Baghdad Central

Baghdad Central is well-written, -directed and -acted, and the debut episode sets the table for some potentially vigorous drama.

Neither power nor politics is really the strength, or point, of “Baghdad Central,” which is always being driven by Mr. Zuaiter and his singular performance. Muhsin is a role that feels lived in.

Adapted by Stephen Butchard from the novel by Elliott Colla, this is a superior drama that hooks you with a well-worn premise – a father desperately searching for his missing daughter – but goes much deeper, asking uncomfortable questions about the West’s responsibility in the Middle East.

Besides some great dialogue, Colla has gifted Channel 4 with a central character rooted enough to sustain several more series should this find its audience.

I see what it was trying to say and that it is a class piece of work even though it was somewhat scattered and served up my other two top hates: raped women and scenes of torture.