Product: Hotel Babylon - Season 1 (2008)
Rating: 4.0
"Guilty Pleasure?"...Nope, Just Good TV
HOTEL BABYLON has to be one of the most incorrectly-advertised TV shows I've seen. When airing on BBC America this past summer, it appeared to be some glamourized soap opera with sexy women. BBC American salaciously promoted it on "Wicked Wednesdays". These commercials didn't even hint that HOTEL BABYLON was actually a breezy, fast-paced, funny, and surprisingly truthful look at a 5-star London hotel's happenings.Each of the 8 episodes begins and ends with narration by Charlie (Max Beesley), the Deputy Manager of the hotel. Think Augustus Hill from OZ, or the opening quotes from THE WIRE. Charlie's philosophical monologues on the hotel business cleverly bookend each episode. Other characters include:Rebecca (Tamzin Outwaithe) - the workaholic hotel managerTony (Dexter Fletcher from LOCK, STOCK, & TWO SMOKING BARRELS) - a loyal concierge who's mostly the moral center of the showAnna (Emma Pearson) - the superficial receptionist you can't help but put up withThere are other hotel faces that you'll learn along the way, and each is given an appropriate amount of screentime. Cameos don't steal the show, and reoccuring characters are well-balanced throughout the season.What separates HOTEL BABYLON from other tongue-in-cheek comedy-dramas is that although the stories in this show are exaggerated, they all carry a dose of reality. Should there be strange noises and electrical failures during the midnight shift? Probably not, but any hotel employee knows that midnight shifts are as weird as they get. Would rebellious staff members assemble a mock wedding at a guest's request? Highly unlikely, but I've been asked by a guest for stranger favors. Would hotel staff and guests have fraternize, flirt, and have private get-togethers? Well...yeah, I've seen that happen.HOTEL BABYLON treads a very delicate between a variety of genres. There are gut-wrenching laughs and moments that elicit small smirks. The drama can be very serious, but it's never cyncial or mean-spirited. The show is sexy, but not pornographic. The music is sometimes classy, and sometimes deliberately pop.What keeps HOTEL BABYLON captivating, however, is its truthfulness to the world it creates. The acting is very strong, the photography is incredibly stylish (Guy Ritchie - take notes!), the characters are portrayed more with conviction than mockery, the production is top-notch, and the adventures (even the crazy ones) are so well-paced and structured that you just can't help but go along for the ride.People who've worked in a hotel will appreciate the outlandish circumstances this staff can be put in, and how ridiculously dedicated and knowledgable the staff are required to be. And if you've never worked in a hotel before...after HOTEL BABYLON, you'll appreciate the guest services provided and definitely be a better sport on your next vacation. Cheers!Give HOTEL BABYLON a peek. Considering my favorite shows are darker ones like THE WIRE and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, this BBC gem along with the new DOCTOR WHO is a pleasant surprise.