Rupert Walters

In the final part of James Wood's and Rupert Walters' comedy-drama, the embassy is faced with a potential "Tazbek spring", along with a visit from the president's filthy rich pop-star daughter. The characters' arch observations about diplomatic life in central Asia suggest thorough research, but as arch observations about diplomatic life in central Asia aren't something most of us will howl in recognition at, the whole thing feels like a Mitchell and Webb sketch gone awry: an hour of groundwork-laying and no punchline.

Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 6th November 2013

Ambassadors is the low-key acerbic comedy drama set in a British embassy in the fictional central Asian country of Tazbekistan. The first episode had some tonal problems as it struggled to establish whether it wanted to be funny or clever, and often failed to achieve either.

But it was OK, and at times mildly amusing, which already put it out in front of most of the competition. That said, you expect better than occasionally mildly amusing from David Mitchell and Robert Webb, who maintained a level of demented brilliance in Peep Show for years.

And in the second episode they were indeed much better. Some of the improvement could be attributed to a wonderful turn by Tom Hollander as an obnoxious prince who stumbles luxuriously around the globe as a trade envoy creating international crises - a great comic idea, and one wonders who could possibly have been its inspiration.

More than that, though, it was a matter of characters falling into place and the place finding its character. Webb is oddly convincing as a cynical idealist assistant to the ambassador, and Mitchell shows a conflicted steeliness and sensitivity that goes some way beyond his stock gift for the florid rant.

The writing, by James Wood and Rupert Walters, was sharper too. Several plot strands were neatly combined, and there was an impressive resistance - as shown with the Prince Mark storyline - to succumbing to the obvious. Rather than bash you over the head with jokes, it takes a more diplomatic approach. And I don't care what Steve Coogan says about him, Mitchell has persuaded me on this one.

Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 2nd November 2013

While last week's tepid opener failed to prove either way whether Ambassadors could make foreign affairs funny, it's case closed by the end of this direly unfunny middle episode.

Tonight sees British ambassadors Keith (David Mitchell) and Neil (Robert Webb) forced to babysit a visiting prince (well played by Tom Hollander), while negotiating oil-drilling rights with the premier of their fictional Tazbekistan. Hilarity does not ensue. Aimed squarely at fans of The Thick of It, Ambassadors delivers precisely none of the nuanced comedy and Kafka-esque scenarios.

Given the highbrow subject matter, there's an awful lot of physical daftness, including a tiresome skit in which Hollander's prince berates a blind person while - wait for it! - not realising he's blind. The central duo don't add much, either. It's as if writers Rupert Walters and James Wood had hoped the Peep Show boys would ad-lib all the funny bits, only to find out they couldn't be arsed. By the end of this, neither will you be.

David Clack, Time Out, 30th October 2013