The Ambassador

50min

Drama

The Ambassador is a British television drama series produced by the BBC written by Hugh Costello. The series starred Pauline Collins in the title role as Harriet Smith, the new British ambassador to Ireland and dealt with the personal and professional pressures in Harriet's life, as well as wider political themes. Other notable cast members were Denis Lawson and Peter Egan. Two series were made between 1998 and 1999.

Episodes

Cast

Pilot - Innocent Passage

1. Pilot - Innocent Passage

50min

4th Jan 1998

The new British Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Harriet Smith, arrives in Dublin to discover that the Irish government is accusing the British of sinking one of their trawlers in the Irish Sea. Together with MI6 agent John Stone, Smith uncovers the truth.

Refugee

2. Refugee

50min

11th Jan 1998

Ambassador Smith gives the battered British wife of a Saudi diplomat refuge in the embassy when he beats her up and attempts to kidnap their son, even though this jeopardises a lucrative aircraft contract with Saudi Arabia.

Nine Tenths of the Law

3. Nine Tenths of the Law

50min

18th Jan 1998

When a young British girl is jailed for drug smuggling, it seems a positive start to an Anglo-Irish initiative. Then Smith discovers that the girl works at the same bar as her 19 year old son Nate. Stone investigates whether he is connected to any illegal activity.

A Cluster of Betrayals

4. A Cluster of Betrayals

50min

25th Jan 1998

The ambassador's assistant is held hostage by a man brandishing a canister of nuclear waste, in protest at the number of children he says are dying from nuclear waste pollution of the Irish Sea by British nuclear facilities.

Trade

5. Trade

50min

1st Feb 1998

A young rent boy found dead in a Dublin hotel bedroom, after having sex with visiting British minister David McNaughton, leads a British government minister to order a cover-up, which is carried out by Stone too thoroughly.

Playing God

6. Playing God

50min

8th Feb 1998

MI6 fear that Smith has been targeted for assassination, but she refuses to compromise her official engagements. A former MI6 officer, Sir Robert Beauchamp, is intent on publishing his memoirs before he dies of cancer, facing Smith with more tough decisions.

First air date

4th Jan 1998

Last air date

30th May 1999

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks