"Ron, can we do something about Camera 2 today?" " Already done." " Tip-top." "That scoop over there." "Hurry up, boys." "We've got a show to do tonight." " Mr Madden." " Miss Rowley." "You seem very bright this morning." "Well, I had a great night." "I didn't sleep a wink." "How extraordinary." "Neither did I." " Miss Rowley." " Audacious." " Papers are in." " Mmm." "Oh." "Chronicle, Telegraph, Mail, all leading with Suez." "We could be at war this time tomorrow." "Isaac, darling, what are you doing?" "Filming a light bulb." "Right." "Can you turn it back on, please?" "What's Isaac doing?" "Calder Hall." "Opened Wednesday." "The first nuclear powered electricity will be lighting up London today." " I'm humoring him." " And where's that going?" "We've got Hungary." "We've got more than enough to grapple with on Suez." "Is this the best that Freddie can come up with on the Home Desk?" "It's not Freddie." "It's Isaac's idea." "Because he's paddling without a steer." "Doesn't Freddie do any work any more?" "This week is fine." "Hungary and Suez can take the load" "Calder Hall is back up." "john, have you seen Freddie?" "I need a camera at the House of Commons." "If he's not here in 10 minutes, then you go." "Bel, stop protecting him." "If Isaac's farting around with light bulbs then Freddie clearly doesn't need him." "I do." "Where's my bloody assistant?" "We're on air in 10 hours." "I'm sorry." "They keep promising to send a replacement for Mr Kish, but they're probably worried I'll finish another one off." "Seems such a bloody waste." "He was only 33." "Someone's telling me something." "Note to self." "Drink more whisky." "10 o'clock." "Viewing theater." "We'll have a last look at the Hungary footage." "And there's no chance of footage of Israeli troops leaving Egypt?" "With or without coverage, sweetheart, we need an angle for tonight's show." "A world in revolt." "While demonstrators rage on the streets of Budapest demanding freedom from the Soviets," "Israel finally stands up to Nasser, crossing 120 miles over the border into Egypt and Britain looks set to invade." " Great news day." " Mmm-hmm." "He's a clever boy." "What a beautiful tie, Hector." "It goes so nicely with your eyes." "Hmm." "Weren't you wearing it yesterday?" "Israel is advancing on the Suez canal and has met with heavy gunfire." "With Colonel Nasser's rejection of Sir Anthony Eden 's ultimatum," "Britain could invade Egypt today." "So when do you think he'll do it?" " What?" " Eden." "Invade." "John, if you do that again, I'll put you over my knee, do you hear?" "Now, go to your room!" "Sorry." "Tom never mentioned you." "No, he wouldn't have." "We'd only recently met." "Right." "Thank you for bringing back his raincoat." "They brought back most of his things." "All sort of oddities that one keeps in one's desk." "Spectacles." "I don't know what I'm going to do with those." "I was given a film." "It's of your husband with Peter Darrall and Ruth Elms?" "I think you shot it." "Your hand." "The ring on your hand, you can see it as it waves them into frame." "I'm not here to hurt you." "I'm from the BBC." "I knew Ruth." "As a child." "I'm trying to find out what happened to her." "I don't know if you know, but Ruth committed suicide." "Is that what they reported?" "At least I was spared the shame of that." "Robbery, heart attack or suicide." "It's either one or the other with MI6." "Your husband worked for MI6?" "And Peter?" "I can't talk to you." "Will you please leave?" "Please." "Please help me." "I just need someone to tell me the truth." "Yes." " I see our friends are back again." " Hmm." "What do you think?" "About a month before that film was taken," "Peter and Tom went away on one of their trips." "I didn't ask." "They'd never tell me." "But when he returned, he seemed really different." "In what way?" "Sort of lost in himself." "Drinking more." "He said one thing." "That he couldn't trust Peter any more." "There was some kind of betrayal." "Tom stopped talking about him." "I stopped asking." "He just cut Peter out?" "When I read about the robbery in the newspaper," "I knew that Tom had done it." "What do you mean?" "He had killed Peter." "Shh." "Shh." "Oh, careful." "Freddie's cake." "Oh, birthday." "Christ." "Um, Sissy, what time is Mr Tripp in?" "Car's picking him up at 5:00." "Can you let me know as soon as he gets here?" "Okay." "Oh, I got a card if you want to sign it." "Right." "Great." "Thank you." "Oh, chocolate." "He doesn't eat chocolate." "You didn't get him chocolate?" " Vanilla sponge?" " Fine." "That'll be fine." "Good." "A little jumpy?" "Oh, sorry." "Sorry." "You haven't seen Freddie, have you?" "No." "Do you ever stop looking after that man?" "You even know what birthday cake he likes." "Nasser's retaliating." "Israeli forces are coming under fire in the Mitla