Detailed Write-Up of SaveTheHour's Flash Mob Demonstration

As previously mentioned, the demonstration at BBC Broadcasting House this past Tuesday was a great success.  Maureen, (justacockeyedoptimist) who was our on-site leader, has written up all the details of the day for us (Thank you Maureen)!  It's a wonderful, encouraging read. I'd urge everyone to have a look! - Ash

Save the Hour Flash Mob, Tuesday May 28, 2013:

(photos courtesy of Maureen)

So if I’m being honest, when I woke up this morning I wasn’t hopeful…the weather was terrible, I was certain no one would turn up, and even if they did, no one would listen to us. How wrong I was! Goes to show that I should never stop believing what Freddie and Bel taught me: if you have a cause you believe in, never stop fighting for it and you can make a difference.

First of all, please enjoy the top photo!!! Anna Freakin’ Chancellor guys…Lix Storm…..was there.

So, I met up with the lovely bunch of girls who joined me outside the Oxford Circus tube station at half eleven, and from there, we walked down Regent’s Street to the BBC. Fairly shortly after getting there and taking some photos next to the BBC signs, we were told that we couldn’t hold demonstrations of any kind on their property, but we were welcome to stand just across the way on the church steps in plain view of everyone entering and exiting the building. The lady speaking to us was also very helpful. We asked if we could go in and speak to anyone, and she went in and tried several avenues/made inquiries for us, but no luck. She did get us another information phone number which we called and were also informed there was no one in the building we could get permission to see. 

So, we decided to start campaigning on the steps. From the get go, we generated a mild interest, with security guards approaching us and asking us about our cause and giving us a very positive response about what a potential difference even our small(ish) actions could make and that they’d be sure to pass on our presence/what we were all about to anyone they encountered inside. Another guy came out and quizzed us for awhile on how we thought BBC reacted to/addressed the needs of hardcore fans (of BBC programming in general) and whether we thought they did enough… 

From there, we got many smiles and shouts of encouragement from various people in BBC lanyards/credentials walking by (as well as many questions about what we were doing from confused tourists). Several people, including BBC employees, asked if they could take our photo to tweet, send to news outlets, etc. (and I guess it worked because check out the Guardian and Digital Spy articles!!). In general, we were met with positivity and well wishes of “good luck” or “love that programme” or “that was quality TV” from various passerby (BBC employees or not). One man asked about where he could sign the petition even! 

One lovely lady passed by and said “Go ladies! Bring back those lovely frocks to our screens.” Turned out that it was Helen Boaden (as another employee following behind her informed us) — the Director of BBC Radio. So, that’s huge that she knows we’re out there and exist. 

And in general, we did seem to get a lot of notice from all of the staff entering and exiting the building for lunch and leaving work (we were there from 12 until 4:30)…so even if we didn’t verbally interact with them, who knows what kind of word of mouth might be generated inside the offices?

And finally, the story of the day. We’re calmly standing around when we notice another lady approaching us (and I assumed it was someone else about to ask us why we were there), and then as she got closer, I did a double take and realized it was Anna Chancellor (we were pretty much bowled over in shock and surprise). She’d been driving past, seen our signs, and pulled her car off to the side of the road near us (which I seriously cannot believe she did…just stopped at the side of the road in the rain and London traffic. How can you not love her forever now?. She asked, “Is this our Hour these signs are about?” very cheerfully, and we were more than happy to assure her yes indeed it was. Then, she asked if she could take a photo of us with her phone so she could text it to the rest of the cast!!!! Obviously, we obliged! So theoretically, now Romola, Dominic, Peter, and the rest know about us now too (not just Ben, Lisa, and Oona). She was just beaming and lovely the whole time — it was clear she was very pleased to see us out there on behalf of this programme. We asked if we could take a picture with her to share with the online campaign, which we briefly explained to her (and she confirmed she’d heard rumors of its existence). Yeah, so basically Lix Storm helped out at our flash mob today for a brief second and that alone makes it so worth it.

But to top it off, we then got some great media coverage from Radio Times, The Guardian, and Digital Spy (which also linked the petition)! Check out the links Ash has already shared! So, this is the most media coverage we’ve gotten in one go to date! 

