Following the screening of episode one, there will be a panel discussion hosted by Boyd Hilton with Marina Litvinenko, Co-Producer Richard Kerbaj and Director Jim Field Smith. The panel will discuss the making of the series, finding the right cast and the responsbility of making a series based on real people and events. The audience will also hear from Marina's first hand experience of the events surrounding her husband's death.

The screening and Q&A will take place in person at the British Museum, London. 

Speakers

• Marina Litvinenko
• Richard Kerbaj, co-producer of Litvinenko
• Jim Field Smith, director of Litvinenko
• Boyd Hilton, Chair

Synopsis

ITVX will premiere Litvinenko, with David Tennant portraying 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.

Produced by ITV Studios, Tiger Aspect Productions and Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) in association with Livedrop Media, Litvinenko is the story of the determined New Scotland Yard officers who worked to prove who was responsible for the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Written by acclaimed screenwriter George Kay, (creator and writer of the smash hit crime thriller Lupin), 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. At the end of a ten year battle the international courts agreed that Russia, under Putin's leadership, was responsible for his murder.

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 (The Deuce, The Blacklist), 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 (Catastrophe, Quiz) portrays Clive Timmons, whilst Neil Maskell (Small Axe, Utopia) portrays Brent Hyatt.

Litvinenko has been directed by Jim Field Smith (Criminal, Endeavour) and was filmed on location in and around London.

The series is executive produced by Patrick Spence for ITV Studios (A Spy Among Friends, Ralph & Katie), Josephine Zapata Genetay for NENT Group, Lucy Bedford for Tiger Aspect Productions (Three Little Birds, Viewpoint, The Good Karma Hospital), George Kay, Jim Field Smith and David Tennant.

The co-Producer is Richard Kerbaj for Livedrop Media (Hunting the KGB Killers, Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist) and the drama has been produced by Chris May.

Litvinenko has been commissioned for ITVX by Head of Drama, Polly Hill.

Booking Details

Tickets for RTS members are freebut must be booked in advance (please input your membership number when booking). If you do not know your membership number, please email membership@rts.org.uk. 

Tickets for non-members are £15.

Tickets are non-refundable. Event Safety