Pass." " Well, have you got a man inside?" " Yep, yeah, I'm on it." "Ron, I want the latest transcripts from Budapest radio..." "Are you jealous, Mr Madden?" " So they were in again?" " Mmm-hmm." "Asked the same questions." "They wanted to speak to Freddie again." " Police?" " No, no, no." "Secret Service." "Coat and shoes." "Government issue." "And?" "I covered for him." "Be careful." " How's your Hungary copy going?" " Swimmingly." " What?" " Nobody says "swimmingly" any more." "You are jealous, aren't you?" "Well, for future reference, I hate icing." "Right." "She's gone back to sleep." "He's a very naughty boy." "He's always fussing around her." "Did Tom ever talk about Brightstone?" "No." "I've never heard that before." "Do you think he killed Ruth?" "No." "You know, I really don't know." "It could have been Tom." "It could have been any one of them." "He was my husband." "What do I do now?" "I'm so sorry." "That poor, poor girl and her parents." "And they were so welcoming that weekend," "just letting us into their home." "Lord and Lady Elms." "You keep it, if it fits." "Do you know, I do like your programme." "But it does make the world seem unbearably real." "That's enough." "Thank you, Mr Albert." " You're running..." " The footage." "It speaks for itself." "Hector and Lix felt it complemented all that's going on in Egypt." "I feel they demand equal billing." "We might never get a week like this again." "The West is on the edge of victory over Soviet colonialism in Budapest while joint French and British action is stoking the flames of Western colonialism in Egypt." "It's more or less what Dulles said last night." "It's still brilliant, Hector." "Could we not have someone, say perhaps McCain, answer speculations that Downing Street had prior knowledge of Israel's plan to invade Egypt?" "Do you think you'd get the truth out of him?" "I'm very persuasive" "And what of the 14-day rule?" "Anything debated in the House cannot be fodder for broadcast political debate." "The gag rule." "Who says we live in a democracy?" "Show me how you get round it and I'll happily concede." "Well, I don't think McCain will stray very far from the official party line, anyway." "Darling, don't be so unbelievably wet." "Clarence?" "You can ask him yourself, he's coming here in exactly five minutes." "He wants to brief us on Suez." "Shall we?" "Where's Freddie?" "I don't know." "I hear MI6 were in." "What's the point of the Secret Service if they're not actually secret?" " How did you know?" " Lix told me." "They wanted to speak to Freddie again." " Is he any better?" " Well, he's washed this week." "I don't know." "He's late again." "Tell him I want to see him when he comes in." "Eden is defending his policies in the House this afternoon." "So we will be going into Suez today?" "I can't possibly comment at this precise moment." "Here we go." "His critics are coming out in full force, Angus." "You're giving them ammunition, they'll use it against him." "Some decisions are based on principle, not on political gain." "Now, Nasser's seizure of the canal triggered Israel's actions." "We have no choice but to go in." "But without United Nations support, Eden leaves himself vulnerable." "All we are asking for, Hector, is some balance in your reporting." "Will you come on The Hour and state the government's view?" "I'm a little camera shy." "Well, that's unfortunate." "Stephen Tripp has kindly agreed to present the opposition's view on the show tonight." "This is highly irregular." "Clarence, need I remind you of the rule?" "Tripp's a cad." "I wouldn't share a taxi with him." "I wouldn't share a taxi with you, Angus." "Bel." "But I would happily have you on the programme." "Miss Rowley, why do you ask when you know it is frankly impossible?" "There will be absolutely no debate on any matter that is currently occupying the House." "Which it most emphatically is today." "How is the Prime Minister holding up under the strain?" "He's remarkably cheerful, thank you." "Perhaps that is the mark of a great leader in the midst of a crisis." "Surely you must have known, someone must have known that Israel was planning this attack?" "That is a ridiculous assertion, Miss Storm." "Or perhaps like many of your colleagues, you're not as well-informed as you seem." "Rumor has it that you've all been banished to the back room." "You know, I didn't think she'd last as long as she has, Clarence." "Douglas said you thought a lady would be easier to steer." "You were obviously wrong." "No one was more surprised than I at Israel's actions." "Stories are circulating in American newspapers." "Well, I hope you don't believe everything you read in the foreign gutter press." "The opening of Calder Hall nuclear power station by Her Majesty the Queen marks an epoch in the history of nuclear power." "For Calder