Litvinenko (TV series)

Litvinenko
GenreDrama
Written byGeorge Kay
Directed byJim Field Smith
Starring
ComposerGabriel Prokofiev
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Patrick Spence
  • Josephine Zapata Genetay
  • Lucy Bedford
  • George Kay
  • Jim Field Smith
  • David Tennant
Producers
  • Chris May
  • Richard Kerbaj
CinematographyEd Moore
EditorsDavid Webb, Robert Frost
Production companies
Original release
NetworkITV
ITVX
Release15 December 2022 (2022-12-15)

Litvinenko is a 2022 four-part British television mini-series based on real events, about the 2006 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London. It stars David Tennant as Litvinenko and Margarita Levieva as his wife Marina Litvinenko. Made for ITVX by Tiger Aspect, the series was directed by Jim Field Smith, and written by George Kay. It premiered on 15 December 2022.

Synopsis

The series is a dramatisation of the 10-year fight of Marina Litvinenko and the London police force as they work to prove the guilt and release the names of those responsible for the 2006 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.[1]

Cast

Production

In September 2021 it was announced that Tennant and Margarita Levieva were to take on the roles of Alexander and Marina Litvinenko for ITV and Nordic Entertainment Group from a script from George Kay, with Tiger Aspect also producing. Jim Field Smith was announced as director with Neil Maskell and Mark Bonnar appearing as the police officers who interviewed Litvinenko in his hospital bed.[4] Tennant met with Marina Litvinenko and said he felt a responsibility to her, saying, “it’s so relevant to the world we live in what happened to that man and the things that he spent his life talking about and that his wife Marina, who is an extraordinary human, is still doing. The reason we tell that story is because it’s so raw and vivid and important.”[5] Filming took place in London from October 2021.[6][7]

To air in conjunction with the series, ITV commissioned Firecracker Films to produce an hour-long film detailing the events of the Polonium-210 poisoning of Litvinenko in 2006, including an interview with Marina Litvinenko, Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Andy Hayman and James Cairns, who was the Police Radiation Protection Advisor.[8]

Broadcast

In March 2022 the project was announced to be included in the productions set to be launched in the UK on the new for 2022 ITV streaming service ITVX.[9] In October 2022, it was announced the project had also been sold internationally to more than 80 international markets, including Seven Network in Australia, Stockholm based Viaplay and their streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and the Baltics, and TVNZ in New Zealand, with AMC+ having exclusive rights in the US, and Amazon Prime Video in Canada.[10][11] The series premiered on ITVX on 15 December 2022.

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Litvinenko holds an approval rating of 64%.[12]

Accolades

In November 2023, David Tennant was nominated in the Best Actor category at the TV Choice Awards for his work on the series.[13]

Samantha Kininmonth and Suzi Battersby were nominated in the Best Make Up Design - Scripted category at the 2023 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards.[14]

References

  1. ^ Moss, Molly (3 August 2022). "Litvinenko release date, cast and plot for David Tennant ITVX drama". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Meet the cast of Litvinenko". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  3. ^ "ITV Litvinenko Press Pack" (PDF). ITV.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  4. ^ "David Tennant To Star In 'Litvinenko' Poison Drama For ITV & Viaplay From 'Lupin' Creator George Kay". Deadline. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  5. ^ "David Tennant Says He Felt Responsibility of Playing Alexander Litvinenko After Meeting Spy's wife Marina". The Independent. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Litvinenko". Productionlist. 4 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  7. ^ "October 2021: London On Screen and Filming". FilmLondon.org. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Firecracker to tell Litvinenko murder story for ITV". Televisual.com. 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Introducing ITVX - Britain's freshest new free streaming service launching later this year". ITV.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  10. ^ "ITV Studios Sells 'Litvinenko' to 80-Plus Territories". Variety. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. ^ "AMC And Prime Video Among Buyers Of David Tennant Drama 'Litvinenko - Mipcom Cannes". Deadline. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Litvinenko". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ^ Pritchard, Jonathan (3 November 2023). "TV Choice Awards nominees 2024: All Creatures Great and Small, Happy Valley and James Martin all up for awards". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  14. ^ "RTS CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2023". RTS. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.