The Hour quotes

Bel

A new programme, a new era. And they want me as producer.

Freddie

They're humouring you. They don't want a woman. A woman is difficult, hysterical. And you can never really find one who will ever stay. A couple more years, you'll probably want a baby.

Bel

Oh, don't speak!

Freddie

And even if they don't say that to your face, that's what they're thinking. Anything else is just your vanity making you believe...

Bel

What? That I can do it? That I can actually do this? Watch me.

Bel

You know some nice girl needs to rescue you.

Freddie

Who? There's only ever been you. And you're not even that nice.

Lix

[to Freddie] When I was in France, there were these men I'd... Hmm, I'd loosely call them journalists, but they were never at the front. They never stuck their head above the parapet. They were terrified of being shot. Yet they wrote some of the best battle reportage that I've ever read. Filched most of it from us, and what they didn't know, they'd make up. But you're not one of them. And you'll never truly know, will you, Freddie? Unless you stick your neck out and get yourself a little bit muddy. Come on, jump. I dare you.

Freddie

After I gave you that lamp, we ate at that terrible Chinese. It's an Anglepoise because you press your face too close to the page when you read and there's never enough light. And you won't wear glasses because you say your nose is too small and with glasses you'd look like a mole which you don't. Wouldn’t. They'd suit you. You'd look just as fairly beautiful as you are. It's yellow because you said no one wants a yellow lamp. So I thought if I got it for you in yellow then no one would steal it from your desk. I do give these things quite a lot of consideration, you see. The devil is in the detail.

Hector

Looking forward to working with you.

Freddie

Well, at least that makes one of us.

Mr Lyon, I can't breathe.

Freddie

I'll let the American space programme know.

Lix

Whisky is God's way of telling us that he loves us and he wants us to be happy.

Bel

You know that a monthly subscription to Marvel's All-True Crime doesn't make you a real detective?

Freddie

Doesn't it?

Freddie

Is there anything you can't do, Hector?

Hector

Um... Not really.

Hector

How do you do it? How do you know exactly the right question to ask?

Freddie

Because I'm not afraid of the answers.

Freddie

Isaac. Just the man. Tomorrow, I want you in.

It's Saturday.

Freddie

Your commitment has been duly noted.

Hector

My first girlfriend was a debutante. I wrote her pages of godawful poetry during the war.

Bel

Line?

Hector

Happily forgotten.

Bel

I don't think I've ever been sent love poetry.

Freddie

Yes, you have.

Bel

How many did you miss?

Freddie

As many as I could. Don't like shooting things.

Bel

Well, how do you think they killed that beef you had for lunch?

Freddie

With boredom?

Freddie

Why would you marry someone you didn't love?

Bel

Are you asking? Because you were lonely. Because you had to.

Freddie

Because you were in trouble.

Bel

Pregnant?

Freddie

Is that... That is what "trouble" means?

Bel

Poor, innocent boy.

Freddie

I don't want to die in the bloody office!