Netflix Sets Release Date for Keri Russell Series The Diplomat

Keri Russell is swearing in for a new political drama series on Netflix. The Americans star will lead The Diplomat from Debora Cahn, a writer-producer behind The West Wing and Showtime's Homeland. In The Diplomat, Kate Wyler (Russell) is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She was supposed to go to Afghanistan. She's great in a crisis zone. In a historic home... less so. War is brewing on one continent and boiling over on another. Kate will have to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (The Man in the High Castle's Rufus Sewell).

The streamer also released the first look at Russell in the series, which you can see below. The Diplomat consists of eight one-hour episodes and premieres April 20th on Netflix.

The Diplomat "is a show about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships," Cahn said in a statement. "It's hard to keep a relationship going, be it a marriage or a military alliance. We change, the world changes, and yet we want these relationships to go on forever. It's a show about a bunch of good people doing their best to keep their global and personal partnerships intact without killing each other."

Cahn continued: "In the world of diplomacy, you're dealing with a lot of rule-bound, protocol-driven behavior, but underneath all that, these are people who sweat, and spill coffee on their clothes, and forget the name of the person they're talking to. All of that is always bubbling under the grandeur and majesty of working with heads of state."

Joining Russell and Sewell in the series are David Gyasi (Carnival Row), Ali Ahn (Raising Dion), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), and Ato Essandoh (Jason Bourne). Guest stars include Celia Imrie (Better Things), Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), Nana Mensah (13 Reasons Why), T'Nia Miller (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and Miguel Sandoval (Station 19).

Cahn is creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the series from producer Dan Toland (Strike Back, The English). Russell also serves as executive producer with Janice Williams (The Magicians) and Simon Cellan Jones (Shooter), who directed two of eight episodes.

The Diplomat is streaming April 20th on Netflix.