The series is of course based on real-life, but it also more specifically took initial inspiration from a 2017 documentary film, which told the story from the perspective of the police.<\/p>\n
However, just which documentary was that, how can you watch it and what other documentaries have focused on the Litvinenko case?<\/p>\n
Read on for everything you need to know about the documentary Litvinenko was based on.<\/p>\n
Which documentary was Litvinenko based on?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> David Tennant as Alexander Litvinenko in Litvinenko<\/span><\/figcaption> ITVX<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nSpeaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com<\/a>, the series\u2019 writer George Kay revealed that the starting point for the new ITVX drama was a 2017 documentary called Hunting the KGB Killers, directed by Chris Malone, produced by Richard Kerbaj and narrated by actor Eddie Marsan.<\/p>\nKay said: \u201cThere\u2019s a documentary-maker called Richard Kerbaj who is a co-producer on the drama and he had made a film about Litvinenko\u2019s case, but told it from a police perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been various books and accounts of it but his was definitely from the police perspective, but also included interviews with Marina and with Anatoly and the family and it was very moving.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it was also a real great puzzle in terms of the story he told, of how the police tried to get their heads around what on earth had happened. From the disbelief of the initial claims made, correct claims, but seemingly outlandish claims made by Sasha Litvinenko<\/span>, to just try to work out what polonium was, and what risk it presented to the British public.<\/p>\n\u201cBut also then, at a higher level, other reasons why obfuscation might happen or it might become increasingly difficult to get justice for Marina and for Sasha, for the family as the years went on. And the government\u2019s changed, its relationship with Russia changed and so on.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was sort of a multi-tiered thing, which felt really ripe for adaptation and a really great way in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kay went on to say that the documentary \u201cwas really attractive as an adaptation and as a retelling of that version of the story. But of course, it isn\u2019t just an adaptation of a documentary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI then went to meet Marina and Anatoly<\/a> and the police involved and we had long conversations about how they went about solving this. Everyone you see in the drama is a real person, bar the odd composite character based on research and they\u2019ve all been very supportive of it.\u201d<\/p>\nHow can you watch Hunting the KGB Killers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Alexander Litvinenko.<\/span><\/figcaption> Natasja Weitsz\/Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nHunting the KGB Killers first aired on Channel 4 in the UK in 2017, but is no longer available to watch on the broadcaster\u2019s online platform.<\/p>\n
However, you can now watch the full hour-long documentary for free on YouTube<\/strong>, on the channel Real Stories. You can find the documentary here<\/a>.<\/p> What other documentaries have been made on the Litvinenko case?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Marina Litvinenko in the documentary Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisonings.<\/span><\/figcaption> Firecracker Productions\/ITVX<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nAlongside the four-part drama series, ITVX<\/a> has also produced a one-hour documentary film, entitled Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisonings, which is also available now.<\/p>\nAccording to the film\u2019s synopsis, it details \u201cthe events surrounding the assassination of Russian national Alexander Litvinenko in 2006\u201d, saying that it sees the people who were actually there tell the \u201creal story of not just a murder inquiry, but also a radiation health emergency that shocked the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
The synopsis continues: \u201cAlexander Litvinenko died over 15 years ago, yet his poisoning is still one of the most prominent assassinations in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time ever, this documentary will reveal the previously untold story of the experts behind-the-scenes who dealt with the deadly radioactive poisoning on British soil and those who led the investigation into Litvinenko\u2019s murder. The documentary provides a unique, alternative view of Alexander\u2019s assassination, with an interview with his wife, Marina Litvinenko.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn her first major documentary interview since the European Court of Human Rights ruled that there was outside involvement in Alexander\u2019s assassination, Marina tells her side of the story; how difficult it was having her world turned upside down, only having 15 minutes to leave her house with her young son due to fears of radiation contamination, and about that world-renowned interview given from Alexander\u2019s hospital bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n- Litvinenko star says David Tennant is \u201cremarkable\u201d in ITVX drama<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Litvinenko director: Nailing David Tennant\u2019s Russian accent was \u201ctricky\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Litvinenko is a \u201cfeat of acting\u201d from David Tennant, says Neil Maskell<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- David Tennant explains how he transformed into Litvinenko for drama<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Both Litvinenko and Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisoning are available on ITVX now.<\/b><\/p>\n
