Organised crime, spies and intrigue all in a day’s work for British consulate in Barcelona, in BBC’s The Diplomat
- Sophie Rundle plays British consulate officer Laura Simmonds, busy protecting British holidaymakers and workers in Barcelona in The Diplomat
- Meanwhile on Netflix, Teo Yoo and Kim Ok-vin play a lawyer and a film star in the ‘opposites attract’ romance Love to Hate You
Funny how television shows evolve to reflect holidaymakers’ changing tastes in destinations.
Time was when crime dramas and sitcoms would follow British expatriates to the Spanish coast. But in the age of the city break the setting is more likely to be, say, Barcelona – hence crime thriller The Diplomat (BBC First).
Sophie Rundle plays British consulate officer Laura Simmonds, whose job ordinarily involves assisting tourists who have been robbed at knifepoint, relieved of their passports, or otherwise scammed.
Intimidation, blackmail and sordid, illegally obtained sex videos posted to grotty websites in the interests of “extortion porn” are all more grist to the consular mill.
But as we join the fun, “Britons abroad” matters have taken a sinister turn with the suspicious death of a barman, seemingly the victim of a jet ski accident. The case forms the basis of the six-part series, which quickly begins to peel back layers of shady diplomacy, organised crime and the dodgy dealings of the British intelligence services.