# The Halcyon (2017)

> A glamorous London five star hotel becomes the stage for lives and loyalties during the Second World War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/60598

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 46 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Charlotte Jones
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Annabelle Apsion, Mark Benton, Jamie Blackley, Edward Bluemel, Alex Boxall, Nick Brimble, Michael Carter, Lauren Coe
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5808318/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: elegant, wistful, melancholic, tense

## Synopsis

The Halcyon (2017) is a British period drama created by Charlotte Jones for ITV1. Set in wartime London, it follows the staff and wealthy guests of a bustling five star hotel at the centre of society while the Second World War presses in from outside. Its ensemble cast includes Annabelle Apsion as Lillian Hobbs, Mark Benton as Dennis Feldman, Jamie Blackley as Freddie Hamilton and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as Sonny Sullivan, with their lives tangled through glamour, ambition and private loyalties. The engine of the show lies in the collision of luxury and rationing, where elegant dinners and society gossip unfold against blackouts, uncertainty and the shadow of war. Across a single season of eight episodes, the series builds its story through interlocking relationships rather than a single case, giving it the texture of a serialized costume drama. Fans of Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs and The Crown will find resonance in its rich period detail and ensemble focus. The tone is elegant and wistful, with a melancholic undercurrent of a world on the verge of change, and the production carries the polished look of British prestige period television. Its single season and cancellation leave the story unfinished, which shapes how viewers recall it.

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