So, in summation, basically, today just reminded us that “it’s not impossible when it’s possible” and that just maybe BBC, The Hour is possible, it’s possible with you…

Articles about the SaveTheHour Flash Mob Today

As mentioned in the flash mob update, we made the Guardian and Digital Spy!

DigitalSpy:  'The Hour' fans protest series axe 

at BBC Broadcasting House

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

The Guardian:  BBC faces polite protests as The Hour's time runs out

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Great work, all!

SaveTheHour Flash Mob in London and on Twitter a Success!

Both in London and on Twitter the flash mob was a success!  Look out for full details on the BBC Broadcasting House flash mob later coming from our flash mob leader in London, Maureen, but for now we first have to say THANK YOU to these amazing ladies -

(edrear)

who braved the elements for #SaveTheHour today, because they are brilliant and wonderful and amazing supporters of this campaign and The Hour.

At the same time those of us who sadly couldn't be there took to Twitter to support them from abroad, tweeting the BBC and various news outlets such as RadioTimes and DigitalSpy to let them know what was going on.  Because of the support of everyone who took part we gained quite a bit of notice!  Highlights included:

• Encouragement from BBC employees & an Exec!
• Articles and Twitter promotion from the RadioTimes, the Guardian, and Digital Spy
• Encouragement from Lisa Greenwood (Sissy Cooper) & Kevin Sargent (Composer, Series Two)
• AN IN PERSON VISIT FROM ANNA CHANCELLOR (Lix Storm).  

Yes, that last one did happen!  As I mentioned, Maureen has more details to come on all the goings on in London, but for now I think it's safe to say once again that things have went AMAZING in London and on Twitter and it's all thanks to the support from all of you who took part (especially those who went to BBC Broadcasting House).  None of this could be done without each and every one of you.  You all were needed and everyone stepped up to the task (and had a wonderful time while doing so!).  Let's hope this is another reason for the BBC to consider finishing this engaging and intelligent series that has captured us all.

I say it a lot, but THANK YOU.  Thank you for taking part and being the best, most intelligent, passionate fans.  I'm proud to stand beside you in this campaign!   - Ash

Final Reminder: STH Flash Mob/Meet-Up and Twitter Flash Mob Tomorrow!

FINAL REMINDER: SAVE THE HOUR'S FLASH MOB IS HAPPENING TOMORROW, MAY 28TH AT 12 P.M. IN LONDON AND ON TWITTER (12 P.M. GMT)!  

You can find all the details in our previous posts here (twitter), here (London Flash Mob/Meet-Up), & here (further details for the London meet-up).  

If you're able to make it to one of these, please come on out and help us show we're not giving up on this brilliant piece of television and the conclusion it deserves!

SaveTheHour's Twitter Flash Mob to Support the Flash Mob in London on Tuesday

CAN'T BE AT THE FLASH MOB?  JOIN US AT #SAVETHEHOUR'S VIRTUAL FLASH MOB ON TWITTER!

TUESDAY, MAY 28TH STARTING AT 12 PM GMT

This is a fandom online flash mob on Twitter with a three-fold purpose: 

• 1) To promote the flash mob to the BBC, news outlets, and Kudos TV that will be going on in London at the same time we are tweeting.
• 2) To get the #savethehour tag trending.
• 3) To allow us campaigners who can't be at the flash mob meet-up to not only support those who will be going to the BBC and Kudos on that day, but to party together on Twitter!

The flash mob meet-up participants will be at BBC Broadcasting House on May 28th at 12 p.m. protesting 1950s style to raise awareness for #SaveTheHour.

Just this month Peter Capaldi and Romola Garai made their interest in a one-off special to finish up the show known, so we need this campaign MORE THAN EVER. It's the perfect timing to let the BBC know that neither the cast, nor the fans have given up on this show! While our fellow campaigners are at the BBC promoting #SaveTheHour, we will be on Twitter filling the tag we our love, dedication, and most importantly promotion for our cause.

Our main goal here is that while the flash mob participants are on location, we will simultaneously be tweeting the BBC, Kudos, and news outlets like mad about the flash mob, #SaveTheHour, and our wish for the one-off to become a viable possibility. #SaveTheHour will be a flash mob on all fronts as it were - in the physical and virtual worlds. That's why it's SO IMPORTANT that we're tweeting as the physical flash mob is going on - if somebody sees our campaigners out and takes note of our hashtag, they will log on to find ongoing support happening on Twitter as well.

