The Hill

The access is such that you almost wish every member of Congress had a TV crew. [25 Aug 2006, p.81]

A slickly produced and irresistibly engrossing docu series that offers a multilayered look at various forms of politics.

There are no big tricks, no screaming fireworks, no shocking pull-back-the-curtain exposés on "The Hill." Instead, it's a solid and useful look at some smart, passionate people trying do something they think is right.

The series is slick and usually interesting, but until the final episode (covering the debate over withdrawal from Iraq), not completely compelling television.

The problem is that seemingly everything is touched on... but the narrative is little more than a series of snapshots of how a congressperson’s office runs.

The insular nature of D.C. culture -- and the lack of natural light in Congressional hallways -- seems to impose monotony.

Its creators apparently didn’t want to compromise their vision by making the material needlessly comprehensible.