15 TV Shows To Watch If You Like The Diplomat

With three seasons in the can, a Season 4 premiere date set at Netflix, and a handful of Emmy nominations currently pending, "The Diplomat" has established itself as one of TV's biggest political dramas in recent years. It's been a while since a political thriller series has captured the zeitgeist as well as this one, in which Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, America's ambassador to the United Kingdom, who is navigating both a crumbling marriage with the ambassador to Lebanon and Iraq, Hal (Rufus Sewell), and a fraught political crisis reflecting real-world tensions. 

Though it's far from rare to have a political drama emerge as one of the strongest TV shows currently airing, "The Diplomat" offers a lot of fresh interpersonal stakes to lure in newcomers to the genre. It also joins a long lineage of political thrillers centered on female leads, with several of the best examples appearing on this list. Whether "The Diplomat" is your first political thriller or simply your latest obsession, these 15 shows deserve a spot on your watchlist next. 

When talking about television political dramas, it's impossible not to mention the seminal NBC series "The West Wing," which aired for seven seasons from 1999 to 2006. Created by Aaron Sorkin, it follows the fictional presidency of Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlet, with an ensemble cast filling out his administration and staff. Often considered television's best, most optimistic political drama, "The West Wing" helped pave the way for shows like "The Diplomat" by making the day-to-day drudgery of politics palatable for TV audiences.

Additionally, it goes without saying that "The Diplomat" subtly reunites two former "The West Wing" cast members, Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford. In "The West Wing," Janney plays press secretary C.J. Cregg while Whitford plays Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, but in "The Diplomat," Janney plays Vice President Grace Penn, with Whitford as her husband. Though it might seem sacrilegious for "The West Wing" fans to imagine C.J. and Josh together, fans who watched "The Diplomat" first will likely enjoy seeing these actors decades younger in a political drama that shaped the future of not just politics on TV, but off TV, too. 

Compared to a show like "The Diplomat," "The Good Wife" is more of a legal procedural, but its overarching narrative has a political angle that keeps it very different from shows like "Law & Order" or "CSI." Beginning in 2009 and airing for seven seasons, "The Good Wife" stars Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, a stay-at-home mother who, after her state's attorney husband (played by Chris Noth) is jailed following a sex and corruption scandal, returns to the workforce as a junior litigator. 

As one of the best legal dramas on TV, the series expertly blends the procedural lawyering of Alicia with the ongoing drama of her personal life, which parallels the plot of "The Diplomat," in which Keri Russell's Kate Wyler has to balance a life in politics with navigating her troubled relationship. What "The Good Wife" boasts that most other political dramas don't is by making those two conflicts the same, as Alicia's transformation into a legal powerhouse sees her becoming closer to her criminal husband in personality than she'd like to admit. 

American television audiences may not be very familiar with "Borgen," which originated on the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Denmark and only reached a wider U.S. audience thanks to Netflix. Sidse Babett Knudsen, a standout in Season 1 of HBO's "Westworld," stars as Birgitte Nyborg Christensen, a centrist politician who unexpectedly becomes the prime minister of Denmark following a closely contested general election. However, you don't need to know anything about Denmark's politics to know that "Borgen" is a thrilling, masterfully written political drama. 

Airing for four seasons whose release spanned 12 years, "Borgen" is lucky that it's never had an American remake of the foreign show, given that the original incarnation gets to rightfully be the only incarnation. The most recent fourth season of "Borgen," which aired internationally in 2022, feels especially up-to-date with the modern landscape of global affairs in a way that rivals "The Diplomat" and other current, more American-centric political dramas. 

If you're interested in seeing the kind of political thriller that dominated television in the 2010s, as opposed to the likes of "The Diplomat" in the 2020s, "Homeland" is your next binge-watch. The Showtime series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA officer with bipolar disorder who becomes a vital asset in protecting America's security from a war hero-turned-al-Qaeda terrorist played by Damian Lewis. Though the series comes off a little dated in its political setting, it's grounded by an incredibly powerful performance from Danes.

Expertly crafting a political drama over the course of eight seasons, "Homeland" simultaneously tells a deeply personal story about mental health as it does a story about the paranoia of a post-9/11 America. There's also a strong similarity between the lead actresses of "Homeland" and "The Diplomat," since Claire Danes' breakout roles in teen dramas like "My So-Called Life" resemble the starting point for Keri Russell in shows like "Felicity." The teen drama-to-political thriller pipeline must be real, because both Danes and Russell nail the tone of these serious, wordy political series. 

Although Aaron Sorkin had already proved his political savvy by creating "The West Wing," he didn't stay away from TV for long. In 2012, he premiered a new political drama, "The Newsroom," on HBO, focusing less on the suits cutting deals in the White House and more on the citizens who must speak truth to power by reporting on those deals. Jeff Daniels stars as Will McAvoy, the lead anchor of a cable news program whose staff largely abandons him after a public denunciation of America's greatness, leaving his ex-girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), to come aboard as his new executive producer and reinvent the program.

