David Tennant's Litvinenko drama finally confirms ITV1 air date

The drama – which is written by Lupin's George Kay – follows the true story of the Metropolitan Police's investigation into the fatal poisoning of the titular Russian defector in 2006, as they strive to prove who was responsible for his death.

Meanwhile, the series also focuses on Litvinenko's widow Marina, who campaigned tirelessly to convince the British Government to publicly name her husband's murderers and acknowledge the Russian State's role in his death.

Read more:

• How David Tennant “saved” Litvinenko when ITVX drama was under threat
• Litvinenko is a "feat of acting" from David Tennant, says Neil Maskell
• David Tennant: "Intense" Litvinenko was "a story that had to be told"

Tennant stars as the former Russian Federal Security Services officer while the cast also includes Margarita Levieva as Marina, Mark Bonnar as DS Clive Timmons, Neil Maskell as DI Brent Hyatt and Sam Troughton as DI Brian Tarpey.

And although Tennant is playing the title role, director Jim Field Smith explained last year that the star was actually only on set for "around 10 days" of shooting, given his character dies towards the start of the drama.

Kay previously said of the series: "In late 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was a living witness to his own murder. He spent his dying days entrusting the Metropolitan Police with the details of what happened to him.

"It took those police and his remarkable widow Marina Litvinenko a decade to have those claims ratified. Their stamina, hard work and bravery are what make this not only an essential story of our times but a privilege to be asked to write."

Meanwhile, Litvinenko won't be the only David Tennant drama broadcast on TV that week – with a one-off hour-long special of There She Goes airing on BBC Two on Wednesday 21st June.

Litvinenko will air on ITV1 on Monday 19th June at 9pm and will continue on consecutive nights. It is currently available to stream as a boxset on ITVX.

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