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Hotel Babylon
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Hotel Babylon is a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, first shown in January 2006. Produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One, the show follows the lives of workers at a glamorous five-star hotel.
show achieves high ratings at around 5 million viewers each episode and winning their timeslot. The program often beats shows shown on other channels in the same timeslot, such as Eleventh Hour, Footballer's Wives and Ladette to Lady, all shown on ITV1.
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Encyclopedia
Hotel Babylon is a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, first shown in January 2006. Produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One, the show follows the lives of workers at a glamorous five-star hotel.
Ratings
The show achieves high ratings at around 5 million viewers each episode and winning their timeslot. The program often beats shows shown on other channels in the same timeslot, such as Eleventh Hour, Footballer's Wives and Ladette to Lady, all shown on ITV1. Despite Tamzin Outhwaite's departure at the end of season 2, the show still managed to maintain similar figures as the first two series, during the first half of season 3. However, after Max Beesley's departure at the middle of season 3, the show saw a decline in figures from 5 million to 4 million viewers.
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.
Cast and Characters
Main cast
Despite the show's high ratings, several of the show's main stars have left the programme. These include both Tamzin Outhwaite and Max Beesley, the main characters of the first two series. Dexter Fletcher and Emma Pierson appear to be the show's main characters from the third season, replacing both Tamzin and Max in the opening titles.
- Lee Williams as Jack Harrison, the new Manager. Jack joined the programme as deputy manager in the third episode of the third season. Jack is astute, ambitious, highly observant and speaks several languages but he is noted for having a poor sense of humour.
- 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.
- Emma Pierson as Anna Thornton-Wilton, the Head Receptionist. 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. Leaves during the fourth series (shown early 2009).
- Martin Marquez as Gino Primirola, the bartender. Gino claims to have "come up from the slums of Rome", although he speaks English with a Spanish accent and swears in Spanish. 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 shared together.
- 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.
- Alexandra Moen as Emily James, Head of PR. In series three, she tricks the staff into thinking she's a journalist before revealing she is actually the head of public relations. Emily James is a well-connected, upper class, privately educated young woman who comes from the highest pedigree within the hotel industry. Her father is an hotelier of international renown and prestige, yet Emily wants to find her own feet within this environment. But there are hints that Emily is a little off the rails and a bit of a wild child.
- 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.
- Danira Govic 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. In the third season, Tanja is robbed and then becomes the victim of an attempted rape by an associate of a loanshark to whom Charlie owes money.
Joining cast
Nigel Harman is set to join the cast for the fourth series as 'charismatic businessman' Sam Franklin, a replacement for Max Beesley's character. Also joining is actress Anna Wilson-Jones who will be playing Franklin's ex-wife Juliet.
Amy Nuttall, formerly of Emmerdale, joins for the last two episodes of the new series as new receptionist Mel.
Previous 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. Having been an effective and popular Deputy Manager, he has a rather less happy time as the boss. Charlie departs during Series 3 when he is offered a position at a new development of night clubs.
- 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. After accidentally killing a hitman sent to collect money Charlie distributed to the chambermaids, and, with Charlie's aid covering it up, she departs for Australia immediately, just before Charlie resigns himself.
- 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.
- Ian Bonar as Dave Wiltshire, the bellboy in the first series. Charlie reveals in the second season that Dave left Hotel Babylon for a job at the Burlington.
Guest stars
The show often attracts well known actors and celebrities, normally posing as guests staying at the hotel.
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
It has been confirmed by the BBC that the series will return in 2009.
Differences from book
The book Hotel Babylon condenses more than ten years' hotel experience into a single fictionalised day. The TV series uses the same characters but tells the stories - with a connecting theme within each episode - over the span of approximately one week.
Series
So far there have been three series broadcast, with a fourth commissioned by the BBC.
International broadcasts
| Country | TV Network(s) |
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| Nine Network, UKTV | | Canvas, BBC One, Be Tv | | BBC Canada, Showcase | | Croatia | HRT | | Czech TV | | Paris Première | | SubTV | | Fox Channel Germany | | TVB Pearl | | BBC Prime | | Iceland | Stöð 2 | | Ireland | RTÉ Two | | Israel | Xtra HOT, BBC Prime | | Sky Vivo | | Brazil | People and Arts | | RTV Atlas | | Net 5 | | TV One, UKTV | | NRK1 | | TVP2, TVN Style, BBC Entertainment | | Serbia | RTS1 | | Slovenia | Kanal A | | BBC Entertainment | | TV3 | | Thailand | True Series | | BBC One, Living | | BBC America | | KBS, MEGATV | | Turkey | TNT Turkey | | Argentina | People and Arts | | Romania | TVR2 | | Taiwan | MOD | | People and Arts, BBC Entertainment
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DVD release
Series One was released on DVD in the UK on 19 March 2007. Series Two was initially slated for release in the UK on 30 September 2007 but was released on 17 March 2008. The DVDs are released by BBC Worldwide through 2 Entertain. Series Two is out on DVD in Australia as of 14 February 2008.
Series One was released on DVD in the US and Canada on 12 February 2008. Series Two was released on 5 Aug 2008 in the US and Canada.
Series One was also released in high definition in the UK on HD DVD (Combo disc) and Blu-ray Disc on 5 November 2007.
External links
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