Though "The Newsroom" pales in comparison to "The West Wing," its focus on real-life political events and making real statements on American media journalism keeps it from feeling as soapy as other TV shows like "The Morning Show" that also focus on the behind-the-scenes of news programs. It does, sadly, lack the strong female leads of "The Diplomat," which is typical of Sorkin's work, but remains one of the tensest political dramas to ever air on TV nonetheless. 

With "Scandal," we return to political TV thrillers like "The Diplomat" that, despite revolving around White House staff members and the ever-evolving world of U.S. politics, place a massive focus on the complicated, oftentimes messy lives of their characters. Kerry Washington leads the cast as Olivia Pope, a crisis manager for a private Washington, D.C., firm who secretly had an illicit affair with Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn), the president of the United States, while assisting in his campaign for office.

Although Washington plays imperfect women with a glossy, compelling confidence, "Scandal" doesn't ever feel like it caves to the schmaltzy aspects of its premise, as other shows created by Shonda Rhimes do. Instead, it feels like a series that constantly tests its leading lady with rising stakes and political crises that reveal how morally complex she really is, resulting in some of the most heart-pumping TV of the 2010s across its seven seasons. Its scope might be more domestic than "The Diplomat," but its incisive study of women in politics is just as poignant and juicy.

Being this far removed from the ending of "House of Cards," speaking its name feels like invoking Voldemort. However, it can't be overstated how dominant the show was in pop culture when it began, becoming one of the first Netflix original series to establish the streamer as a proper competitor to cable networks like HBO or Showtime. "House of Cards" follows Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a morally bankrupt politician rising through the ranks of American politics alongside his conniving wife, Claire (Robin Wright). The Underwoods are like a modern-day Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, utilizing murder, blackmail, and other intimidation tactics in their ruthless grabs at power. 

Namely, "House of Cards" suffered a major controversy ahead of its final season thanks to the cancellation of its star, Spacey, resulting in his abrupt firing and a muddled final season elevated by Wright. Though watching a show so centered on Spacey might make you a little nauseous, it's not dissimilar to how the show wants you to feel while watching Underwood's deplorable actions play out episode to episode. If you felt yourself rooting for Keri Russell too much in "The Diplomat," "House of Cards" might be the perfect palate cleanser to remind you that in many political thrillers, there aren't exactly any good guys. 

If you've watched "The Diplomat" and aren't already familiar with Keri Russell's prior TV work, then you're missing out on what might be one of the best spy TV shows in recent history. "The Americans" aired on FX from 2013 to 2018, starring Russell and Matthew Rhys (both of whom would go on to fall in love off-camera) as a pair of Soviet KGB officers posing as a prototypical American couple in Washington, D.C. Throughout the show's six seasons, their marriage, as well as their loyalties to Mother Russia, are tested by the increasing conflicts of the Cold War. 

As one of the great drama series of the 2010s, "The Americans" shares obvious connections with "The Diplomat" due to Russell's starring role as well as its focus on wider global conflicts, albeit taking a look back at brewing tensions of the '80s rather than contemporary international crises. However, if any show on this list should be watched after "The Diplomat," it's the one that proved over a decade ago that the combination of political thriller and Keri Russell was a match made in heaven.  

As any student of modern-day American politics will tell you, being a woman serving as secretary of state can be more of a curse than a blessing. In CBS's six-season political drama, "Madam Secretary," Téa Leoni stars as a CIA analyst named Elizabeth McCord, who reluctantly ends up taking the office of Secretary of State after the previous person in that role was mysteriously killed. As Elizabeth juggles her new responsibilities with investigating her predecessor's death, she discovers the CIA may be more involved in getting her to power than she even realizes.

With more of a conspiratorial edge to it than "The Diplomat," the show mixes the intensity of international relations with the fraught nature of domestic affairs. It's also, like "The Diplomat," a show that's been praised for its realistic depiction of politics, with several former Secretaries of State (Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Colin Powell) not only voicing support for the show over the years but also making cameo appearances. 

ABC's "Designated Survivor" is yet another political thriller with a heavy focus on conspiracy as a major plot point. However, fans of "The Diplomat" might find it a nice change of pace that also stays in the same lane of a drama series with a vast amount of political intrigue and a heroic protagonist played by a movie star of the 1990s. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Thomas Kirkman, the secretary of housing and urban development who, after a terrorist attack kills nearly everyone ahead of him in the line of succession, finds himself thrust into the position of President of the United States of America. 

