The Diplomat review: Peaky Blinders star leads package holiday style series

The best thing about this package is surely the scenery - set in the iconic streets of Barcelona in the summertime, it's perfect for anyone looking to escape those cold British winter nights and go on a sun-dappled getaway.

Whether it's languorous visits to the marina, long lunches in the sun, or the occasional chasing down of criminals on the highway, it's just nice to get away isn't it?

Of course, you'll want to know who you'll be spending time with and the colourful locals you'll get to meet. They're a likeable collection of characters that includes Laura Simmonds (Peaky Blinders' Sophie Rundle) who works at the British Consulate in the city, along with her colleagues Alba (Serena Manteghi) and Carl (Dylan Brady).

You'll spend time with them as they look to help distressed British nationals in the city, getting wrapped up as Laura and the team do some of their own detective work to help the local police.

You might not get as much interaction with Carl as you'd like, but Laura and Alba make for an engaging and funny duo. Laura keeps things grounded and is a warm, engaging presence, while Alba lightens the mood with light-hearted quips and tales of her tumultuous love life.

Then there's Colin Sutherland (Danny Sapani). His son just died so naturally he's not a barrel of laughs, but he's emotionally honest and still a welcome presence. He's visiting the city to recover his son's body, but is suspicious that foul play might have been involved in his death. Is he just paranoid? Probably not, otherwise your stay would be cut rather short.

Meanwhile another British-born local you'll meet is the mysterious and duplicitous Sam (Steven Cree), while Spanish locals include honourable detective Inspector Castells (Isak Férriz), sketchy businessman Fabian (Philipp Boos) and slippery lawyer Mariana (Laia Costa).

When it comes to the activities, if you're looking for something wholly different to take you by surprise then this isn't it — The Diplomat package isn't made for thrill seekers.

Instead, what you'll get is all the trappings of previous staycations in the vein of Grantchester or Vera with a close-knit group of characters solving cases, just in sunnier climbs, somewhat akin to Death in Paradise.

However, like Death in Paradise's new spin-off Beyond Paradise, The Diplomat too has the benefits of not being too boxed in by a format. Without a promise of murder, or even of detective work, Alibi's offering leaves you free to explore new territories in the surrounding area.

The problem with this, though, is that we're used to light-hearted murder mysteries — they've been done time and again. We're less accepting of light-hearted discussions about other serious crimes The Diplomat explores, such as child abduction and domestic abuse.

The providers of this trip know this and adjust accordingly, appropriately making sequences exploring these topics more serious, but the sometimes break-neck speed of the switch from banter-filled conversations to dark subject matter can make this a tonally confusing outing.

Still, it does seem a surprise that this exact package hasn't been offered before. The concept of following the work taking place at a consulate feels like an obvious addition to the world of televisual crime tourism (just go with me here), and it works well as a format. Come back in a couple of years and we could imagine new seasons travelling to different parts of the world. The Diplomat: Rome, anyone?

As with most package holidays, absolutely everything's included here - food, drink, accommodation, activities, political intrigue, suspicious deaths, discussions of sensitive topics, romantic misadventures, you name it. The only thing you might have to pay a little more for is the social commentary, which is compulsory and chunkily packaged, but entirely well-intentioned.

This might sound like a lot to pack into your trip, and as I've already mentioned, it does occasionally mean you need to strap in for something of a bumpy, emotional and tonal journey, with laughs one second and serious discussions about social ills the next.

Episode 1 features two main events — one involving a devastated man grieving the death of his son, something which will keep popping up throughout the drama, and the other involving a comedy hen party carrying around sex toys and getting into scrapes. Like I said, bumpy.

However, The Diplomat comes from World Productions which has previously provided outings such as Line of Duty and Karen Pirie, so you know you're in good hands. You're sure to have an enjoyable, if somewhat unremarkable, stay, but maybe that's just what you're looking for at this time of year?

The locals are fun to spend time with, the settings are glorious and will leave you wanting more, and the activities and puzzles are just engaging enough. It may not leave you absolutely desperate to go back, but it also isn't a destination you wouldn't be happy to return to week on week.

The Diplomat airs on Alibi from 9pm on Tuesday 28th February. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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