Once the flash mobbers are done at the BBC (they might even go in and say 'Hi!'), they will be heading to Kudos if possible to tell them about the flash mob and to let them know we're still trying to get the show finished, for the fans, for the actors, and for the story.

This Twitter flash mob has a more specific purpose than our previous ones. Here's what we need to do:

At 12 pm GMT we need all of our campaigners and any fan of the show to send out tweets to @bbcpress, @KudosTV, and news outlets (a list is following) about the flash mob and/or a wish to see a one-off episode. What you write in the body of the tweet is up to you, but remember to use these three tags in your tweets:

- #SaveTheHour
- #STHflashmob
- #TheHourOneOff

It's super important that all your tweets are addressed to these Twitter accounts with the accompanying hashtags. The point of this isn't as much to trend (though it is of course a secondary thing we're going for) as to show "The Powers That Be" that we're a strong presence, and they won't know that if we're not directing our tweets to them.

I know this gathering is earlier than our previous ones (for some it might be quite early), but it's important that we're tweeting at the same time the flash mob is going on at the physical locations. I'll be awake with bells on! You can convert 12 pm GMT to your time zone here: TIME ZONE CONVERTER

Here is the list of people to Tweet:

• @bbcpress (This seems to be the only active BBC account?)
• @KudosTV
• @BBCAmerica
• @BBCEntsTeam

News Outlets:
• @DigitalSpy
• @RadioTimes
• There are so many more, but these two are the ones who consistently run the stories on The Hour, and it might be best to focus our tweeting on these four specifically. That way more tweets will go to each one.
  
  Sample Tweets:
• @_____________ #savethehour for the fans, the actors, and the story! #TheHouroneoff #STHflashmob
• @_____________ Romola and Peter want a one-off and so do we! #TheHouroneoff #savethehour #STHflashmob
• @_____________ Flash mob happening right now at BBC Broadcasting House and on Twitter to #saveTheHour #STHflashmob #TheHouroneoff
• These are very generic (and may be over 140 char., I didn't check), but you get the general idea. I put all the Twitter handles there as well, but you can obviously send separate ones, all four do not have to be in your tweet. (Also, your tweets can be much more creative than the samples. LOL).
  
  Our virtual flash mob has no end time, so please send out tweets for as long as you can! It goes without saying that the more tweets we have the better (volume and awareness is the point of a flash mob after all ;) ) so everyone please consider sending out some tweets on Tuesday!
  
  Even if you haven't helped us campaign before, it's never too late to start. We would LOVE to have you join us. If you don't have a twitter it's easy to sign up and easy to use, so please come and party with us (no chocolate cake though, Freddie's rules) as we flood the internets with support for a show with the most supportive, wonderful, intelligent cast and fans.
  
  If you WILL be in London on this Tuesday and would like to join the flash mob/meet-up at the BBC, please do! It's going to be a wonderful time. You can find all the info (+ a link to the further details post) HERE. Also, remember to send our organizer Maureen (justacockeyedoptimist) an ask to let her know you'll be there.

More of the Cast Speak Out on The Hour and a Possible One-Off!

Yesterday evening at the BAFTA Television Awards Romola Garai and Peter Capaldi both expressed to Radio Times their desire to make a one-off episode to finish off The Hour as intended.  Here's hoping the BBC listens to the actors and the fans, and gives them a chance to finish everything off!

Romola Garai and Peter Capaldi: The Hour could be revived in a one-off special

At the Baftas, the stars of the cancelled BBC2 period drama say they have ideas for what happens next

Susanna Lazarus and Jack Seale

2:37 PM, 13 May 2013

Tears were shed and petitions signed when BBC2 cancelled period drama The Hour earlier this year after two critically acclaimed but low-rating series following the birth of a fictional BBC current affairs programme in the 1950s. But the show, created by Abi Morgan, should come back in the form of a one-off, 1960s-set special, according to two of its stars.

Speaking at the 2013 Television Baftas in London last night, Romola Garai said of her time on the drama: "It was an amazing experience: a fascinating period of history, amazing actors, one of the best writers writing in television at the moment.

"It's very sad [that the show has been cancelled] but these things happen. You just have to be grateful and glad that you got the job in the first place and you had a wonderful time making it."