Hall is the first power station in the world to generate nuclear electricity." "Hold it still." "It's got a wobble." "You fix it." "The first nuclear-powered electricity will reach London today." "We at the BBC hope to capture this historic..." "Isaac, there's something I've got to tell you." "Yes?" "My dad, he reckons the phone lines are bugged." " What?" " The click." "He thinks that maybe someone's listening in." "They'll think I'm off me bleeding rocker if I say something like that." "Don't you think?" "Isaac, what are you doing?" "Oh, I thought I'd try and catch the moment" "With a light bulb, when it goes on." "Did I ask you to do this?" "No." "Thought not." " Leave it to me, Sissy." " I knew you'd know what to do." "Did you say it?" "A woman would be easier to steer?" "Be sure Hector does not raise the issue of Suez with Tripp." " We cannot break the gag." " Then why have him on the show?" "He can talk about Hungary." "Did you say it?" "We have quadrupled our viewers in less than three months." "I have constantly delivered this programme." "The reviews have dramatically improved in the last two months." " I deserve this job." " No one deserves this job." "You're not royalty." "It is not bestowed on you." "There are no lifetime guarantees." "Did you say it?" "Yes." "I hope you appreciate how much I've enjoyed watching you prosper over the last few months." "You are a natural frontman, Hector." "I'm only as good as the team around me." "Nonsense." "You're ambitious." "And ambition's like love, impatient both of delays and rivals." "The only person you can really trust is yourself." "But it is important to do one's job." "Especially in a time of crisis." "Duty, Hector." "You understand that." "Yes, of course." "In certain circles, The Hour is gaining a reputation for real journalistic integrity." "It would be disappointing if it fell into the trap of legitimizing unsubstantiated rumor and gossip." "It may come back to haunt you, Hector." "Good luck tonight." " Where the hell have you been?" " Out." "No." "Not good enough." "It's nearly midday." "You just missed McCain." "Yes, I saw." "And they've been in again." "Apparently you can tell by their shoes and coat." " Who says?" " Hector." "She said I could keep it." "In here." "You went to see his wife?" "Are you insane?" "They could have seen you." "They're obviously suspicious." "I was delivering my condolences." "They were following me again." "You look terrible." "Why don't you go home and go to sleep?" "We have everything in hand here." "You can take the rest of the day off." "I can't sleep." "I told them you were with me." "I assured them that we all liked Tom." "No." "No, it was the weekend." "Yes, I did think he had been drinking." "Young for a heart attack, but not out of the realms of possibility." "I called an ambulance." "Anonymously." "I have this feeling as if someone is standing by my shoulder." "I can't seem to shake it." "Freddie, tell me what happened?" "If it's a story, then just tell me." " Maybe we can do something with it." " I can't." "God, my head hurts." "A beautiful girl falls in love with a traitor who is passing secrets that don't make any sense." "What is a Brightstone?" "Who is a Brightstone?" "It's a secret dangerous enough to get you killed, even by a friend." "You're rambling." "Have you even eaten today?" "It's my fault." "You said he just fell." "Step away from the story." "Wait until the heat has passed on Tom's death and then..." " At worst it was an accident." " There are no accidents." "Apparently." "Remember that when I'm found floating in the Thames." "God, I don't want to die like that." "I don't want to just disappear." "Happy birthday." "You forgot." " No." " Yes." "Did." "What?" "He's not going to need it." "How can you tell someone's MI6 by their raincoat?" "Surely anyone could have bought a 100% wool, green-Grey run-of-the-mill..." "Actually no." "Reinforced seams." "They tried to recruit me." "Second year of university." "Frightfully nice chap." "Although, to be honest, I was a little worried." "He seemed somewhat, shall we say, over keen." "Inviting me to his parents' chateau in Marseilles, skiing trips, it was all paid for." "When he made the approach on behalf of His Majesty's Government," " to be frank, I was quite relieved." " Uh-huh." "Are you in trouble?" "Yes." "Then listen to me." "Whatever you know, whatever you've seen, just forget it." "Write your stories about the rest of the world but my advice, I don't believe you'll find an answer to her death." "Things happen that we can't even begin to understand, nor should we try." "Things happen?" "Things don't just happen." "A series of events take place, a catalogue of choices are made, an action takes place and it has consequence." "It all has consequence." "A young woman meets a man, they fall in