Show of the week: The Hour

This new series, set in 1950s London, centers on an iconoclastic young BBC journalist, played by Ben Whishaw, who gets more than he bargained for when he investigates a murder. He’s also entangled in a romantic triangle at work with the producer of his new current-affairs program, played by Romola Garai (Atonement), and the show’s anchor, played by Dominic West (in a big change of pace from his role on The Wire). Intelligent and well produced, The Hour combines the intrigue of an espionage thriller with the cultural commentary of Mad Men. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at 10 p.m., BBC America

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