The Diplomat is an upcoming British political thriller series written by Ben Richards and directed by Jill Robertson and Jenny Paddon.[1] It stars Sophie Rundle as Laura Simmonds, a diplomat living in Barcelona, Spain, who works to protect several British nationals who finds themselves in trouble.[2] The series is produced by BBC Studios and World Productions for Alibi.[3][4]
| The Diplomat | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
|
| Created by | Ben Richards |
| Written by | Ben Richards |
| Starring | Sophie Rundle Serena Manteghi Dylan Brady Laia Costa Steven Cree Danny Sapani Isak Férriz Bert Seymour Philipp Boos |
| Country of origin |
|
| Original languages |
|
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Philippa Collie Cousins Simon Heath Martin Rakusen |
| Producers | Ken Horn Elizabeth Binns Jordi Utset |
| Cinematography | Matt North |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Distributor | BBC Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | Alibi |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
The series follows British diplomat Laura Simmonds (Sophie Rundle), who, with her Barcelona Consul colleague and friend Alba (Serena Manteghi), is determined to fight in order to protect British nationals who are involved in a series of conflicts in Barcelona.[5]
On 8 July 2020, The Diplomat was commissioned by British pay television channel Alibi in partnership with BBC Studios as the third UKTV Original for Alibi.[6] Executive producer and UKTV drama commissioner, Philippa Collie Cousins stated that both main characters [Laura Simmonds and Alba Ortiz] "are contrasting professional working women dealing with murder, abductions and organised crime alongside managing their careers and love lives." In regards to the writing and storyline, Cousins stated that "it is The Good Wife meets Spooks for 2021, a feisty workplace drama set in Barcelona with cracking dialogue, abundant crime and a surprising series arc. Television to stay in for by the very talented Ben Richards. I am very excited to work with such an expert lead writer as Ben, but equally excited to add talented up and coming writers to the writing team."[7]
On 25 April 2022, Sophie Rundle was cast as lead character Laura Simmonds.[8]
Filming began in April 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.