Welcome to British Isles Friday! British Isles Friday is a weekly event for sharing all things British and Irish — reviews, photos, opinions, trip reports, guides, links, resources, personal stories, interviews, and research posts. Join us each Friday to link your British and Irish themed content and to see what others have to share. The link list is at the bottom of this post. Pour a cup of tea or lift a pint and join our link party!

Last week, I shared some British distractions from US elections. Tina read short stories by Roddy Doyle on rainy days: Bullfighting by Roddy Doyle. Marg is ready to return to the Isle of Skye after reading A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft — for a fun bonus, the book is set at Christmas time.

The Diplomat hit the spot for me when I was looking for a distraction. I thought I wanted something cozy, but it turned out that I wanted something smart and illuminating.

Kate Wyler is the new American ambassador to the UK. She feels way more prepared to be the ambassador of Afghanistan. The London embassy is too much about wearing fashionable clothes for parties among the British elite. Kate is played by Keri Russell who I enjoyed when she was very young in the series Felicity and also in the movies Waitress and Austenland.

By The Cambridge Union – Celia Imrie | Spring Wordfest 2011

The small but recurring role of a British tabloid writer and political gadfly, Margaret Roylin, was played by Celia Imrie. That’s not a name that I recognize, but I’ve seen her in many films including Bridget Jones, Calendar Girls, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The plot kept me intrigued and I was charmed by the characters, even the ones who were kind of rascals.

As is the case with many British shows, I adored the settings.

The Diplomat filmed in and around the actual American Embassy in London. Our embassy moved in 2018 to a location on the south side of the Thames. The building looks more like it should house a modern art museum than an embassy. Still, the more I see it, the more I like it.

By JayG22 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

The US ambassador lives in Winfield House in Regent’s Park. The show didn’t get permission to film there. Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire played the role of Winfield House. Wrotham Park has been the seat of the Byng family since the 1700s and to the present day. The house isn’t open to the public but operates as a venue and has starred in many shows including episodes of many of my favorite shows like Downton Abbey, The Crown, and Bridgerton.

Many of the episodes of The Diplomat end on cliff-hangers, including the two season finales. Fortunately, season three is already in production so we shouldn’t have to wait forever to see what happens next. The Diplomat streams on Netflix.

Have you seen this show? What did you think?