Co-star Peter Capaldi, who was nominated for a Bafta for his portrayal of head of news Randall Brown, said: "We had plans to take it into the 60s, move to Television Centre. That would have all been good fun. There might be a chance to do a one-off catching up on some of the characters. It'd be fascinating to see them doing Panorama or something like that."

Garai agreed: "We could do [a one-off episode]. The show was never intended to end as a cliffhanger so it's really sad that you don't get to finish off the storylines. Abi was always talking about taking it much more into the 60s: huge social changes."

The actress added that a new episode might see her character Bel fix the romantic tension between her and fellow journalist Freddie – the character played by Ben Whishaw, who last night won the leading actor Bafta for The Hollow Crown. "Freddie and Bel's story might have a dramatic resolution," Garai said. "Possibly they might have ended up together. People who enjoyed the show really wanted that to happen!"

After speaking to RadioTimes.com on the red carpet, Garai presented the award for male performance in a comedy programme – and brought the house down at the Royal Festival Hall with her introductory remarks. "Good evening. After the recent birth of my child, I had the misfortune of having 23 stitches in my vagina," Garai told the star-studded crowd. "So I didn't think I'd be laughing at anything for a long time. Tonight's nominees have proved me wrong."

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-13/romola-garai-and-peter-capaldi-the-hour-could-be-revived-in-a-one-off-special

On a semi-related note:  Massive congratulations to Ben Whishaw from Save The Hour on his win for Best Leading Actor for his brilliant work on Richard II, The Hollow Crown.  A much deserved win!

SaveTheHour Flash Mob— London Meet-up Further Details!

SaveTheHour Flash Mob— London Meet-up Further Details

It's time for some further details on the London Meet-Up, as arranged by our wonderful flash mob organizer in London: justacockeyedoptimist!

Hey all! The Radio Times article about the possible one-off this am has got me excited! Maybe we really can show BBC they should do this and make a difference! So here’s the details for the meet-up in London.

Reminder: Please come with a sign that somehow expresses our “Save the Hour” message! Ash has posted great ideas and clips from the Suez Canal episode on the Round-Up.

I’ll be coming with my best attempt at dressing like Bel and if others want to join me in period dress that would be brilliant! But don’t let a lack of period clothing deter you from participating! The more people we have the better!

If you’re planning on coming, can you please message/inbox me and let me know so I know how many to expect?

So, the closest underground station to BBC Broadcasting is the Oxford Circus stop. I propose we meet outside the station on Oxford Street at 11:30 am and then we can walk to Portland Place and the BBC together from there. We can try to stage our own little mini protest outside with our signs, but then also depending on how much recognition we get we’ll probably also go into the front office just to let them know we’re there/we care, etc. 

I’ve sorted out that Kudos TV is about a 26 min journey using the underground from the BBC so I think it’d be lovely if we could make the trip since we’re already there. But we can make the final call on the day. Either way I have directions from place to place! 

If someone wants to inform the London authorities because they think it’d be wise, please do so! I’m not a UK citizen so I have no idea how to go about that/am not sure they’d listen to me. 

Also, if someone wants to bring a camera to film it, that’d be great as well! I’ll have my regular camera for photos, but it’d be great to get some on video also. :-) 

Finally, please just message me (justacockeyedoptimist or email savethehourofficial@gmail.com) if you’d like my mobile to make this all easier on the day.  

If there’s anything Freddie Lyon taught me, it’s that even the smallest person/voice can make a difference and “it’s not impossible when it’s possible.” So very excited to meet my fellow Hour lovers!!

It's time for Save The Hour's Flash Mob/Meet-Up! Please Join Us!

SAVETHEHOUR’S OFFICIAL LONDON FLASH MOB/MEET-UP INFO POST!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 12:00 p.m. - London

What: A flash mob/fan gathering happening outside BBC Broadcasting House, showing our support for The Hour!

Where: BBC Broadcasting House, located at Portland Place, LONDON, W1A 1AA. 

The Plan: We’ll be having a flash mob/meet-up with a special twist a la The Hour! Rather than a song or dance, we’re going to be re-creating the protest that Hector, Freddie, and Isaac cover for The Hour in the fifth episode of Series One (albeit, a bit more peaceful ;) ). You can catch a sample of that protest by watching this.  In Save The Hour style we wanted to tie it in with the show and also show what wonderful, intelligent fans are dedicated to the series.  

