Mikey Likes TV

Once the turkey-coma had finally subsided, the DVR was almost as full as I was. I promise the rest of the week won’t be catch-up, but for today, we have to spend a moment reminiscing on BBC America’s first run of the tasty Hotel Babylon which ended this past Wednesday. Babylon has been on for what seems like a year – not that I mind, but BBC’s unspoken decision to lump the first two seasons together left me wondering when it was all going to end.

Well, it’s a good thing they waited.  The season one cliffhanger of Charlie’s shooting seemed so forced that the drama barely registered.  I honestly didn’t even remember it when they aired the conclusion the next week.  The season two finale, and the episode in question, serves as a much more fitting end for its current run.  A super fancy (and super snotty) hotel magnate is finalizing his plans to buy the Babylon.  He only wants to hire Rebecca, but gives her the opportunity to keep on two of her staff.  After much deliberation, she fires everyone but Charlie.  Everyone is so upset that they stage a small coup.  And no one has sex!  When it turns out that the mass firing was a stall tactic to keep the Babylon out of the wrong hands, Rebecca has already lost everyone’s trust.  She takes this as a sign for her to leave her post and recommends that Charlie be her replacement.  He runs after her to change her mind, but she is unswayed.  A teary goodbye and snoggage ensue.

Cliffhangers of this sort are easily resolved – typically.  We’d expect Rebecca to return next season… possibly in a lesser capacity… maybe forced to work back up the ladder? Not the case. Actress Tamzin Outhwaite has jumped the HMS Babylon in hopes of a film career. Sad on so many levels. Rebecca was not an expendable character. Her relationship with Charlie had too long of a build up for such a little payoff.  Most of the characters on Hotel Babylon are caricatures at best, but Rebecca had depth.  A woman so out of touch with those around her, she barely registered as human. It should also be said that Outhwaite’s bizarre speech patterns and frequently raised eyebrows were a highlight of the show.  We will miss her, but at least the door is once again open for a Natalie/Charlie reunion.

The folks over at BBC America recently realized that our nation’s interest in British television is not limited to Benny Hill. In turn, they have been kind enough to start airing a hefty crop of shows currently airing in the UK. Their latest offering, Hotel Babylon, is actually based on a book by British journalist Imogen Edwards-Jones, and, just like the novel, it serves as a steamy, fictionalized exposé of life at a five-star London hotel.

More so than the high-drama serial antics of shows like Footballer’s Wives, Hotel Babylon tries to bring back the steamy prime time soaps of the 70s and 80s and does so quite effectively – with an impressive lack of camp given its country of origin. Each episode sees the different high-profile guests bring their own dramatic baggage to the hotel, forcing the staff of the Babylon to sort it all out while remaining very much on top of their own, internal issues. It’s not unlike Fantasy Island – had Ricardo Montalban and Tattoo been very hot and British and everyone’s fantasy been to get laid.

Hotel Babylon works because it provides viewers with the same service its fictional locale gives its guests: a slick, stimulating, one-of-a-kind experience that offers a satisfying respite from the world outside. The bright, saturated colors and smooth camera work carry you from room to room with the staff – all of whom are convincing enough to compensate for the frequently annoying character actors who frequent the hotel. Max Beeseley (Glitter – really), in particular, stands out as Charlie, the new general manager. Charlie is as charming as someone in his position needs to be, and Beesley plays him like a scrappy Daniel Craig – and that is a good thing.

Bravo is currently trying to capitalize on the sensational antics inside hotels of this nature with their new reality series Welcome to the Parker. Unfortunately for them, real life is hardly as fun or glamorous as Hotel Babylon. Worth a watch whenever, it’s the kind of show best left sitting on your DVR or TiVo for when you’re craving an hour of television that requires zero mental legwork but isn’t at all mindless.

Hotel Babylon airs Wednesday nights at 9pm as a part of BBC America’s “Wicked Wednesdays.”