Although set in the fictional nation of Tazbekistan, the series borrows heavily from real life personalities in Central Asia. The behavior of Prince Mark, Duke of Bath (Tom Hollander), including his speech criticizing the left-wing press in the UK and their investigation of business dealings in Tazbekistan, is remarkably similar to a 2008 visit to Kyrgyzstan by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, where he criticized the left-learning Guardian newspaper. The Tazbeki dictator's daughter Fergana (Lydia Leonard) also shares many similarities with Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the president of Uzbekistan, including an amateur music career and controversial party-girl public image.
