Babylon: An Ancient Comedy

BABYLON: AN ANCIENT COMEDY has the witty/familiar humor of mockumentaries like WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS and THE OFFICE, and also the irreverence/feel of historical comedies like THE GREAT. The unique setting and time period gives a fresh take on the mockumentary format.

The show revolves around the bloodthirsty warrior King Nebuchadnezzar II...who desperately wants to be loved. Neb is kind of like Michael Scott in that way, except instead of being inappropriate and offensive, he’s also disproportionately violent (due to his history as a warrior). So...a combination of Michael Scott and Nandor the Relentless.

His family and general council round out the ensemble cast. His wife Amytis is the Morticia Addams to his Gomez and the only person who can handle Neb - one of the rare successful arranged marriages. His son, Amel, wants to murder him, for which Neb couldn’t be prouder. And his daughter Kashshaya, AKA, Ka$hmoney Shay-Shay, is a fashionista and aspiring rapper.

Neb’s loyal advisor Tiamat is the clever woman whose idea it was to record (or, I should say, inscribe) this documentary as a positive PR campaign since Neb is currently losing favor in the kingdom. Finally, there’s frantic high priest Shazz, a Jason Mantzoukas-type who is totally full of shit, and realizes that as long as he placates Neb with his predictions, he can continue hosting the wildest orgies in Babylonia while also keeping a cushy palace day job.

The world of Ancient Babylon is obviously in the political and moral dark ages (think war, misogyny, slavery, class system, etc.), but it’s simultaneously more progressive than we are in many ways– it’s incredibly open to things like polyamory, sexuality, gender, with a diverse and eclectic cast.

Jokes about our beloved Babylonian tyrants will make us think twice when we hear their words paralleled by real world tyrants. And, conversely, if these Babylonian barbarians can be so chill about certain social issues, why can’t we? The moral gray area of the world allows us to shine a spotlight on modern society in ways that a current show can’t.

Plot-wise, this series follows Neb’s pursuit of love and affection from everyone around him, and the antics around the constantly shifting political dynamics of the royal family. In the pilot, Neb seeks approval from the Babylonian god Marduk, but it just so happens to be the same day that Shazz has a massive orgy planned in the Marduk temple. Meanwhile, Amel plots yet another patricide and Kashshaya tries to get her husband a front row seat at Neb’s divine announcement to debut her newest ridiculous fashion line.

This show has sex, violence, historical accuracies, historical liberties, high-brow topical jokes about social issues through an ancient lens, low-brow jokes about Neb’s Hanging Gardens, and a pet jackal.