For more news, interviews and features, visit our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0hub, or find something to watch now with our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<\/strong>Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By James Hibbs Published: Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 12:00 am Brand-new series Litvinenko dramatises the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, and the subsequent police investigation and inquiry to try and bring the perpetrators to justice. The series is of course based on real-life, but it also more specifically took initial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27221,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on.jpg",1920,1280,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on.jpg",1920,1280,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By James Hibbs Published: Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 12:00 am Brand-new series Litvinenko dramatises the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, and the subsequent police investigation and inquiry to try and bring the perpetrators to justice. The series is of course based on real-life, but it also more specifically took initial…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/Litvinenko-David-Tennant-04f9604.jpg?quality=90&crop=4px%2C5px%2C613px%2C408px&resize=613%2C408"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com<\/a>, the series\u2019 writer George Kay revealed that the starting point for the new ITVX drama was a 2017 documentary called Hunting the KGB Killers, directed by Chris Malone, produced by Richard Kerbaj and narrated by actor Eddie Marsan.<\/p>\n Kay said: \u201cThere\u2019s a documentary-maker called Richard Kerbaj who is a co-producer on the drama and he had made a film about Litvinenko\u2019s case, but told it from a police perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been various books and accounts of it but his was definitely from the police perspective, but also included interviews with Marina and with Anatoly and the family and it was very moving.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it was also a real great puzzle in terms of the story he told, of how the police tried to get their heads around what on earth had happened. From the disbelief of the initial claims made, correct claims, but seemingly outlandish claims made by Sasha Litvinenko<\/span>, to just try to work out what polonium was, and what risk it presented to the British public.<\/p>\n \u201cBut also then, at a higher level, other reasons why obfuscation might happen or it might become increasingly difficult to get justice for Marina and for Sasha, for the family as the years went on. And the government\u2019s changed, its relationship with Russia changed and so on.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it was sort of a multi-tiered thing, which felt really ripe for adaptation and a really great way in.\u201d<\/p>\n Kay went on to say that the documentary \u201cwas really attractive as an adaptation and as a retelling of that version of the story. But of course, it isn\u2019t just an adaptation of a documentary.<\/p>\n \u201cI then went to meet Marina and Anatoly<\/a> and the police involved and we had long conversations about how they went about solving this. Everyone you see in the drama is a real person, bar the odd composite character based on research and they\u2019ve all been very supportive of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunting the KGB Killers first aired on Channel 4 in the UK in 2017, but is no longer available to watch on the broadcaster\u2019s online platform.<\/p>\n However, you can now watch the full hour-long documentary for free on YouTube<\/strong>, on the channel Real Stories. You can find the documentary here<\/a>.<\/p> Alongside the four-part drama series, ITVX<\/a> has also produced a one-hour documentary film, entitled Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisonings, which is also available now.<\/p>\n According to the film\u2019s synopsis, it details \u201cthe events surrounding the assassination of Russian national Alexander Litvinenko in 2006\u201d, saying that it sees the people who were actually there tell the \u201creal story of not just a murder inquiry, but also a radiation health emergency that shocked the world\u201d.<\/p>\n The synopsis continues: \u201cAlexander Litvinenko died over 15 years ago, yet his poisoning is still one of the most prominent assassinations in history.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time ever, this documentary will reveal the previously untold story of the experts behind-the-scenes who dealt with the deadly radioactive poisoning on British soil and those who led the investigation into Litvinenko\u2019s murder. The documentary provides a unique, alternative view of Alexander\u2019s assassination, with an interview with his wife, Marina Litvinenko.<\/p>\n \u201cIn her first major documentary interview since the European Court of Human Rights ruled that there was outside involvement in Alexander\u2019s assassination, Marina tells her side of the story; how difficult it was having her world turned upside down, only having 15 minutes to leave her house with her young son due to fears of radiation contamination, and about that world-renowned interview given from Alexander\u2019s hospital bed.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Both Litvinenko and Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisoning are available on ITVX now.<\/b><\/p>\n For more news, interviews and features, visit our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0hub, or find something to watch now with our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<\/strong>Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n By James Hibbs Published: Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 12:00 am Brand-new series Litvinenko dramatises the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, and the subsequent police investigation and inquiry to try and bring the perpetrators to justice. The series is of course based on real-life, but it also more specifically took initial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27221,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on.jpg",1920,1280,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/how-to-watch-the-documentary-litvinenko-was-based-on.jpg",1920,1280,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By James Hibbs Published: Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 12:00 am Brand-new series Litvinenko dramatises the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, and the subsequent police investigation and inquiry to try and bring the perpetrators to justice. The series is of course based on real-life, but it also more specifically took initial…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How can you watch Hunting the KGB Killers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/GettyImages-72643079-9073f42.jpg?quality=90&resize=617%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What other documentaries have been made on the Litvinenko case?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/litvinenkothemayfairpoisonings02a0-8008f70.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"