Litvinenko

Not coming to Russian State Television anytime soon, I'd imagine, this four-part ITV drama convincingly and realistically retold the events surrounding the 2006 death by poisonising in London of the recently naturalised British citizen, one-time KGB commander Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko.

Litvinenko had just written and published in the UK a tell-all book deeply embarrassing to his former paymasters about the heinous acts he was ordered to commit for the fatherland and clearly was seen as a danger to his former homeland, requiring his permanent removal from the scene. Lured into a meeting with two former visiting ex-colleagues at a London city centre hotel, he unwittingly drank tea laced with polonium, we're told the most dangerous substance on earth, a man-made toxin manufactured exclusively in Russia. After ingesting the radioactive material, he took ill almost immediately and died an agonisingly painful death, but not before giving an explosive interview to two investigating police officers in which he publicly named Russian President Putin as his murderer.

The programme then follows the dogged efforts of the British police, under the command of DSU Clive Timmons, to uncover the truth and do justice to Litvinenko and his surviving wife and son, no easy task of course, given the obfuscation and dirty tricks put up by their Russian conterparts as well as negotiating the delicate political ramifications of offending and then poking the Russian bear.

I found this to be a most compelling production, from the chillingly accurate recreation of the doomed Litvinenko on his death bed, to the very human connection made to his widow by the investigating officers and taking in the various rings and hoops Timmons and his team had to negotiate, mainly set by the Russians but also the only slightly less obstructive diplomatic restraints at home. Indeed, if I had a complaint at all about the depiction of events, it was that not enough scrutiny was cast on the timorous actions of the British government of the time in not more loudly calling out and taking stronger sanctions against the perpetrators of this outrage carried out on home soil, which of course wasn't the last time Russia attempted to carry out a State-ordered assassination in Britain as witness the later Salisbury poisonings where a British-born woman was actually killed by accidentally coming into contact with the poison brought into our country by assassins.

I watched this very well-made series with a mixture of anger and compassion, as I was no doubt meant to. The ensemble acting was excellent from top to bottom, especially David Tennant's fleeting but convincing portrayal of Litvinenko, Mark Bonnar as the taciturn but laser-focused Timmons, Neil Maskell as DI Brent Hyatt, the initially sceptical police officer first assigned to the case who resolves to see it through and Margarita Levieva who sympathetically plays Litvinenko's widow Marina, who keeps her dignity and fortitude at all times.

Dramatised just enough from the known real events to keep the action at all times credible and yet watchable, this gripping drama was a compulsive watch from beginning to end.

Having spent several years working in Moscow, I began watching through personal interest, but rapidly became hooked by the superb quality of this production on every level, in every department. The whole cast should feel massively proud of what they have achieved with this. They have done the Litvinenkos proud. Marina Litvinenko was beautifully portrayed, and David Tennant did a great job as the man himself. Best drama we've seen on any TV channel for years, including Line of Duty, The Crown, and all the other flagships. This is a true must watch.......hope it reaches the widest possible audience worldwide.

While this is a sad story and a tough subject to approach, the entire cast did a superb job. I cannot think of better actors to have done this project justice. Well done!

While for me, the 4 part mini series went quickly due to understanding the nature of the politics involved. You could see that the overall cast and most likely crew were very devoted to getting the story told properly.

Definitely award worthy as this is so poignant today. After listening to Marina speak of the struggles to get this series made and her take on it, I'm so glad it was not glammed up or changed to be "hollywood-ish".

The audacity of Putin to have his minions murder British citizens on the streets of Britain is beyond belief. First, this using radiological warfare and later using a banned nerve agent. This and the later events in Salisbury were shocking and showed the world what an appalling and murderous dictator Putin is. The painstaking investigation which proves what happened can be a little sterile but it would be. Obviously, Tennant is not in it long but very good use is made of his time and he delivers a fantastic performance. The whole cast do very well in their roles and the producers deserve praise for recreating these terrible events.

This is a brilliant insight into the murderous Russian regime. The deniability on every level is laughable.

David Tennant's portrayal of Litvinenko is brilliant. Margarita Levieva as his wife is solid and believable.

This is not only a drama but a thriller true crime which will hook you from the first the first episode.

I hope that those who watch Litvinenko will understand the difficulty of bringing justice to those in power.

Mark Bonner, Neil Maskell along with supporting cast are brilliant. It is obvious that a lot of care was taken to depict the true story of a murder that was orchestrated by an evil regime.