Asylum (2015)
- TV sitcom
- BBC Four
- 2015
- 3 episodes (1 series)
Satirical comedy about a government whistle-blower and a millionaire internet entrepreneur trapped together in a London embassy. Stars Ben Miller, Dustin Demri-Burns, Darrell D'Silva, Kayvan Novak, Yasmine Akram and more.
Press clippings Page 2
Asylum, BBC Four
Clever political satire inspired by Julian Assange.
Veronica Lee, The Arts Desk, 10th February 2015New sitcom from Kayvan Novak, based on the peculiar plight of Julian Assange. Ben Miller plays Dan Hern, a Snowden-like whistleblower holed up in a fictional central American embassy in London after leaking CIA documents. When the media begin to tire of his plight, the embassy head (Novak) offers sanctuary to another fugitive: manchild hacker Ludo (Dustin Demri-Burns). The odd-couple combo takes precedence over anything truly satirical, though Miller and Demri-Burns bounce off each other nicely.
Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian, 9th February 2015Radio Times review
Co-created by Fonejacker's Kayvan Novak, this new comedy takes its lead from the now slightly-less-than-topical story of Julian Assange taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy - but then that's sort of the point.
A year after he was granted asylum in the fictional El Rican embassy, whistleblower Dan Hern (Ben Miller) is largely forgotten by the world and despised by the embassy staff. He finds his world getting a little smaller with the arrival of another more fashionable fugitive - immature hacker Ludo Backslash (played by Cardinal Burns' Dustin Demri-Burns with a sort of childish glee, and clearly based on Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom).
Asylum is a fairly gentle ride without any big belly laughs, but the claustrophobic surroundings of the embassy make a great breeding ground for comic situations, and Miller is in his element as the self-important Dan, whose search for justice is only superseded by his need for access to dodgy websites.
Huw Fullerton, Radio Times, 9th February 2015Kayvan Novak interview
Kayvan Novak has spoken out in support of original comedy and drama on BBC Four.
Morgan Jeffery, Digital Spy, 9th February 2015Ben Miller interview
The star of a new BBC Four comedy, Asylum, gives the lowdown on his favourite gadgets.
Michael Hogan, The Guardian, 8th February 2015Ben Miller is a 'budget Julian Assange' in Asylum
TV & Satellite Week catches up with ex Death in Paradise star Ben Miller, who plays a whistleblower, Daniel Hern, seeking refuge in a London embassy in a new BBC comedy, Asylum (BBC Four, Monday)...
What's On TV, 5th February 2015TV preview: Asylum, BBC4
Is Asylum about Julian Assange? Co-writer Peter Bowden doesn't think so, tweeting: "You may see Assange. You're free to see Assange....But that's not what I wrote and you'd be wrong."
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 4th February 2015Asylum writers: It's not about Assange
The writers of the new BBC comedy Asylum have audaciously claimed that it was NOT inspired by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after all.
Chortle, 1st February 2015Fury over BBC writer's 'kill Assange' tweet
Supporters of Assange say tweets Thom Phipps posted about him were 'shocking' and 'dangerous' - and make him unfit to write about the issue.
Chortle, 30th January 2015WikiLeaks or Wiki-laughs?
A Julian Assange inspired sitcom goes behind embassy doors.
Veronica Lee, The Independent, 24th January 2015