Shooting begins on six-part series of Babylon

17 April 2014

“The Thick of It meets Line of Duty with a nice sprinkling of Black Mirror. I loved it”
Grace Dent, Independent

 “An artful, witty expose of all the mind-numbing gobbledegook and lies that masquerade as modern communications”
Observer

 Having kicked in our front doors with the pilot episode in February, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong’s Babylon is back – shooting in and around London for a six-part series this autumn on Channel 4. 

Jon S. Baird, director of the multi award-winning Filth, directs the first three episodes of the 6x60 series, with Sally El Hosaini – awarded Best Newcomer at both BFI London Film Festival and the Evening Standard Film Awards for her debut feature My Brother the Devil – directing episodes 4-6. BAFTA-winner Jon Brown (Misfits, Fresh Meat) joins the writing team for two episodes of the series. 

Brit Marling, James Nesbitt, Paterson Joseph, Bertie Carvel, Adam Deacon, Jill Halfpenny, Jonny Sweet and Nicola Walker reprise their roles at different layers of a huge modern metropolitan police force in the firing line both from criminals on the streets and the press at HQ. 

Director of Communications Liz Garvey (Brit Marling) begins in earnest the job of trying to drag the force into the new media age – while navigating scheming deputy Finn (Bertie Carvel), who’s determined to bring the American’s bright new future crashing down. 

It’s the job of Commissioner Richard Miller (James Nesbitt), Deputy Commissioner Charles Inglis (Paterson Joseph) and Assistant Commissioner Sharon Franklin (Nicola Walker) to keep the force ticking over and the city safe under the constant scrutiny of politicians, the public and the media.

Out on the streets, Robbie (Adam Deacon) moves closer to his dream of being a Firearms Officer - but is this the kind of guy you really want carrying a gun?  Public Order Specialists Davina (Jill Halfpenny) and Clarkey (Cavan Clerkin) find their personal lives spilling over into the riot van; and in the Armed Response Unit, Tony (Stuart Martin) and Banjo (Andrew Brooke) must contend with the increasingly fragile emotional state of Warwick (Nick Blood), still reeling from shooting an unarmed man.  Meanwhile documentary director Matt (Daniel Kaluuya) has plans for an expose that will stun the force – and the public…

Babylon is created and exec produced by Danny Boyle, Robert Jones (The Usual Suspects, Dirty Pretty Things), Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, and produced by Jones and Derrin Schlesinger (This Is England ’86, Four Lions, Southcliffe).

Babylon is due to air on Channel 4 in autumn and is currently shooting in and around London.