Published: November 26, 2024 — Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios, the production company behind Channel 4’s Bafta nominated Evacuation, to produce a landmark premium factual series which tells the definitive story of the Salisbury Poisonings.
Wonderhood has been developing the series on the Salisbury Poisonings for over a year, securing access to major stakeholders and services and the key individuals involved. The series was developed by Tom Garton, Louise Kentleton, Henry Longden and Kate Quine
In March 2018, the world watched on in shock as a former Russian double agent and his daughter fought for their lives in the cathedral city of Salisbury. Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with Novichok – one of the most toxic man-made substances ever created. In response, western nations expelled over 100 Russian spies. It was the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history. Shockingly, four months after the attempted assassination, Dawn Sturgess – an innocent British mother of three – died from Novichok poisoning after her partner found a perfume bottle and gifted it to her, not knowing that it contained the deadly nerve agent. Her death, by the hands of Russia, was the result of the first known nerve agent attack on British soil since the Second World War. But the full story of what happened in Salisbury six years ago remains untold…
Now through unprecedented access to those on the frontline, this three-part series will tell for the first time the definitive story of the Salisbury poisonings. Using extensive footage to tell the personal stories, including new testimonies of the extraordinary men and women who unwittingly found themselves responding to this major event. The series will also feature revelations from the ongoing public inquiry.
Samantha Anstiss, Chief Creative Officer at Wonderhood Studios, said:
“It’s an honour to tell this increasingly urgent story of how Putin’s deadly nerve agents struck at the heart of Britain. This series will unravel the enduring human impact of the attack and the hidden spy thriller that comes to a tragic, real-world conclusion. Through the eyes of front line and dogged investigative journalists, we’ll follow the harrowing revelations that put them on the front lines of uncovering this unprecedented attack. As these events unfolded, it became a defining moment for the West—a wake-up call to Putin’s blatant disregard for international order.”
Sacha Mirzoeff, Senior Documentaries and Factual Entertainment Commissioner at Channel 4, said:
“As the public inquiry concludes and the true impact of the Salisbury poisonings becomes clear, this series arrives at a pivotal moment. This is a story that goes beyond the gripping headlines that held the nation’s attention in 2018, uncovering the deeper truths behind the investigation that revealed the would-be assassins. The series not only follows the twists of an international spy thriller but also sheds light on the enduring toll this series of events took on those on the frontline.”
Source
Channel 4
