last year, including Best Miniseries or Made For TV Movie.
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Oh no!
The Hour was a SUPERB, smart, well-acted show: one of the best BBC had produced!….What’s going on? BRING IT BACK!!!!!!
The BBC killed this show by scheduling the second season premiere opposite an England football match.
I tried to get into this show and sadly I could not. I loved the one actor who had a nice role in Skyfall with Daniel Craig .
This news sucks.
OMG. Ok. They shouldn’t have beat Freddy to a pulp, that was just dumb. But otherwise, what on TV was better? Who’s running the BBC anyway? NBC?
Season 2 went off the rails somewhat storyline but it’s sill a fantasic show – just for the cast alone. And c’mon they left it with a major cliffhanger. So bummed.
this SUCKS ASS.
the BBC are fools for axing this. they wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit them in the face. One of the most original things the BBC’s ever had, and they cancel it just after it became really fantastic plot-wise and character-wise.
I really enjoyed this show. So little of what is shown on BBC America is worth a minute of my time… though there are, of course, marathons of Gordon Ramsey being a pr*ck…
Also, I am saddened that a quality program like ‘The hour’ got the axe. Very disappointing.
No!
Money…penny…..
Another intelligently written, well-acted show bites the dust. Bad decision, BBC. Very bad indeed.
I am incredulous the BBC axed this brilliant drama, yet chooses to show marathons of Top Gear and G. Ramsey!
You’re confusing BBC with BBC America which are two completely different things. BBC cancelled the series. BBC America only purchases UK imports and other shows to air on its commercial network. It has no control over the BBC.
NOOOOOO.
It wasn’t that great and it wasn’t getting much of an audience. Money is limited, ideas not so much, so it is right to move on and try something else.
If they weren’t committed to renewing it, they shouldn’t have allowed the second season to end on a cliffhanger (Freddie’s attempted murder). What horrible treatment of a great show, and its audience.
So Freddie is dead then, or crippled, or brain-damaged? We’ll never know because the BBC clearly care a lot less about their viewers than they claim. I don’t see why they couldn’t have copied Downton Abbey and slowly run the show into the ground, it’s not like the BBC have a reputation of good TV shows to maintain anymore.
Because who doesn’t want more repeats of Top Gear, old Star Trek repeats and BattleStar Galactica. Thank you BBC!
Again, see my reply above. This is a BBC decision that has nothing to do with BBC America, a commercial network.
The problem with The Hour is that as a fake 50′s program it was better than what was on then in the 50′s and of course now. Millions of pounds for HD, not a farthing for good scripts.
Very sad news. This was a very good show, albeit some low-budget sets, even better in season 2. Not very well promoted and then they don’t wonder why it doesn’t get the viewership. It was the only thing I watch on BBC.
How disappointing! The Hour was a smartly written, well-acted show. Having said that, the intertwined season two storylines were often a challenge to follow. We viewing BBC America can have difficulty picking up lines due to dialect differences, and that can be an added complication for comprehending a highly detailed script dependent upon dialog. In any case, I was looking forward to a season three of The Hour and would have been there to watch were it offered.
Oh no! I wanted to know if lovely Freddie would survive. Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Dominic West on one show was a dream come true. Blergh, BBC.
I thought The Hour was the finest hour on BBC America. Otherwise all that seems to be on on this side of the pond is Top Gear and Star Trek.
This is a shame. Is there any chance another production company or studio (Universal/NBC…) and produce six more episodes? Put us out of our misery gently like.
Hate the cliffhanger. There are mornings I wake up and am certain that Freddy is dead since he and Bel sealed it with a kiss. But then I don’t think so on other, sunnier mornings. Now I’ll never know.
Just like I haven’t been able to figure out how Sherlock has faked his own death.
I should just
sell my television, which I don’t use much except for The Hour and The PBS News Hour and Downton Abbey, and get a life.
For those who may be unaware, the BBC have cancelled several of its leading shows recently, apparently to make room for more new series. Seems they’ve had an embarrassment of riches in the hits departments and only so many networks on which to air their shows. First Merlin, then Being Human and now The Hour. I’m sure BBC America is just as distressed by this, because they relied on this content for their own ratings as these were some of the BBC’s most popular shows. I’m sure they’re hoping that Doctor Who won’t be next now that it’s finally gained a foothold in America.
I want to add my sadness about the cancellation.
Anything with Romola is worth watching.
Very disappointing. One of my favorite television shows. Definitely a mistake to end on a cliffhanger if the producers did not have confirmation of a third series.