ITVX has
released the first look at David Tennant's uncanny portrayal of Alexander
Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer, whose
death from Polonium-210 poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most
complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police. Litvinenko,
a four-part drama telling the story of Litvinenko’s death and the investigation
which followed, will stream
exclusively on ITVX from Thursday 15th December.
David Tennant will star in Litvinenko, commissioned for ITVX by Head of Drama,
Polly Hill and written by
acclaimed screenwriter George Kay. The drama will relate
how in November 2006 two police officers were called to University College
Hospital in London to interview a patient in declining health. The patient was
Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who claimed to have been poisoned on
the direct orders of Vladimir Putin.
During the police
interviews, Alexander provided meticulous details from his hospital bedside
about the events leading up to his illness, which he knew would prove fatal.
His information would ultimately help detectives track down two Russians who
had poisoned Litvinenko with Polonium-210, a highly toxic radioactive
substance.
The drama also
focuses upon the story of Marina, portrayed by Margarita Levieva, Alexander’s
fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British
Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of
the Russian State in his murder.
Litvinenko has been
produced with the support of many of the key individuals involved in the
investigation and subsequent public inquiry including former New Scotland Yard
officers, Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt, along with Ben Emmerson QC and
Alexander’s family. Mark
Bonnar portrays Clive Timmons, whilst Neil Maskell portrays Brent Hyatt.
Litvinenko has been
directed by Jim Field Smith and was filmed on location in and around
London. Produced by ITV Studios, Tiger Aspect Productions and Nordic
Entertainment Group (NENT Group) in association with Livedrop Media, the series is executive produced by Patrick
Spence for ITV Studios, Josephine Zapata Genetay for NENT Group, Lucy Bedford
for Tiger Aspect Productions, George Kay, Jim Field Smith and David
Tennant. The co-Producer is Richard Kerbaj for Livedrop Media and the
drama has been produced by Chris May.
The series is
distributed internationally by ITV Studios, which recently announced it had
pre-sold the show to over 80 territories. In the Nordic region, Baltic region,
Poland and the Netherlands, the series will premiere exclusively on NENT
Group’s Viaplay streaming service.
ITVX, set to launch in December, will be the UK’s freshest
streaming service, offering viewers the flexibility to access free content with
ads and ad-free paid subscription, all in one place.
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