love." "They have a secret affair." "And in this world, right now, today, that is dangerous." "She told you." "I knew she'd tell you." "Well, you're her best friend." "It just happened." "We didn't mean it to but..." "Look, I'd rather you didn't..." "Of course." "Yes, of course." "It's all been very sudden and I wouldn't want..." "Your wife to find out." "Of course not." "Well, you've met her." "She's very sweet and I'm not particularly proud of myself, so..." "Of course." "Yes." "Freddie?" "Yes?" "I was wondering, could you check over my copy?" "Yes, of course." "Absolutely." "Lix and I have been working on it and I don't quite feel that I'm getting the balance." "Suez and Hungary." "Perfect match." "Very different backgrounds, however, common unifying theme." "Oppression and revolt." "Together casting an interesting light." "Cut in on the second line, third paragraph." "It's pretty brilliant, Hector." "Really, it's nothing to be ashamed of." "I couldn't have written better." "Well, maybe a little bit." "Can I borrow your car?" "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." "Uh, all right." "Thank you. jolly decent of you, Hector." "You should know I don't have a license, but Bel's taught me the basics." "I think I'll be fine." "Well, who needs a bumper, anyway?" "Didn't think you smoked." "I don't, but everyone else does so I'm practicing." "Not so deep." "That's better." "Mr Lyon, have I done something wrong?" "How, exactly?" "When you asked me to be your assistant, I presumed I'd be working with you." "On stories and so forth." "I'm happy to hold the camera, or write up the extra copy that you need, but it's not the same as actually working with you." "Isaac, I'm touched." "I just hope you feel that I'm earning my place here." "Sissy's dad says the phones are being bugged." "Right." "Do you think I should tell Clarence?" "No." "Clarence has got enough to think about today." "Thank you very much, Mr Wengrow That's very useful." "Well, actually it's Wengrow." "As in to grow flowers." "Really?" "Extraordinary." "Frederick?" "Is it you?" "I was hoping to speak to Lord Elms." "Oh, we spend most of our time in London now." "This house is too big for us, really." "So it's just Audrey and I." "She cooks for us and... and she listens to the wireless all day long." " Tea?" " No, thank you." "Do you remember your summers here, Frederick?" "Yes." " You'd never want to go home." " But you'd always send me." "Perhaps if I could just talk to Lord Elms." "Thank you for your card." "I had so many." "Of course, no one really knows what to say." "But everyone's been so kind." "It wasn't suicide." "No." "No, I don't like to call it that, either." "She wasn't in her right mind, you know." "She didn't really know what she was doing and there's such purpose in taking one's own life, isn't there?" "So I don't think of it that way, either." "No.1 mean..." "She didn't kill herself." "She was killed, Lady Elms." " She was..." " Now then, Frederick." "You always were a storyteller, weren't you?" "Is he here?" "Is Lord Elms here?" "I've been trying to get hold of him for weeks." "Well, he prefers to stay in town." "You know, the drive tires him awfully and he gets very muddled." " So we all felt..." " We?" "...That he was best in Chelsea." "I keep having to remind him that she's not coming back." "And she's not." "Best to put all that away." "It's just that..." "I believe it was he who sent me it." "The film of Ruth and Peter Darrall?" "Darrall?" "Oh, well, yes." "Richard did know a Darrall." "Um, yes." "Wonderful man." "Heroic in the First World War." "And he had the most lovely daughter." "What was her name?" "Um..." " Very plump girl..." " It looks pretty recent" "She looked so happy." "Deceptively." "No." "One never can retain these things." "Well, I'm sorry for disturbing you." "I thought that..." "Thinking never helped anyone, Frederick." "Least of all such an earnest young man as yourself." "I never expected you to make so much of yourself." "I don't like to paint over them." "They all have such nice memories." "Rather like a visitor's book." "Yes." "Hello?" "It's Mrs Madden." "Marnie, how are you?" "I'm afraid you've been put through to the wrong line." "Hector's..." "Oh, in the studio." "Silly me." "I forgot." " Could you just tell him I called?" " Of course." "We had a little tiff, you see." " Oh?" " It was over wallpaper." "I wanted tiny roses and he wanted plain." "$0 silly, don '2' you think?" "These things can be cause for heated exchange." "You're right." "But then, his home is so important to him." "If you could tell him that I've ordered plain." "It will be ready to be picked up on Friday, if you could just remind him." "I'm terribly sorry, Marnie I have to go." "It's frightfully busy today." "Final scripts in, please." "On air in one hour." "Not now, Ron." "Go away." "Go away!" "Mmm." "In Westminster;" "Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden has just finished giving his speech to the House of Common;" "in which he outlined the government's response to events in Egypt." "Mr Tripp, thank you for coming on the programme." "We've heard tonight from Hungarian refugees, who have suggested that recent events have somewhat shifted the world's attention away from..." "" " Sorry." "Away from the situation in Hungary." