| Hotel Babylon | |
|---|---|
 The logo of Hotel Babylon |
|
| Format | Drama |
| Created by | Tony Basgallop Imogen Edwards-Jones (novel) |
| Starring | Present Cast Natalie Mendoza Max Beesley Dexter Fletcher Martin Marquez Michael Obiora Emma Pierson Ian Bonar Ray Coulthard Danira Gović |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 16/24 (List of Episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC One |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV)/1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | January 19, 2006 – present |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Hotel Babylon is a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones and "Anonymous", first shown in January 2006. Produced by independent production company Carnival Films and screened on BBC One on Thursday nights at 9pm, it stars Tamzin Outhwaite and Max Beesley. It has proven to be a hit in the United Kingdom with the ratings as it frequently had around 5 million viewers each episode and winning their timeslot narrowly beating ITV1's rival dramas, Eleventh Hour and Footballer's Wives (latter competition in the series). The finale of the first series obtained 5.74 million viewers, the second series opened with 5.79 million before rising to 6.6 million viewers for episode 2.[1] The second series ended on 12 April 2007. A third series for 2008 was announced on air on the same date, with the line "you can check into Hotel Babylon next year on BBC One." The first series is now being shown on Living, on Saturday nights at 10pm. In the book Hotel Babylon, more than ten years' worth of Anonymous's hotel experience are condensed into a fictionalised day. The TV series uses the same characters but tells the stories—with a connecting theme within each episode—over the space of a week or so.
Contents |
Plot
Hotel Babylon is a fictionalized look into the world of 5-star hotels. Only the richest and the most famous stay at this exclusive hotel. Max Beesley stars as Charlie, announced as the new manager at the end of the second series, along with many other dedicated staff that try to accommodate the high demands of the guests of Hotel Babylon. The Charlie character acts as narrator at the beginning and end of each episode, commenting on a loose theme running throughout the hour. Common themes of the first two series include the eccentric nature of the world's rich and famous, the difference between appearances and "behind-the-scenes" reality, and the ability of those working in the hotel to either keep guests in line or retaliate against those acting out. British immigration issues are occasionally explored, especially through the house cleaning staff. The show, while having dramatic arcs in each episode, also has largely comedic tones.
Cast
Main Cast
- Max Beesley as Charlie Edwards, the General Manager. Charlie spent time in prison before coming to the hotel, and had a relationship with Jackie. They remain close friends. He is the former Deputy Manager and the former Head Receptionist. In the last episode of the second series, Charlie is made the General Manager when the previous manager Rebecca (Tamzin Outhwaite) loses the trust of her staff and resigns.
- Emma Pierson as Anna Thornton-Wilton, one of the two receptionists. Anna slept with Charlie shortly before they began their current jobs and, during the first series, narrowly avoids being sacked after having sex with a guest then taking his money. During the second series she gatecrashes a party after stealing a costume from the duchess of Cirencester. She also dresses up as a reporter to an actor.
- Michael Obiora as Ben Trueman, the second receptionist. An outspoken homosexual. He is said to have smoked cannabis whilst growing up with a fictional rapper who is homophobic. The rapper (played by Samuell Benta) appears in the second series.
- Dexter Fletcher as Tony Casemore, the Head Concierge. Tony is notable for being able to procure or organise anything imaginable. In one of the episodes in the second series he is persuaded by a Russian businessman to replace the Posh London Cars with Limos. When the Russians start taking over the hotel Tony backs out, then receives a beating from them.
- Martin Marquez as Gino Primirola, the bartender. Gino claims to have "come up from the slums of Rome". He is accused of copying old and forgotten cocktail recipes and re-naming them. He also reveals in the second series that he has been out with an unknown number of women, each of which he has had problems with. After the Christmas party Gino starts complaining about a 1792 Cognac going missing, which Tony and Charlie share together.
- Natalie Mendoza as Jackie Clunes, the head of housekeeping. Jackie is Australian, a single mother and, during the first series, is revealed to be in the country illegally. She also has a secret admiration for Charlie Edwards which is shown throughout the first and second series. Jackie is also the only person that the chambermaids will take notice of as she is polylingual.
- Ray Coulthard as James Schofield, the restaurant manager. In series two, he was revealed to have a serious gambling problem, which is so bad that he has lost his prized BMW and was temporarily sleeping in his new smaller car. Later in the second series, he competes against a rival to win a rare case of 1982 Château Pétrus wine, worth £3,500 per bottle.
Other cast
- Ian Bonar as Dave Wiltshire, the bellboy. Dave was not seen at all in the second series.
- Danira Gović as Croatian Tanja Mihajlov, one of the cleaners. She was the sole cleaner not sacked following the discovery by Jackie that the cleaners operated a business stripping for clients. All other cleaning staff were replaced.
Previous cast
- Tamzin Outhwaite as Rebecca Mitchell, the hotel manager for series one and two. Over the course of the first series Rebecca is trying to repair her troubled marriage. At the end of the second series she resigns her job, allowing Charlie to take her place, after losing the trust of her staff. She recommends Charlie to the hotel's owner as her replacement.
- Paul Telfer as Luke Marwood, a Trainee Concierge (first five episodes of series two). He is portrayed as amoral, bringing illegal substances to hotel guests, and sleeping with guests and staff. After sleeping with one of Rebecca's friends who was staying for a party he asked for (and was refused) payment for his services. He was fired after it was discovered he took and sold photographs of a celebrity guest to a tabloid.
- Michael Attwell as Derek Crisp, the doorman (Series One). Towards the end of the first series Derek is fired for theft.
Guest Stars
Series 1
- Martin Ball
- Keith Allen
- Joan Collins
- Susie Amy
- Dugald Bruce Lockhart
- Les Dennis
- Anthony Head
- Rachael Stirling
Series 2
- Chris Moyles
- David Walliams
- Zöe Salmon
- Christopher Parker
- Danny Dyer
- Kelly Brook
- Kacey Ainsworth
- Chantelle Houghton
- Ronni Ancona
- Russ Abbott
- Jennifer Ellison
- Julian Clary
- Mark Heap
- Richard Bacon
- Alexander Armstrong
- Vanessa Feltz
- Jerry Hall
- John Sessions
International broadcasts
DVD release
Series One was released on DVD in the U.K. on 19 March, 2007, while Series Two was supposed to be released on DVD in the U.K. on 30 September, 2007 but was not. A new date, 30 March 2008, was announced, much to the dislike of the fans. The Benelux will get the DVD premiere of Series Two on 14th of February 2008. They are released by BBC Worldwide through 2 Entertain. Series One will be released on DVD in the U.S. on 12 February, 2008. Series One was also released in high definition in the UK on HD DVD [Combo disc] and Blu-ray Disc on 5 November 2007.
References
- ^ BARB Viewing figures, BARB Limited in February 15, 2007.
External links
| Hotel Babylon | |
|---|---|
| Main Characters |
Charlie Edwards • Anna Thornton-Wilton • Ben Trueman • Tony Casemore Gino Primirola • Jackie Clunes • James Schofield • Dave Wiltshire Tanja Mihajlov • Rebecca Mitchell • Luke Marwood • Derek Crisp |
| Other | Episode List |
