With two seasons under its belt and a buzzed-about third installment currently in development, fans of the Emmy-nominated series may be surprised to realize just how realistic and accurate The Diplomat is, as its creator and producers went to great measures to ensure the political program accurately captured the world of foreign diplomacy. Let’s take a closer look at the origins of The Diplomat and why it deserves all the praise it’s been receiving from critics and fans alike.
Keri Russell’s Engrossing Political Thriller
Keri Russell continued her dazzling television takeover after the massive success of her former small screen hits Felicity and The Americans when she headlined the riveting political thriller The Diplomat, in which the Hollywood staple appeared as freshly appointed US ambassador to the UK Katherine “Kate” Wyler as she attempts to navigate her new high-profile position despite feeling ill-equipped for the job. As an international crisis unfolds between the United States and Iran, Kate immediately feels the pressure of balancing her professional ambitions with her personal life as conflicts arise within both areas.
Rufus Sewell appears as Kate’s prominent career diplomat husband Hal, who also experiences some major growing pains as his wife is thrust into the spotlight while he retreats to the shadows, no longer serving as a US ambassador to Lebanon. Not only must Kate keep a close eye on the combative U.K. Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), but she also has to tread carefully as she may end up with a role in the Vice President’s office. The ultimate power couple must manage their strained marriage and adapt to their ever-shifting world while figuring out who their allies and enemies truly are.
The Diplomat Is a Netflix Original Rooted in Reality
Created by writer and producer Debora Cahn (Homeland, The West Wing), the team behind the enthralling Netflix series went to great lengths to ensure that it was as accurate and realistic as possible, with producers actually obtaining an often unachievable feat and being granted permission to film inside many prominent government establishments. Not only were the cast and crew allowed to enter the American embassy in Nine Elms, but they were also admitted entry into the Foreign Office in Westminster and the Foreign Secretary’s office, with the latter filming location being a rarely granted privilege for a Hollywood project.
Cahn had felt inspired to come up with a show like The Diplomat during her days working on The West Wing, which ultimately led her to serve as an executive producer for the Showtime hit series Homeland in its final two seasons. She wanted to come up with a show like The West Wing but give it an international twist, opting to have it set in an embassy with a fish-out-of-water lead character trying to navigate her new surroundings while under intense media scrutiny. Cahn told Tudum by Netflix in 2023:
“We are all so terrifically tragically human on the inside of whatever image of expertise and calm and control that we have. And diplomacy seemed like such a great environment and taking somebody who’s kind of been frontline material and putting them in a palace and in a more presentational role, it just seemed like such a perfect opportunity to play out what that feels like on the inside all the time.”
The Diplomat Dazzles Critics and Fans
The first season of The Diplomat premiered on April 20, 2023, and quickly became a knockout with both audiences and critics, with the first installment of the thrilling series earning an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score, while Russell’s compelling portrayal of the struggling yet scrappy ambassador was singled out by viewers. The chemistry and on-screen verbal battles between Russell and Rufus Sewell were also lauded, as were the drama’s many juicy twists and turns, complex characters, and sharp dialogue, helping The Diplomat become yet another sensation for the streaming juggernaut.
The sophomore installment vastly exceeded its predecessor and fared even better with devoted viewers, nabbing a 94% Rotten Tomatoes and 87% Popcornmeter and further establishing The Diplomat as one of the small screen’s most entertaining and electrifying TV hits. The thriller has been nominated for two Golden Globes, including Best Actress – Television Series Drama for Russell, in addition to both a Primetime Emmy and four Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, with Russell winning the accolade for Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Drama.
The Diplomat’s first season racked up 173.46 million hours watched during its first month of release and remained in the global Netflix Top Ten throughout all four weeks, while its second entry landed at the top of the charts and has so far amassed 44.90 million viewing hours since its debut on October 31, 2024. Due to the overwhelmingly positive critical and commercial reaction to the Netflix original, a highly-anticipated third season is already in the works, much to the delight of fans all across the world. Stream The Diplomat on Netflix.
