New drama from producers of The Bodyguard
World Productions, makers of Line of Duty and The Bodyguard, is working on The Diplomat, a new drama set in the British Consul in Barcelona.
The 6 x 60 is written by Ben Richards and is for UKTV’s Alibi and BBC Studios Distribution. It centres on Laura Simmonds and her Barcelona Consul colleague and friend Alba Ortiz as they fight to protect British nationals who find themselves in trouble in the Catalan city.
UKTV drama commissioner Philippa Collie Cousins said: “Laura and Alba are contrasting professional working women dealing with murder, abductions and organised crime alongside managing their careers and love lives while avoiding diplomatic hierarchies and maintaining a tight friendship.
“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.”
The executive producers are Simon Heath for World, Cousins for UKTV and Martin Rakusen for BBC Studios.
World Productions is also preparing to re-start shooting on Line of Duty – the sixth run was among the first high-profile projects to be suspended in March. The company was also in production on Vigil at the time, a thriller with Suranne Jones about the disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on board a Trident nuclear submarine.
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