User reviews

Pennyworth is a pretty cool little show that's absolutely worth watching. I wasn't really sure what to expect since it's based off Alfred Pennyworth (Batman's Butler) who's a former British SAS officer who forms a security company in 1969's London. It also takes place in a London war that never happened. It may take a few episodes to really get into it but if you can stick with through those first few episodes you'll find yourself really enjoying the show. I know some people didn't like it be it was too violent and had too much swearing but this is a show for adults. The cast is made of up of mostly unknown actors but they all do such a great job that you'll become attached to their characters before you know it. I was a fan of both seasons and can't wait for more! It's now moving to HBO Max for further seasons.

I just wanted some background TV while my attention was diverted amongst other activities. Didn't take long to stop what I was doing and get right into this. Recent DC shows have been pure garbage, whilst this is closer to Gotham in its Elseworld-ish quirky grimness. But less quirky, even with inclusions of Jack Ripper, Aleister Crowley and the Queen. Excellent production all-round, stand-out performance from Paloma Faith playing a woman who's a wee bit mad. If I was aware they'd do the left vs right political dynamic throughout season 1 I wouldn't have watched it, but surprisingly it was done well. The only problem is I now have high exceptions of season 2.

I enjoyed Pennyworth a lot more than I expected I would. A show based off Batman's butler didn't really seem that exciting but I couldn't have been more wrong. This isn't Alfred the butler, this is Alfred the soldier/spy. The cast all do a great job, especially Jack Bannon who plays Alfred. He just makes Alfred so damn likable. It has the look and feel of a good 60's spy series. Everything from the cinematography to the wardrobe. They are now on season 3 and each season has been just as entertaining as the others. I'm glad HBO Max picked this up so it's available to a larger audience because this show deserves it.

Totally beyond any expectation. What started as a somewhat desperate search for something watchable on a Friday night ended up being a three-day binge. Lucid, intelligent, goofy, enlightened, tense, unpredictable, relaxed, touching, brave, unapologetic... And then there's the cast, which is just incredible. Jack Bannon is brilliant as the main character, but Ben Aldridge, Ema Paetz or, in fact, anyone from the cast, are not far away either.

Music, from the opening theme to the choice of background tracks ... pure delight

A completely unexpected treat that will hopefully last at least another 3-4 seasons.

I was expecting a cheesy American episodic series. What I got was A Clockwork Orange meets Gotham with Michael Caine's Alfie in the lead. Very dark and dystopian 60's London. Paloma Faith unexpectedly steals the show. I didn't even know she could act! Not episodic so recommend binge watching. Really draws you in to the very dark story.

Never written a review before but after just 2 episodes of this new series I'm hooked, it reminds me very much of the older tv series like The Avengers and many more from that era, brilliant visuals, brilliant characters, the 21st century made to look like the 19th and 20th, Alfreds character channeling Michael Caine, little details that upto now are just wow, it's weird in lots of ways but in a great way, if you love Batman then you need to watch this..

Unlike anything I have seen before. Alfred is amazingly cast and masterfully played by Jack Bannon. The plot is fun to watch play out and cannot be predetermined. It is a must binge and cannot wait for the nect season. Still can't figure out how it plays into Gotham but hope there are many seasons for it to play out. Always enjoy a good series with a hot lead like Jack.

I have never ever never written a review after a whopping 11 minutes of viewing something. In fairness to me, I ran to various places to find out the writer, director, etc and even sneaked a peak at imdb reviews before moving forward, but this process was not just instant infatuation. In the first 11 minutes, I was completely immersed, and every single facet of the production pulled me in. Devices which usually fail to influence me, like using established pop songs as sound track, functioned perfectly to set the mood - even though they were written decades after the time period. The city buildings, landscapes, cars, uniforms, language idiosyncrasies, acting, culture, character development, dialog, lighting, etc dragged me as if I was part of the story. I was torn between wanting to interrupt the dialog and just being satisfied to be an anonymous observer. But I was THERE, dammit. Wow.

I am, of course, obligated to point out that craftsmanship in Hollywood is very much a rarity these days, and that prequels, sequels, spin-offs and remakes generally have even lower standards than the dismal mainstream pablum. By contrast, I would say this entire series is a wondrous breath of fresh air. Only we all know that London pollution was at its worst during this period. So I shall cough, instead.

I find myself more interested in Alfred's story than I've ever been interested in Batman. Jack Bannon and the supporting cast are so entertaining to watch. I'm a new fan. And just to think that 31 y.o. Baby face and 6 foot frame has a voice that has matured well beyond his age. You can just see older Batman's Alfred in every word he speaks and his mannerisms are masterful. What a magical winning casting decision. I don't even know if superhero shows win awards much, but this one truly deserves it. I know it can't last too many more seasons, as that youthful face will take real time years to become Batman's Alfred even with the magic of special effects makeup. Well Done! This is exactly what I look for in my entertainment.

Now this is how you make a great watchable show - directors and producers take note! Everything about this show is top-class - from the casting and production values, through the excellent direction and editing, to the brilliant acting and action, and most of all the outrageously entertaining scripts. And the homage to the hyper-time concept is the best I've ever seen (what the hell year is it?!). I'm getting high from watching a show about Batman's butler! Give me more, more, more. Quality is a hard thing to find these days (ask Pirsig when he's ten feet tall on a motorbike ride through the bardo), but here it is in bucket-loads. Give them all awards, and a big sloppy kiss from me. Love it.

After 10 episodes of highly fictional storyline and plots, we have the following

• (+) Great acting, especially Pennyworth
• (+) Great visuals and cinematography
• (-) Disjointedness in logic and links throughout the episodes
• (-) Highly fictional plots depicting "real" events and matters
• (-) Somewhat lack of aim and direction in the series

The series rely more on visuals and fiction rather than strong direction and purpose, which is to its detriment. Hope they'd produce a stronger and more logical season 2, while having the great acting and cinematography in place.