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Some have warned that should the world look away now, the Soviet Union may feel free to act at will." "Is there a danger of this happening, do you think?" "This can't go on." "The missed deadlines, the unexplained absences." "Out today, and yesterday on the street and again this morning." " Blue car, black interior." " What?" " Why am I being followed?" " Oh." "Mr Lyon, you're back." "In here." " Freddie..." " Don't lie to me." "Are you a soviet agent, Freddie?" "No." "Somewhere in the BBC is a soviet agent." "Kish was looking..." " Christ." " Looking for the..." " For the agent." " Yes." "Whoever killed him..." " He was with me." " What?" "Kish was with me." "We got into a fight." "We'd been in the canteen." "I confronted him about Peter Darrall." "They were friends." " Did anyone see you?" " Um, I don't think so." "Just breathe, breathe." "He was strangling me and then he fell." "Christ." "Darrall left this... the night he was killed, at a newspaper kiosk." "I found it the next day." "If you place it over the crossword, it says, "He knows." "Revert to Brightstone."" "I mean, you can't see it now, but the letters, I've worked it out." "You see the perforations?" "They mark exactly." " They're going to kill me." " No, they're not." "Did you tell them?" " When they interviewed you?" "The police?" " No." "Bel covered for me." "Good." "Does anyone else know about this?" "Only Bel." "Christ." "Right." "What are you doing?" "You never told me any of this." "This conversation hasn't happened." "I have just reprimanded you for failing to attend your own programme, which you will not do again." " Clarence..." " It's your birthday, Freddie." "Now, stand." "Breathe." "Walk." "And breathe." "Just breathe." "Let's get this show out and then we can celebrate." " Five..." " Goodnight." " ..." "Four, three, two..." "Hello?" "Hold on." "Hold on." "Uh-huh." "We've gone in." "Eden's sent bombers in." "Put it straight through." "He can take it live on air." "Ron, tell him to pick up the bloody phone." "Excuse me, ladies and gentleman." "I'm being told to pick up this telephone." "Hello?" "Yes." "Thank you, yes." "Ladies and gentleman, while we've been on air, news has come in that Britain has started bombing military targets in Egypt" "Tonight, as the bombs rain down on Cairo," "Soviet troops begin to leave the beleaguered city of Budapest." "Two very different countries, two very different conflicts." "And yet they share a day when the world stands on the threshold of change." "What will tomorrow bring?" "Goodnight." "Cue music and fade out studio." "Newsroom, everybody now, please" "Thanks, everybody." "Great show." "What?" "Oh, darling girl, it's just nice to see you so perky." "Do you know how irritating it is when you say that?" "Please don't deny me one of life's little pleasures, to patronize those younger and fresher than me." "You don't like him." "Hector?" "God, no." "I like him very much" "He's gorgeous." "No, no, no." "Enjoy him while it lasts." "But his ambition is his real passion." "What's yours?" "# For he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow" "# For he's a jolly good fellow And so say all of us #" "Friends!" "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ear." "Tonight is not the night for speeches." "Oh, come on, Freddie." "Speech." "But I do wish to say on this grand occasion of my 26th... 27th." "...Something stupid '0 clock birthday, as the world goes to hell, that there is truly nowhere else I would rather be" "than sitting in the ares-end of London, drinking flat beer with you." " Yay!" " Cheers, cheers." " How much is that?" " It's ninepence." " You're Hector Madden?" " Yes." " I do love your show." " Have we met before?" " The Man Who Knew" " Oh, you played the girl." "Very good." "I wish the critics had felt the same." "They canceled us after two weeks." "That's a shame." "I rather liked Mr Le Ray." " Will you top this up?" " Thanks." "Haven't you heard?" "He was caught in a gentleman's lavatory in Russell Square doing something he shouldn't have." "Apparently he's out on bail, poor sweetheart." " Mmm." " Oh, dear." "Mr Fendley, please." " Oh, stay." " Don't go." "No, no." "You young things stay and enjoy yourselves." "But everyone in first thing, hmm?" " Goodbye and farewell." " Goodnight, Mr Fendley."