Babylon

I think the reviews and ratings on this page are for the pilot which was a bit confusing and without direction. I didn't know whether this was heading toward slapstick or a drama. The series is much better with some clever dialogue, witty one-liners and sharp but very funny insults. The acting is also great. Brit Marling is excellent as the ambitious workaholic Director of Communications of the London police and James Nesbitt is great as the Commissioner.Their relationship is intriguing and the back and forth banter between Liz and Finn played by Bertie Carvel is very engaging. I became hooked on the series and hope there is another season.

Was on the fence for the first 15-20 minutes. But the story gets better as it goes on. Good perspective from Communications, as well as many other angles.

It may be categorized as a satire, but I don't think this should be considered a 'comedy'. It is a little stretched from reality, but is more serious than comedic...in a good way. Kept it entertaining all the same.

By the time it ended, I found myself wishing there was more. I thought this was a series, but was disappointed to see it was a Movie. I do hope they choose to put out further episodes. I would certainly continue to watch.

With a nod to political satires such as HOUSE OF CARDS (1991) and THE THICK OF IT (2005-8), BABYLON offers an energetic satire of the Metropolitan Police and its relationship to the contemporary media. The connection with THE THICK OF IT is no coincidence; the co-writer of BABYLON, Jesse Armstrong, worked on episodes of the earlier series. In BABYLON there are two plots unfolding simultaneously: Commissioner Miller (James Nesbitt) has to deal with a series of shootings in the Uxbridge area, while finding the best way to present the police's response to the incident in the media with the help of his communications director Liz Garvey (Brit Marling). Meanwhile TSG Officer Robbie (Adam Deacon), together with his colleagues, have been selected as subjects for another television reality series on the workings of the police. Director Danny Boyle shows how both plots are linked by the preference for style over substance; it doesn't matter what you do, so long as it's presented effectively on television or through other media. The officers tend to fall into two stereotypes; they are either thuggish, incompetent or both. Although presenting a co-ordinated image, they appear incapable of making any coherent decisions, let alone formulating any effective policing strategy. Commissioner Miller seems more concerned with maintaining good relationships with Mayor Boris Johnson (whose voice has been effectively impersonated by Jon Culshaw) rather than improving his staff performance. At the level of communications, Liz tries her best to present something approximating to "the truth" about the shooting through the media, but finds herself constrained by her co-workers. Most of these satiric targets are predictable (the Metropolitan Police seems to have a perpetual problem with its operations, as well as its media presentation), but the direction is lively and the performances full-blooded, to say the least. There is definitely potential here for further episodes in serial form.

A year ago I watched the first episode of House of Lies and found it as witty and sharp as Babylon. It takes a while to get into it, but the scene where they storm the house is brilliant. No American hero worship, but utter incompetence at the top which results into total confusion further down command. A total lack of communication and nobody is taking responsibility, because everybody is looking out for themselves. Very close to what many people are experiencing in their own jobs. Is it drama or comedy? Really can't say but I really enjoyed it. Something fresh and original and I guess that is not everybody's cup of tea.

I was instantly hooked by the trailer back in 2013 for the Pilot in February the coming year, and i did like it. However the Pilot itself seemed off what it really wanted to be about, you could tell from the start what its goal of being a comedy show about the Metropolitan Police and the struggle with the media was, to be funny with a concrete story, and it was for the first 20 or so minutes however it soon became all too serious and dragged on. I enjoyed it but it could have been more appealing which leads me onto the fact that, the show is getting increasingly better! The first episode of the new series practically begged me to watch it, we all know what Danny Boyle's trailers can be like so i gave the show a second chance and i was right to do so, Babylon picked back up its comedic trophy and beat the serious thick boring mess that was the pilot into something amazing, Nesbitt's role becomes more funny but yet more dark, Brit Marling truly goes on an all out blitzkrieg with her highly intelligent but yet surprisingly competitive character, and all whilst the show focuses more and more of the effects on, and life of the Police but more their humanity and what they deal with. This is at the point now where the storyline gets serious, as it got too much of it during the pilot, but yet the show itself has now found the correct balance of Comedy and a Solid Story. Basically, Boyle took something that needed work instead of ditching it, and made it into a show truly worth follow up series and more than the rating it currently has. Bravo.