Based on the shocking true events, this three part mini-series has proved a ratings sensation for the BBC (partly due to more people being home) and it is fully deserved. It takes fascinating and complex events in Salisbury in 2018 and turns it into really compelling TV.
It’s something I still struggle to understand why it isn’t a bigger deal to the general public (maybe because little is actually known about what happened) but only two year ago Russia deployed a weapon of mass destruction on British soil, resulting in the death of a British citizen, and little happened as a consequence.
The cast is really good, with Anne-Marie Duff in particular shining as a very normal person put into a very un-normal situation, and being responsible for the lives of thousands.
The actions the authorities took to quickly lock the situation down and save thousands of lives is slightly sad to watch now we know just two years later the utter incompetence that the government would deal with the Corona Virus pandemic, but the local authorities of Salisbury are undoubted heroes.
I feel like there’s more to this story but the show is firmly focused on the town and it’s ordinary people, and it really effectively tells all the sides of that story.
Rating = 4/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 