.gif)
Eleventh Hour (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
Eleventh Hour is an American science-based drama
television series, which is based on the 2006 British series of the same name. The series originally ran on CBS
from October 9, 2008 to April 2, 2009 and aired on Thursdays at 10 pm (ET/PT). The series was a joint venture between Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Granada Television International
and Warner Bros. Television
.
), a brilliant biophysicist
and Special Science Adviser for the FBI who is brought in to investigate crimes of a scientific or paranormal nature that other agents may be unable to solve. Hood is the government's last line of defense, and it is his mission to keep scientific advances out of the hands of those with nefarious intentions. Special Agent Rachel Young (Marley Shelton
), of the FBI's executive protection detail, is assigned to protect Hood. Both Dr. Hood and Special Agent Young are assisted by Special Agent Felix Lee (Omar Benson Miller
), towards the end of the series.
version ran for four 90-minute episodes. However, before the remade series had even premiered, CBS
ordered 13 episodes for a one-hour time slot. The pilot
episode was produced with a budget of four million dollars, and the remaining episodes were given approximately two million dollars each. Despite shooting "Agro" as a second possible pilot, CBS premiered the series with its original $4 million pilot, "Resurrection", instead.
archive release. The website currently selling the 6 disc set is Warner Brothers Shop.
.
Eleventh Hour debuted after CSI at 10:00 but at 11.6 million viewers retained only 50% of CSIs audience. The show came in second in its timeslot after the premiere of Life on Mars
. However, where Life on Mars lost 27% of its audience in its second week, Eleventh Hour gained numbers and saw a further gain in its third week, leading CBS to increase its script order. On December 2, 2008, TV Guide
reported that CBS has ordered five additional scripts bringing the series’ total number of first season episodes to 18.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization
launched a blog, EleventhHourFacts.com, which features subject matter experts discussing the scientific reality of each episode through video interviews, live episode blogging and posts.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series, which is based on the 2006 British series of the same name. The series originally ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from October 9, 2008 to April 2, 2009 and aired on Thursdays at 10 pm (ET/PT). The series was a joint venture between Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Granada Television International
Granada Productions
Granada Productions was a British commercial television production and distribution company. The company took its name from the successful ITV franchise, Granada Television....
and Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
.
Plot
Eleventh Hour follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus SewellRufus Sewell
Rufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
), a brilliant biophysicist
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
and Special Science Adviser for the FBI who is brought in to investigate crimes of a scientific or paranormal nature that other agents may be unable to solve. Hood is the government's last line of defense, and it is his mission to keep scientific advances out of the hands of those with nefarious intentions. Special Agent Rachel Young (Marley Shelton
Marley Shelton
Marley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
), of the FBI's executive protection detail, is assigned to protect Hood. Both Dr. Hood and Special Agent Young are assisted by Special Agent Felix Lee (Omar Benson Miller
Omar Benson Miller
Omar Benson Miller is an American actor.-Early life:Miller was raised in Long Beach and Anaheim, California, and graduated from San Jose State University.-Career:...
), towards the end of the series.
Characters
- Rufus SewellRufus SewellRufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
as Dr. Jacob Hood – a science adviser to the FBI, called in to investigate crimes that may have a scientific explanation. Though Hood is extremely brilliant, he sometimes gets lost in his own thoughts, and this, coupled with his low attention span and poor social skills, causes him to be viewed as odd. He also has few instincts of self-preservation or danger, causing him to often do things that put his life in jeopardy, such as standing in front of a fleeing suspect's car to get the license plate, something that frequently annoys Rachel. Additionally, he does not know how to drive well, leading Rachel to insist she do all the driving. Hood appears to be an atheist and is knowledgeable on a number of scientific, mathematical and philosophical topics. He nursed his wife, who died of cancer, throughout her illness.
- Marley SheltonMarley SheltonMarley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
as FBI Special Agent Rachel Young – Hood's handler. Though she is employed to protect his life, she has also said that her job is "to protect him from himself" - something he makes very difficult for her. Hood might annoy her from time to time but she does care about his well-being, viewing his many techniques with a kind of exasperated affection, though she is frequently embarrassed by and for him. Rachel mainly gets annoyed when he gets too caught up in an investigation and does something stupid, or when he does things like accidentally sit on his panic button. It is noted throughout the series that Dr. Hood is her only friend, though male characters frequently flirt with her. She is the latest in a line of Hood's protectors, but she refuses to let him "drive her away like he did those others."
- Omar Benson MillerOmar Benson MillerOmar Benson Miller is an American actor.-Early life:Miller was raised in Long Beach and Anaheim, California, and graduated from San Jose State University.-Career:...
as FBI Special Agent Felix Lee (Episodes 14-18) – introduced later in the series when he asks (although it is later discovered that he begged) to help Jacob Hood on a case. After solving the case, he asks to work with Hood full time, stating that the work they do is amazing. Felix is given the job and works as somewhat of a scout, helping out the team with heading to the location and gathering the material they need by the time Hood and Young get there. Though he likes the job, Felix feels underappreciated due to the lack of praise for the amount of work he does.
Production
The original ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
version ran for four 90-minute episodes. However, before the remade series had even premiered, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
ordered 13 episodes for a one-hour time slot. The pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episode was produced with a budget of four million dollars, and the remaining episodes were given approximately two million dollars each. Despite shooting "Agro" as a second possible pilot, CBS premiered the series with its original $4 million pilot, "Resurrection", instead.
DVD release
Eleventh Hour was released on DVD October 20, 2009. It was a limited Warner BrothersWarner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
archive release. The website currently selling the 6 disc set is Warner Brothers Shop.
Reception
Despite the absence of any supernatural or science fictional elements, some critics are comparing the series to The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.
Eleventh Hour debuted after CSI at 10:00 but at 11.6 million viewers retained only 50% of CSIs audience. The show came in second in its timeslot after the premiere of Life on Mars
Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)
Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
. However, where Life on Mars lost 27% of its audience in its second week, Eleventh Hour gained numbers and saw a further gain in its third week, leading CBS to increase its script order. On December 2, 2008, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that CBS has ordered five additional scripts bringing the series’ total number of first season episodes to 18.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Biotechnology Industry Organization is an industry lobby group founded 1993 in Washington, D.C. Carl B. Feldbaum was the president until he retired in 2004, and was succeeded by James C. Greenwood.-External links:* *...
launched a blog, EleventhHourFacts.com, which features subject matter experts discussing the scientific reality of each episode through video interviews, live episode blogging and posts.
Ratings
| Season | Timeslot (EST Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) |
Premiere | Finale | Viewers (in millions) |
Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Eleventh Hour.
- Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
Episodes
| Episode # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | (in millions) |
|---|