Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18231 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-30
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 288 minutes

Synopsis
A drama that focuses on a specialist trauma team. Features four episodes.

Customer Reviews

Not so Golden
I confess that I bought The Golden Hour through Amazon UK because I'm a huge fan of Richard Armitage. The premise of the series also interested me. But I can see why this series was cut after four episodes, for three major reasons. First, the acting by the performers playing the four major roles is not very good (RA's performance is the best of the four but--and it pains me to say this--is still a bit wooden), and perhaps is influenced by the terrible dialogue. Second, the piecing of flashbacks of the victims' stories into the drama of the rescues, although promising, is done with too much repetition and melodrama and messes with the pace of the action. Finally, medical procedures during the rescue scenes were reduced to gratuitous and clumsy displays of gore. I don't think medical dramas should be bloodless but a glimpse here and there might more effectively add to the suspense instead of long panning shots.

I gave this series three stars because it showed promise in the later episodes and I liked the way it was maturing. The fourth and final episode was the most absorbing. There was more focus on the doctor-patient interactions and less on the doctor love triangle. The flashbacks were less jarring and a bit less melodramatic and the story of the pregnant woman and her family was moving. There were still lots or problems but also noticeable improvement.

A missed opportunity. Such a shame
This was a quite brilliant idea for a TV series. The London Air Ambulance is exciting, sexy as hell and a fanastic setting for an ensemble cast drama.

Having worked with the London Air Ambulance, it would be very easy for me to critisise the technical elements of this drama. Some of whic are rather glaring (The LAA works in a team of one doctor and one paramedic...in this series we see only doctors)

Technically, the drama is an odd mix of extremely realistic medical procedures which were clearly researched in some detail, and then in the next seen we will see some glaringly obvious technical or procedural "that would/could never happen" type of error.

Then there is the drama itself: The episodes use a strange narrative technique of flashbacks, but we get to see the same flashbacks again, and again and again repeated throughout the episode.

The result is you find yourself screaming at the screen "COME ON! GET ON WITH IT!" as you watch a replay of the car accident for the 10th time.

This is sad, because actually the characters were reasonably engaging, and the series clearly had a big budget behind it. The costumes, locations and equipment are all great, and the special effects are of good quality.

A real shame, as I guess no one will again make a drama series about the London Air Ambulance, and its a real missed opportunity.

Thought-provoking entertainment with a good deal of natural humour
If you like the long-running British TV series "Casualty" and its spin-off "Holby" this one will definitely float your boat. Andrew Rattenbury (probably known best now for his adaptation of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and his work on "Hotel Babylon") created something wonderful in "The Golden Hour". Having read the other reviews on Amazon beforehand, I was prepared to be slightly disappointed but was pleasantly surprised. This is a gripping, funny and at times tragic drama with excellent acting from all four leads and brilliant guest stars.

Long before he turned to the dark side, actor Richard Armitage shone torchlight on the amazing work of the emergency services crews that work thanklessly (and often at the expense of their personal lives) to save others.

As brilliant as American shows like "ER" and "Scrubs" are, it would be nice to see more UK drama like "The Golden Hour" that depict the realities of ordinary life and the pitfalls we can all fall in to. Then perhaps more people would be prepared to help in a crisis rather than add to the trauma!