If dramatic political documentaries are you thing then you could do worse than tune into Channel 4 at 9pm tonight for the first in their three part series Putin: A Russian Spy Story.
There are no prizes for guessing the programme's subject - Mr Vladimir Putin. Already 20 years in office, Putin has been a leading world figure for as long as many of us can remember but what made the man we know today? How has he managed to cement his power for so long and given the recent changes to the Russian constitution, will he remain in power past the end of his current presidential term in 2024?
Over this three part series we will get an insight into the man behind the myth, with episode one, "The Rise of Putin," examining how he came to join the KGB, his love of Max Otto von Stierlitz (Russia's answer to James Bond) and the early political maneuverings that left him in the perfect position to take over the Russian presidency from Boris Yeltsin at the turn of the century.
Yeltsin's daughter, Tatyana Yumasheva, will feature among a variety of interviewees throughout the series that also include Alexander Litvinenko's wife, Marina, and opposition politician, Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The series' synopsis reads: "Timely and thrilling, this three-part series reveals the man behind the Bond-villain image; a teenage tearaway who was so taken by the Russian version of James Bond he became a spy."
It continues: "Told in his own words with an extraordinary range of archive footage, we explore Putin’s rise to power, his personal life, control and his global expansion.
"Putin’s rise to the presidency dawned a new age for Russian politics, shaped by an acute sense of betrayal, pride and anger. Through first-hand testimonials of those closest to him, we piece together what has made the man who rules Russia today."
Be sure to check it out tonight.
