Embassy (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television drama |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Drama television series |
Embassy is an Australian drama television series that aired on ABC Television between 1990 and 1992. Over the course of three seasons, a total of 39 episodes were produced. The narrative is set within the Australian embassy located in Ragaan, a fictional Southeast Asian nation positioned on the Malay Peninsula. The series explored the diplomatic and political obstacles encountered by Australian officials and embassy personnel.
Creation and production
The concept for Embassy was developed by Ian Bradley, a director at Grundy Television recognized for his work on Prisoner. The idea originated during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, inspiring a drama centered around diplomatic affairs. ABC Television produced the series with collaboration from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. At one point, then Foreign Minister Gareth Evans was invited to appear in a cameo role. Additionally, former diplomat Garry Woodward contributed as a story and script advisor.
The fictional state of Ragaan drew influence from various Southeast Asian countries; Woodward explained that its name was adapted from Pagaan, an ancient capital in Burma. Producer Alan Hardy remarked that Ragaan’s authoritarian military regime was modeled on approximately twenty different nations, striving to authentically portray the realities and complexities of diplomatic service.
Filming partially occurred in Fiji, where Suva was selected to represent Port Victoria, the tropical former British colonial capital of Ragaan. This setting effectively conveyed the atmosphere typical of diplomatic missions within the Asia-Pacific region.
Reception
Within Australia, Embassy garnered moderate viewer numbers. However, it faced criticism for perpetuating Orientalism, particularly through its portrayal of non-Anglo ethnic groups as a monolithic "other," reinforcing Anglo-Australian cultural dominance.
Catherine Wilkin, a New Zealand actress who starred in the third season, defended the series by noting that although it adopted a Western perspective, it sought to offer alternative viewpoints from the standpoint of the fictional Muslim nation.
Despite not airing in Malaysia, Embassy played a role in straining diplomatic relations between Kuala Lumpur and Canberra during the late 1980s and early 1990s amid Australian concerns about human rights and environmental matters. Malaysian authorities perceived Ragaan as a thinly disguised representation of their country and regarded ABC Television—the program’s producer—as being under government control. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called for the show’s removal, condemning it as offensive toward Malaysia and Islam. Furthermore, Malaysia banned an edition of the Asian Wall Street Journal linked to the controversy.
The second season premiered in 1991 featuring the execution by hanging of two drug offenders, mirroring the 1986 execution of two Australians in Kuala Lumpur—a decision strongly criticized by then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who described it as 'barbaric.' In retaliation, Malaysian broadcaster TV3 aired a four-part series addressing racism in Australia, while Radio Televisyen Malaysia organized discussions focused on perceived anti-Asian bias in Western media.
These diplomatic tensions negatively affected Australian investments and posed risks to traditionally robust military cooperation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans expressed regret over any offense caused but characterized these incidents as typical regional "bumps and grinds."
Following its third season, Embassy was cancelled by ABC due to declining audience figures; the broadcaster denied that external diplomatic pressures influenced this decision. Nonetheless, speculation among media and scholars suggested that strained international relations may have factored into the cancellation.
Cast
- Bryan Marshall portrays Ambassador Duncan Stewart
- Janet Andrewartha appears as Marion, the Ambassador's spouse
- Alan Fletcher plays Michael Clayton, the consul and political officer
- Nina Landis features as Susan Derek, the Embassy's second secretary
- Nicki Wendt acts as Belinda Avery, secretary to the Ambassador
- Frankie J. Holden takes on the role of Terry Blake, press attaché
- Shapoor Batliwalla is cast as Rufus, the office manager
- Joseph Spano embodies Colonel (later General) Mahmoud
- Lex Marinos performs as Tariq Abdullah, Ragaan’s Foreign Affairs Minister
- Jim Holt appears as James Peake
- Catherine Wilkin plays Ambassador Katherine Jensen
- Gerard Maguire portrays Freddie
- Anthony Wong acts as Lee, a political revolutionary
- John Polson appears as Vince Cooper
- Ria Yazaki
- Cecilia Trandang
Guest Appearances
- Ailsa Piper as Renare (1 episode)
- Brett Climo in the role of Joshua (1 episode)
- Darren Yap as Hung (1 episode)
- Graham Harvey portraying Tom (1 episode)
- Heather Mitchell featured as Gillian (1 episode)
- Kym Gyngell takes on Richardson (1 episode)
- Les Foxcroft in the role of Harry (1 episode)
- Neil Melville appears as Phil Hartman (2 episodes)
- Nicholas Eadie as Edward Logan (1 episode)
- Penne Hackforth-Jones (1 episode)
- Robert Mammone plays Rashid (1 episode)
- Robin Ramsay in the role of Alex (1 episode)
- William McInnes portrays John Hancock (1 episode)
- Wynn Roberts appears as Dave (1 episode)