Sutherland's performance as Kirkman, a savvy career politician forced to keep a country together in the wake of a massive tragedy, keeps a magnetic hold on viewers who may have seen the "reluctant president" trope played out again and again in media over the years. Though ABC cancelled "Designated Survivor" after two seasons, Netflix revived it for a third season. If you've already finished "The Diplomat" on the same platform, then "Designated Survivor" might be the easiest series to go binge-watch next. 

Given the popularity and critical acclaim of "Bodyguard" following its 2018 release, it's shocking that the series hasn't received another season. Richard Madden stars as David Budd, a British police sergeant suffering from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, who is assigned to the protection detail for the United Kingdom's controversial home secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). Given Montague's conservative politics and ambitious goals to further Middle Eastern conflicts, Budd becomes conflicted about vowing to protect her amid growing tensions in the United Kingdom.

Focusing more on the security and staff of politicians rather than framing the politicians themselves as heroic, fans of "The Diplomat" will enjoy how deep "Bodyguard" goes in painting a morally gray world for its characters. Of all the best British spy shows, "Bodyguard" plays with political tension exceptionally well, keeping its audience biting their nails over what will happen next and making only six episodes feel like a lifetime. 

If "The Diplomat" isn't the political thriller you're currently hooked on, then it's undoubtedly "Slow Horses." The spy drama follows a department of misfit MI5 agents who have failed on missions, led by the misanthropic Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), where they're now assigned tasks beneath their station. Jack Lowden stars as River Cartwright, a young MI5 agent who begins to uncover a vast conspiracy involving far-right terrorist groups, re-emerging KGB agents, and a corrupt CIA presence in the United Kingdom.

Though it's a slow burn that might take some work getting into compared to juicier shows like "The Diplomat," every season of "Slow Horses" continually ups the stakes. With a new season on the horizon in 2026, now is the best time to satiate your hunger for more political thrillers (this one having a lot more action than "The Diplomat") and catch up on "Slow Horses" in time to watch it with the rest of the world. 

"Anatomy of a Scandal" somehow manages to deftly juggle several genres all at once: It's a legal drama, a political thriller, and a family melodrama. Sienna Miller stars in the Netflix series as Sophie Whitehouse, the wife of James (Rupert Friend), a prominent British MP whose life blows up after he's caught having an affair with his aide, Olivia (Naomi Scott). After Olivia also accuses James of sexual assault, what's already a complicated situation for the husband and wife becomes all the more fraught and personal. 

This must-watch Netflix miniseries you can binge-watch in one day may not be the easiest to digest, given the heavy subject matter, but its mix of interpersonal, "Marriage Story"-esque drama, political intrigue, and public decorum makes it an underrated gem on the streaming service. Even when you think you've seen all the layers of this drama peeled back, "Anatomy of a Scandal" shows there's an even greater underlying rot at play. Frankly, there are moments in this story that, without spoiling, make the marriage issues in "The Diplomat" look tame by comparison. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In a dramatic change of pace for this list, "Andor" is the only show here that's not set in the real world, but in the universe of "Star Wars." However, compared to the pulpier Disney+ shows set in a galaxy far, far away, "Andor" feels truer to real-world politics, the nature of rebellion, and political conspiracy than many TV thrillers that explore real-life governments. A prequel to 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," "Andor" tracks the radicalization of not just Diego Luna's thief-turned-rebel Cassian Andor, but a whole host of characters scattered across the class system of an increasingly discriminatory Galactic Empire. 

Since its original five-season plan was cancelled, "Andor" compresses years of storytelling into two seasons while still feeling deliberate in pace and methodical in showcasing the roots of the rebellion that drives the original "Star Wars" trilogy. In particular, the narratives involving Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma, Adria Arjona's Bix Caleen, and Faye Marsay's Vel Sartha provide a female perspective on the political tensions in the "Star Wars" universe that "The Diplomat" fans will appreciate, given that series' wealth of complicated female characters like Russell's Kate Wyler and Nana Mensah's Billie Appiah.

Though many of the political thrillers on this list resemble "The Diplomat" by being grounded in real-world politics and global tensions (including the one set in the "Star Wars" franchise), "Paradise" might be the most fantastical. Created by "This Is Us" showrunner Dan Fogelman, "Paradise" stars Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent caught in a political conspiracy in the midst of a post-apocalyptic America after President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) is mysteriously killed. Xavier is forced to not only hunt down the president's killer but also clear his own name in the process. 

Without spoiling any of the twists and turns that await across the series' two seasons thus far, "Paradise" is a wildly ambitious Hulu thriller that somehow manages to capture the high-strung feeling of modern-day politics in a setting that's, at the moment, far from reality. If you enjoyed "The Diplomat" for its fast pace, high stakes, and explosive performances, then "Paradise" cranks every single one of those up to 11, making it one of the most compelling sci-fi thrillers currently on TV.