Here’s what you’ll need to bring with you if you can:

• A sign or signs for the “protest”. This can be poster board or a sign like the ones in the show. Some possible phrases would be some of the campaign’s most popular, including (but not limited to):

• “You haven’t seen our best yet, BBC! #SAVETHEHOUR”

• “It’s The Hour you can’t miss, The Hour you have to see! #SAVETHEHOUR”

• “The Hour: The most important sixty minutes of television in your week. #SAVETHEHOUR!”

This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list. You can put any variation on these you want, or choose a different quote. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a quote. A “The Hour” variation on one of the signs they used in the Suez protest in the show would be great, or just a simple variation of: “#Save The Hour, BBC.” Making sure your sign is clear that it refers to The Hour, and putting some variation of #SaveTheHour on your sign large enough to see is very important.

• Your best 1950s period dress, love for The Hour, and readiness for fun with fellow campaigners! Cosplaying is amazing as well. (If you feel you don’t have 1950s dress, don’t worry! Please, don’t let that make you feel that you cannot participate.)

We will spend some time outside BBC Broadcasting House, and if we can, we might head inside as well to say hello and tell them about our campaign for a third series!  

justacockeyedoptimist has so graciously volunteered to be in charge of organization for this event. She will be there on the day looking lovely in period dress, and will be in charge of leading things. If you have any questions you can direct them to her or to usand we will answer you asap!

In addition, we’re in talks to possibly head over to Kudos TV later as well just to let them know we’re still supporting the show for a third series! We want to make sure travel would not be too far, so this part of the plan is still a bit tentative.

Can’t make it to London?

We’ve also got Salford Media City and BBC America in NYC to visit! The plan is the same, only the locations have changed.

Salford Media City meet-up will be at:

Salford Media City
BBC 
MediaCityUK 
Salford
M50 2EQ
Tuesday, May 28th 12:00 p.m.

NYC Meet-Up will be at: 

BBC America Offices
1120 Avenue of the Americas
5th Floor 
New York
NY 10036-6700
Tuesday, May 28th 12:00 p.m. EST 

Please note: We have had people mention they would attend these, however, we still have not had anyone volunteer to lead them, so if you’re interested, let us know!   

If you are a fan of The Hour and are able to be at any of these locations, join us! It should be a great time with fellow fans supporting our show. Thank you all so much who have already responded to tell us you’ll be there! If you have any comments/questions feel free to ask.

If you do not live close enough to attend any of these locations, no worries! A Twitter Party on May 28th is in the planning stages, so be on the look out for information coming soon on that!

UPDATE: NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST & SAVE THE HOUR PETITION

Save The Hour has raised 43 % of its goal for the National Literacy Trust

That is about £652 out of our £1500 goal.  Please remember to keep spreading the news about our page, not only through social media, but through word of mouth to friends and family who might be interested in giving to a wonderful cause as well!  There are many fans out there who aren't even aware of this initiative.  Lets continue to spread the word!  We would love to do this both for the NLT and for the campaign.  We'll email a link to the page to the BBC as well when we get near our goal.  

Here are some quick promotional ideas.  If you have any suggestions for wider promotion, please get in touch with us by email.  We value your input!

Finally, TREMENDOUS thanks goes out to those who have donated.  Your contribution is very appreciated.  Also, thank you to all of you who have tirelessly promoted this and all of the initiatives we've been working on here at Save The Hour.  Together we can reach our goal.  Together we can show the love and dedication we have for this show.  Lets keep the momentum going!

The Save The Hour petition has gone beyond 20,000 signatures!

This is an amazing show of people from around the world who love and appreciate The Hour, and see the value in completing the trilogy.  Signatures are being added every day.  We are proud to be a part of such a dedicated and passionate following who are still fighting for a more than deserving show.  Here's to our next milestone: 25,000!

As a small addendum:  Remember, all of our initiatives remain active!  Please feel free to continue to send letters or postcards to the Head of Drama Commissioning, tweet your support at #savethehour to @KudosTV and @bbcpress, buy the DVDs, make a donation, or promote the petition, fundraiser, and #savethehour video - it's never too late to take part in the campaign!  You can find all the info you need for each initiative on the right sidebar.  Thank you everyone!