Give up an hour for 'The Hour'

BBC America has just started a terrific weekly series called "The Hour" that's a good as anything I've seen recently on free or paid TV. 

"The Hour" is centered around the launch of an hourlong news show on BBC in the mid-1950s. Swirling in and around that subject are plotlines that include spies, mysterious deaths and Britain's legendary focus on class. 

Stars include "The Wire" veteran Dominic West, whose British accent is natural here -- his streetwise Baltimore cop in "The Wire" was where he had to twist his voice. Like "The Wire," this is a strong ensemble cast with a fast-paced script. This is not a show for multitaskers. 

The series is only three episodes deep in the States so there's time to dive in while the early episodes remain in rotation.