Eleventh Hour (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Eleventh Hour


caption = Series title card
genre = Drama
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 1:30 (approx)
creator = Stephen Gallagher
developer =
producer = Ken Baker
Stephen Smallwood
executive_producer = Andy Harries
starring = Patrick Stewart
Ashley Jensen
country = United Kingdom
language = English
network = ITV
first_aired = 19 January 2006

last_aired = 9 February 2006
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 4
list_episodes = Eleventh Hour (TV series)#Episodes
website =
related = "Eleventh Hour" (US)
imdb_id = 0462097
tv_com_id = 35577

"Eleventh Hour" is a four part British television series developed by Granada Television for ITV by writer Stephen Gallagher. It follows the adventures of Professor Ian Hood (played by Patrick Stewart), Special Advisor to the government's Joint Sciences Committee, who troubleshoots threats stemming from or targeting "scientific endeavour." He is joined by Rachel Young (played by Ashley Jensen), a Special Branch operative who acts primarily as his bodyguard, as Hood has made powerful enemies through his work. Each episode is 90 minutes long. The first episode was broadcast on 19 January 2006.

When "Eleventh Hour" went into pre-production in April 2005 it raised considerable interest and media attention, both because of Stewart's involvement and the amount of money ITV were spending on it (reportedly around £4.5 million). Stephen Gallagher (a two-time writer for "Doctor Who" himself) made the distinction that "Eleventh Hour" will be "science-based," not science fiction or speculative fiction.

Material was added to the scripts by the producers once the early episodes went into production, and creator Stephen Gallagher is said to have left the series because of it. The subject matter and direction of the later stories appear to differ from those originally announced. A pilot for an American version is due to be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for the network CBS.

Episodes

Resurrection (19 January 2006)

After the discovery of a large number of malformed fetuses in a field, Ian Hood and Rachel Young investigate a black market human cloning experiment being funded by a father desperate to recreate his dead son. As they investigate the forces behind the experiments they must also try to save the life of a single mother who has been duped into acting as a surrogate for one of the experiments.

Containment (26 January 2006)

Hood and Young attempt to locate the source of an outbreak of a hybrid Smallpox/Tanapox virus, but things become more complicated when Young is apparently infected and the 'trail' leads in the wrong direction.

Kryptos (2 February 2006)

When a friend of Hood's vanishes while doing research on global warming, he takes it upon himself to decode his encrypted research.

Miracle (9 February 2006)

Following the miraculous cure of a young boy suffering from cancer, Hood and Young travel to his home to investigate claims that he has been cured by local spring water. The area becomes a focal point for cancer sufferers desperately seeking a cure. When these victims start to experience even worse symptoms Hood becomes convinced that there must be something in the water. All of the tests prove to be negative, however, and it appears increasingly likely that the boy's doctor has made the entire story up. But shortly after Hood reaches this conclusion, the doctor responsible for the case dies in an apparent suicide. A chance phrase in the suicide note referring to a Geiger Counter, a term the doctor would never use due to Hans Geiger's known Nazi sympathies, leads Hood to begin an investigation into her death, and he uncovers a Government conspiracy to produce heavy water (which he is able to demonstrate is found in the spring). By blackmailing a leading government figure, Hood is able to clear the doctor's name, but is not able to expose the secret service's involvement in the whole affair.

American adaptation

: "Main article: Eleventh Hour (U.S. TV series)""The Hollywood Reporter" reported in September 2007 that Jerry Bruckheimer will produce a pilot for CBS, with a possibility that a 13-episode season would be ordered. Mick Davies will write the script and Danny Cannon will direct. [Cite news |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |title=CBS, Bruckheimer meet in 'Eleventh Hour' |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2456bfa8a8b3972fa0a68ea19bc6b342 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=19 September 2007] British actor Rufus Sewell will play the lead character Jacob Hood. [cite web |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=42258 |title=Sewell Toplining Bruckheimer's "Eleventh Hour" |last=The Hollywood Reporter |date=22 February 2008 |publisher=ComingSoon.net] American actress Marley Shelton will play the female lead character Rachel. [cite web |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=42824 |title=Shelton Joins Bruckheimer's "Eleventh Hour" |last= The Hollywood Reporter |date=11 March 2008 |publisher=ComingSoon.net] Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff have been chosen as showrunners. [cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/03/eleventh-hour-showrunners-picked/ |title=Eleventh Hour showrunners picked |date=3 April 2008 |first=Brad |last=Trechak |publisher=TV Squad]

References

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External links

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* [http://www.tv.com/eleventh-hour-2005/show/35577/summary.html?q=eleventh+hour "Eleventh Hour"] - On [http://www.tv.com/ "TV.com"]
* [http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/EleventhHour.pdf An early draft of the "pilot screenplay"]