The Hour - 2 ª Season

Bel is back at The Hour with gruff new head of news Randall Brown, a man with whom Lix clearly has history, replacing the jailed Clarence. Hector is still neglecting Marnie to frequent a Soho club which, though under police observation, fronts sex parties and where he picks up American actress Kiki Delaine, who is later badly beaten outside her home. He frequently arrives late for work and annoys colleagues with his cavalier attitude. Bel is both pleased and annoyed when Freddie returns from Paris, brought in behind her back to co-present with Hector, who has been warned he must improve or face the sack. Hector feels threatened by the younger man. ITV news programmer Bill Kendall, however, is impressed when, at a press conference supposedly to discuss civil defence, Hector and Freddie, using a document leaked by Hector's army chum police commander Stern, accuse the minister of shaving the much needed police budget to pay for nuclear weapons. Bel gets a shock when, visiting Freddie, he introduces her to Camille, his new French wife.

Whilst Marnie gets a job as a television chef and is considered an ideal housewife, Hector is arrested for beating up Kiki. With nobody else anxious to help him Bel does some sleuthing at the El Paradis club and finds that Kiki poses for nude photos and suspects that perhaps she was assaulted by a jealous boyfriend. She is right but he is very high profile and when Hector is released he is unaware of his identity. Nonetheless Hector returns to the club after Marnie has told him that from now on theirs will be a marriage in name only. Freddie courts controversy by announcing that, given the current climate of colour prejudice, he will host a discussion between Sissy's boyfriend, Nigerian doctor Sey Ola, and a boy with fascist leanings. The doctor's eloquence humiliates the racist and the broadcast is deemed a success. Randall warns Bill Kendall off trying to poach Hector but Bel finds herself being charmed by Bill.

Freddie takes Camille to El Paradis but Kiki is not there, having cleared out her flat. Some nights later he returns alone and, although he is ejected, he spots Kiki and follows her home to an opulent flat in Mayfair. Whilst she will not speak to him he suspects that Police Commander Stern is keeping her. He also finds out that the flat is owned by his neighbour Pike, a landlord who is driving out sitting tenants in order to bring in immigrants and charge exorbitant rents. Freddie realises that Cilente, the shady owner of El Paradis, has Stern in his pocket and tries to convince Hector. Whilst Hector finds it hard to think badly of an old friend he chairs a discussion on the government's failure to decriminalize homosexuality. Stern is speaking against its legitimacy and Hector uses the opportunity to claim that he believes the police force is condoning heterosexual vice. At the office party, Hector and Marnie put up a show but Bel ends up kissing Bill.

Lix and Randall get a letter from France telling them their 19-year-old daughter, Sofia, is alive. Camille walks out on Freddie, claiming that he prefers his job and Bel to her, but Bel goes on a date with Bill. Hector tries in vain to persuade Stern to hand Cilenti over to the law but Stern refuses, alleging that it would ruin him. Hector gives him a week in which to make up his mind. Bel persuades El Paradis showgirl Rosa Maria to blow the whistle on Cilenti, including his and Pike's part in the shady arms deal. However, in the meantime, McCain offers Hector a scoop, the resignation of the chancellor of the exchequer, which 'The Hour' runs instead. Only afterwards do the news team work out that McCain has his own agenda and Bel fears that Cilenti may have gotten to Rosa Maria.

With Marnie enjoying her own cookery programme Hector agrees to move to ITV for a larger salary, partly as a sop to Manie as he is infertile. Lix and Randall visit the French embassy but there is no news of their daughter. Bel is appalled to read that Rosa Maria has been killed, assuredly on Cilenti's orders and wants to stop the investigation, claiming that, as journalists, they should uncover the truth. Freddie confronts Stern to no avail, but Randall presents McCain with photos that will reveal his homosexuality and is rewarded with news that members of the arms company are meeting at El Paradis. Freddie, Hector, and Bel turn up and see that Satchell, the government defence minister, is part of the meeting. Before Freddie can discover more, Stern leads a raid on the club.