The Halcyon

The first episode of THE HALCYON feels as though it was created for an American audience -- it feels obvious, not nuanced. As far as origin episodes go, it's packed with characters and sets many balls in motion. A few actors establish with strength, but others seem to be modeling wardrobe. --- There bit of tension and a nice jolt in direction, but the production doesn't achieve the velocity suggested by the music. Although the project is beautifully dressed, it feels very familiar. What might be run-of-the-mill sibling rivalry still has a chance to become much more: sibling teamwork. --- Although THE HALCYON has been compared to DOWNTON ABBEY, the pecking order and their relationships are less precise. A missed opportunity with THE HALCYON was establishing it as an actual functioning hotel before igniting fuses.

I find it interesting that, while the overall rating for this series is near 7, almost everyone who bothered to review it didn't like it.

I, on the other hand, enjoyed the series. The sets are nice, the characters are appealing, and it's all briskly paced.

Certainly, I could pick at things. The plotting is at times not quite logical and at others unrealistically tidy. The band music is not especially true to the period; they sound more like a neo-Swing band from the '90s. Characters are likable enough, but there wasn't anyone I liked to the level of almost any character from Downton Abbey.

But I (and my girlfriend) enjoyed it all the same.

The Halcyon has certainly delivered, it's cleverly written and has brilliant actors - how ANYONE can say that the homosexuality in it is pointless is beyond me when we are talking about an era when it was still illegal! It was beautifully and sensitively written. The characters are brilliant and have great chemistry - here's hoping for a second series!

It appeared in episode one, to be a war time soap but it's growing up into a sophisticated viewing option. The Halcyon is getting better and better each week. It's a glamorous reminder of how far we have come. The story lines fit snugly together with a smart script and beautifully worked scenery. A real treat on a dark winter night. Roll on commissioning series 2.

The Halcyon (2017): When I watched the first two episodes of The Halcyon,it felt like the episodes are so dragging and failed impress me.But from the 3rd episode, The Halcyon improved a lot and for the rest of the episodes it did not disappoint with brilliant performances and engaging drama.

Plot: The Halcyon tells the story of a bustling and glamorous five star hotel at the centre of London society and a world at war. The drama, set in 1940, shows London life through the prism of war and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata - set to a soundtrack of the music of the era .

What I felt: The major highlight of The Halcyon is the stunning performances from the cast especially Hermione Corfield as Emma Garland.I don't know whether this coincidence is meant to happen but Hermione is may fav character name from Harry Potter and now the lady with the same name gave a charming performance in Halcyon.She is absolutely stunning and she is the main reason for me to watch this series.

Steve Mackintosh,Matt Ryan and Olivia Williams also deserve the applause for their striking performances.

Music of the series really brought up the mood of the 1940's.Opening song is very good..("Raining Down" track) Even though all the episodes are engaging,most of them move in the predictable manner.They have added all the necessary clichés like a Triangle Love Story,A dark past for an important role,a cunning person,a homosexual love and even a Negro-White love.

But still the stunning performances and cinematography never bore us and the ending of Season 1 is very good as we all care for all the characters and their next phase in life after such huge shock.

So,The Halcyon may have a slow start and highly predictable flow but still it makes a good watch with terrific performances especially Corfield.

My rating 7.5/10