History Series / Ambassadors

* BigBad: Arguably, POD.

* ArtisticLicenseLinguistics: For reasons which presumably made sense to the writers, the Tazbeks all speak RUSSIAN -- even when dedicating a memorial to Tazbek victims of the Gulag. This is particularly confusing in the scenes showing them listening to bugs at the Embassy.
** Actually, there is a reason for it. Tazbek is the OFFICIAL language of the country (e.g. all the official documents are written in it). Russian is simply the common language i.e. the one that most people speak in public. In quite a lot of countries, the common language is not the same as the official one. For example, the common language of the Roman Empire was Greek, not Latin. Latin was the ''official'' language, but not the common one. Or, in some areas of Spain, whilst Spanish is the official language, Catalan is the one that most people use in conversation. And in Basque country, most people tend to speak Spanish, not Basque.
** The ending scenes of each episode show Keith learning Tazbek from a local woman, so it's implied that it is a different language from Russian (which he speaks quite well)

* {{Badass}}: Mr. Jackson aka 'Guantanamo Bob'/'Mr. 21'. Reduces one character to tears, unsettles the previously fearless (or simply jaded) Neil and, hilariously, gets the Tazbek security forces [[{{Squee}} squeeing]] in fanboy glee.
-->'''Agent:''' He reduced her to tears without even touching her!
-->'''Other Agent:''' Respect.

* {{Dramedy}}: Whilst there are several very dramatic moments and plot points, the overall term is humorous.

* TruthInTelevision: Prince Mark and the Tazbek President bonding over their shared love of the British comedy LastOfTheSummerWine is actually a reference to the fact that members of the British Royal Family (Prince Charles and the Queen Mother) and the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, are self-confessed fans of the show.

** The Prince of Darkness, a.k.a POD, is the real life nickname for Lord Mandelson, Tony Blair's Secretary of State.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The Tazbek dissident Amir Zarifi was accused by the regime of plotting treason, sexually assaulting young boys, and... stealing a hedge trimmer from a monastery.

* {{Badass}}: Mr. Jackson aka 'Guantanamo Bob'. Reduces one character to tears, unsettles the previously fearless (or simply jaded) Neil and, hilariously, gets the Tazbek security forces [[{{Squee}} squeeing]] in fanboy glee.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In the final episode, Guantanamo Bob makes the point that Neil really has been [[spoiler: giving important documents to people he shouldn't]]. Arguably Keith in Episode 1 as he points out that Simon (a human rights activist, who has been imprisoned) ignored their advice and brought his imprisonment (and potential execution) on himself.
* KangarooCourt: The entire Tazbek justice system: to be accused of a crime is equivalent to be being found guilty.

-->'''Keith:''' [To Pembridge] You come out to this country expecting Her Majesty's Government to pay your way, feed you, get you pissed, and drive you around... and in return you give one of the worst performances of anything I've ever seen and molest one of my staff. I still have no idea who you really are apart from monstrously untalented sex tourist masquerading as a fifth-rate actor! [To Broughton] And as for you, you shithead! If you want me to take you back to the prison, believe me nothing would delight me more. You have no idea what we're trying to achieve on a wider scale here. You ignore our advice and then you expect our busy, underpaid, under-resourced, overworked staff to pick up the pieces when you inevitably fuck up and find yourself in the shit. So how's this? We help you. You say "thank you". And then you clear off! Or if that's beyond you I will leave you both here and you can find your own way to the airport!

* SecretPolice: Often shown listening in on conversations the characters are having in the embassy, though both groups are aware of the other and there is a secure room within the embassy for secret conversations

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The Tazbek dissident Amir Zarifi had been accused by the regime of plotting treason, sexually assaulting young boys, and... stealing a hedge trimmer from a monastery.

* LethalChef: Ludmilla.

-->'''Keith:''' Neil, I've been meaning to ask... what do you think happened to my predecessor?

In the fictional country of Tazbekistan, there is, like every other country in the world, a British embassy. Whose members have to balance London, [[AffablyEvil the President]] and their own consciences.

* {{Badass}}: 'Guantanamo Bob'. Reduces one character to tears, unsettles the previously fearless (or simply jaded) Neil and, hilariously, gets the Tazbek security forces [[{{Squee}} squeeing]] in fanboy glee.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: ripped from the back rooms of the Foreign Office.

* TruthInTelevision: Prince Mark and the Tazbek President bonding over their shared love of the British comedy {{LastOfTheSummerWine}} is actually a reference to the fact that members of the British Royal Family (Prince Charles and the Queen Mother) and the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, are self-confessed fans of the show.

** Actually, there is a reason for it. Tazbek is the OFFICIAL language of the country (e.g. all the official documents are written in it). Russian is simply the common language i.e. the one that most people speak in public. In quite a lot of countries, the common language is not the same as the official one. For example, the common language of the Roman Empire was Greek, not Latin. Latin was the ''official'' language, but not the common one. Or, in some areas of Spain, whilst Spanish is the official language, Catalan is the one that most people use in conversation. And in Basque country, most people tend to use Spanish in conversations, not Basque.

* JerkAss: 'Guantanamo Bob', the FCO vetting officer

* TruthInTelevision: Prince Mark and the Tazbek President bonding over their shared love of the British comedy [[LastOfTheSummerWine]] is actually a reference to the fact that members of the British Royal Family (Prince Charles and the Queen Mother) and the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, are self-confessed fans of the show.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Prince Mark is unable to process the idea that his favourite hotel chain does not have a location in Tazbekistan, or that the fact that the country is landlocked means it doesn't have any beaches. Then, in the space of a single evening with the President, he fixes every problem the embassy has faced in that episode.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: ripped from the back rooms of the Foreign Office.

** JerkassHasAPoint: Neil really has been [[spoiler: giving important documents to people he shouldn't]].

* HypercompetentSidekick: Neil. Unsurprising since he's been in Tazbekistan for years whereas most of the others are new.

* AcceptableTargets: pseudodemocratic dictators, [[PrinceCharmless jerkass royals]] and the French.

* {{Expy}}: Prince Mark is, apparently, a thinly veiled one for Prince Andrew.
** The Prince of Darkness, a.k.a POD, is the real life nickname for Lord Mandelson, Tony Blair's Secretary of State.

* {{Badass}}: 'Guantanamo Bob'. Reduces one character to tears, unsettles the previously fearless (or simply jaded) Neil and, hilariously, gets the Tazbek security forces [[{{Squee squeeing]] in fanboy glee.