Netflix fans told to watch 'beautifully written' series available to binge for free

Fans of the recent Netflix release, Black Doves, have been urged to watch a series that has been dubbed 'The Crown meets Mad Men', which can be enjoyed for free.

The Hour, which originally aired on BBC Two from 2011 to 2012, is being recommended to those who relished the latest spy thriller series.

This British-made drama depicts a fictional current-affairs show launched by the BBC in June 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution and Suez Crisis.

Interestingly, The Hour shares a cast member with Black Doves - Ben Whishaw. He stars alongside Dominic West from The Crown, Vanessa Kirby from Mission Impossible, and former Doctor Who Peter Capaldi, among others.

The Hour was conceived and penned by Abi Morgan, who later created the popular BBC series The Split.

Although the show was cancelled by the BBC in 2013, fans rediscovering it will be intrigued to learn that Morgan has expressed interest in reviving the series, even revealing plans for a third season set in 1960s London.

Viewers keen to catch up on the series have several options. All episodes are accessible to subscribers of Netflix or Amazon Prime, reports the Mirror.

However, there's also an opportunity to binge-watch the entire series for free, as The Hour is available on U, formerly known as UKTV, which broadcasts channels such as UandDave and UandYesterday.

Upon its initial release, the television series garnered immediate comparisons to the acclaimed US show Mad Men for its period setting and portrayal of the media industry's sharp-dressed, hard-drinking professionals. A Collider feature even posited that it bore a closer resemblance to The Crown, despite predating the Netflix Royal drama.

They argued that The Hour's blend of bureaucratic intrigue and espionage made it an ideal watch for fans of Black Doves.

Streaming platforms have breathed new life into the series, prompting fans to question why it was ever taken off air. One viewer expressed their bewilderment online, stating: "Just watching this on Netflix. I totally fail to understand how the BBC axed this well acted, beautifully written and intelligent drama with such an incredible cast."

Another fan echoed the sentiment, praising the show's quality: "What a fantastic show. I just found this recently, and after completing both seasons, I am scratching my head wondering, how the hell did this ever get cancelled. The acting is Top Tier. I feel like I want to single out people, but the whole cast is sublime, from the always wonderful Ben Wishaw to a stand out performance from Oona Chaplin, in what some would consider, not a major role, but she killed it, in every scene she was in. I highly, highly recommend this compelling drama."

One fan's admiration of the BBC drama series has reignited with its release on Netflix, exclaiming: "I used to think this show was the best drama series the BBC had ever done, and was devastated when it ended prematurely, the BBC having pulled it. Now that I can watch it again on Netflix, I am again transfixed and watching it every night instead of the news. It made such a mark on me the first time that, over the intervening years, I thought of it often as, still, the best thing I have seen on TV. The acting from Romona Garai, Dominic West and Ben Wishaw is worthy of BAFTAs. The cinematography is beautiful and the storyline, always ambitious and complex, is even more relevant today. So much so that it is still crying out for a third season. Meanwhile it gets harder to find anything worth watching. Thank goodness for Netflix."

The Hour is streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime and U.