Watch a Scene from BBC America’s ‘The Hour’

Earlier this summer, American audiences started getting tidings of "The Hour," a new BBC series set in the earliest days of British television news. Sort of a "Broadcast News" meets "Mad Men," "The Hour" stars Ben Whishaw ("Bright Star") as Freddie, an up-and-coming producer who gets passed over for a job on a nascent newsmagazine for his colleague and friend, Bel (Romolai Garai, of "Atonement"). Just as they're getting to know the show's host, Hector (Dominic West, late of "The Wire"), a story lands in Freddie's lap, spurring him on to investigate an apparently far-reaching political conspiracy. Here's a scene from the series pilot.

Intrigued? The series premieres on BBC America this Wednesday night at 10 PM EST. Or, if you can't wait that long, the full episode is available now on iTunes, for free.