And by the way, so far, no super strong connection between Pennyworth and Wayne in view and how he came to work for him!

I was a little surprised. Okay, more than a little. I wasn't expecting to like this show, but with so much garbage being produced by Hollywood these days, I have been trying everything, hoping to find quality entertainment, instead of political statements taking up so much of the story line.

This is the first show I have given a rating higher than eight for as long as I can remember. The only reason it didn't get a ten is because there seemed to be a couple of actors that were unable to identify with their character.

Those actors do NOT include Bannon, Faith, Paetz or Corrin. Those four put serious effort into their roles.

I recommend this show, highly.

When your tampering with known characters and altering some of their history. It's a very tricky proposition. In this case, well, an engaging show that raises the "What if" factor to 10. Great cast, great visuals and a first rate story to keep us entertained. Fingers crossed for making more seasons.

I'm a bit of a fan of DC and stumbled upon this little gem. It's one of the few 'back story' shows that really add any padding to the overall dynasty. Well written, generally well acted with just the right level of violence. Many scenes are literally too dark to see which is a bit of pain. Alfred is played brilliantly by Jack Bannon and he has a bright future I'm sure. The only poor performance is from the interminable Paloma Faith who seems to spoil everything she goes near, she's hammy and irritating. Overall, well worth a watch.

Can you imagine Alfred, the butler of Bruce Wayne also known as Batman, having a series of his own? I'm surprise, knowing that Alfred, a mild mannered man-in-waiting of Batman, is himself a tough guy not to be messed around. And I'm loving it ! Pennyworth is exciting ....go ahead and watch it !

Creator and writer Bruno Heller strikes gold again. He brought us such shows as Rome and The Mentalist, and now Pennyworth. He should have won ALL the writing awards for this gem of a show.

Set as the backstory of Alfred Pennyworth, takes place in the alternative universe of London in the 1960's. The lead actor is Jack Bannon and he nails it as a young Michael Caine (Batman's Alfred Pennyworth). His mannerisms and especially his East London (Cockney) accent are bang on.

Bruno Heller tapped into his Rome days for actors Polly Walker and James Purefoy. The character of Bet Sykes played by Paloma Faith is a scene stealer with her accents, dialogue, and action.

There is a decent level of violence embedded in a well twisting plot that is consistent among all episodes. I'm sad that it ended after just 3 seasons. I could have kept watching for a lot more.

I'm not a fan of the Batman movies but i loved this show so whether you are a fan or not i cant see how you wont love this show!

Damn, this is so much fun. Increasingly ludicrous & by the end it's completely lost it's marbles, but it's just crazy fun. Bannon is great as the hero, who's adventures are as plentiful as Batman's but with the half the calories & - even during dark times - none of the existential gloom of the dark knight.

Paloma Faith also deserves credit for her unhinged villain with a psychopathic heart of gold. Beyond that the production values are fantastic, the re-invention of 60s London as a weird proto-fascist gothic (oddly reflecting a paradise of diversity & gender equal opportunity) is taken together with a score that pastiches the prisoner & all the best 60s film music is a thing to behold & it's great fun identifying the familiar london locations transformed into the sepia of a re-imagined past

Cool and clever, well scripted and well acted, and yet, remarkably, you can still find a bit of DC in there, which is irrelevant unless you're a geek who has linked the characters to Batman and gets a thrill from that. Only watched the first few episodes and I'm gripped. A dash of Peaky Blinders, some Kingsman, a touch of Bond, and a large slice of 1960s Michael Caine, set in the 50s or 60s, or the 19th century (heavy doses of Jack the Ripper), or the 1930s, or now...you can't tell and it doesn't matter. Enjoy the ride!

Give it a shot, excellent atmosphere, well drawn characters, doesn't take itself too seriously, good budget good production values, and most importantly it is never boring. If you give a crap about loyalty to the comics I couldn't tell you what You're going to think but it's worth a shot regardless.

The good is, some realistic violence and some decent dystopian imagery. The bad, apparently everyone swears as if it's a Tarantino film, really in that decade, no. When the plot gets slow, here comes the yawn yawn gay section, because no modern writer can fill with decent dialogue but instead tries to be salicious nowadays. The lead actor trying to sound like Michael Caine from The Ipcress File slowly grates at you, clearly no nasal spray in this decade. However, yes they are trying very hard to set the characters and have done that quite well and I hope the writing does get better. Is it better than anything else in the DC cabinet, yes, without doubt, but it's not really hard. And the final plus, Paloma Faith can act, seriously.

Man! Haven't watched a show this good for a long time. I think DC had forgotten about making a show this interesting. This show according to me: competes in every genre. Romance, Adventure, Action e.t.c.

A must watch for DC fans.

Can't wait for Season 2! Hope it airs soon.

I didn't know what to expect, other than it having a Batman tie in. However, that tie in, is, almost, unnecessary. Jack Bannon does a great Daniel Craig James Bond. Its not over the top and takes itself almost serious with some nods to the fact that its based in the world of comic books.

His constant tension within the British Government, CIA, rival anarchist factions and the criminal underworld pushes Pennyworth and his cohorts in multiple diretions. People are hurt, important characters die and the series delivers all these emotions in a way that the viewers remain grounded. Some episodes are better than others but there are no needless.

Its unfortunate that HBO didn't see fit to stick with the series as Alfie, Dave Boy, Thomas, Martha, Aziz, the Queen, Alfie's mum and the rest of the crew could have kept the story evolving. Bringing it back would be a great investment, if they realize that there is room for gravity in the DCU.