"False Witness" (2008) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

An explosive case of international espionage.

Plot:

A British diplomat is arrested on charges of working with Russian mafia. After death threats to his wife, they are taken into protective custody. Then the MI6 shows up with a new piece of the puzzle.

Plot Keywords:

Swimming Pool | MI6 | Murdered Wife | Swearing | Dress Up

Cast

Dougray Scott	...	Ian Porter (2 episodes, 2009)
Rachael Blake	...	Det. Chief Insp. Julie Hales (2 episodes, 2009)
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor	...	Mark Wilson (2 episodes, 2009)
Richard Roxburgh	...	Charles Van Koors (2 episodes, 2009)
Claire Forlani	...	Pippa Porter (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Don Hany	...	Sergei Krousov (2 episodes, 2009)
Elan Zavelsky	...	Nikolai Krousov (2 episodes, 2009)
Jonny Pasvolsky	...	Antonio Morelli (2 episodes, 2009)
Tony Martin	...	Bill Murray (2 episodes, 2009)
Socratis Otto	...	Shannon Cross (2 episodes, 2009)
Stephen Curry	...	Det. Sgt. Neil Trent (2 episodes, 2009)
Alex Menglet	...	Dimitri (2 episodes, 2009)
Shane Briant	...	Winston Beale (2 episodes, 2009)
Costa Ronin	...	Vladimir (2 episodes, 2009)
Alin Sumarwata	...	Yasmin Van Koors (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Chris Haywood	...	Browning (2 episodes, 2009)
Doris Younane	...	Jenny Basheer (2 episodes, 2009)
Fergus Whelan	...	Louis Porter (2 episodes, 2009)
Hugo Whelan	...	Louis Porter (2 episodes, 2009)
Jason Glover	...	Aussie Russian (2 episodes, 2009)
Helen Sutermeister	...	Signals Officer (2 episodes, 2009)
Darryl Cooper	...	Proprietor (2 episodes, 2009)
Mark Duncan	...	Gunman (2 episodes, 2009)
Phil Partridge	...	Gunman (2 episodes, 2009)
Neal Horton	...	Russian (2 episodes, 2009)
Nigel Harbach	...	Russian (2 episodes, 2009)
Normie Daghel	...	Russian (2 episodes, 2009)
Aaron Hammond	...	Russian Thug (2 episodes, 2009)
Bob Mirovic	...	Russian Thug (2 episodes, 2009)

Also Known As:

The Diplomat (UK)

Country:

UK | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Kings Cross, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Worth witnessing

"False Witness" is an enjoyable enough espionage mini-series which easily kept me watching for more than three hours in two sessions on Australian cable TV on the second weekend in January 2009 in what was claimed to be a "World Premiere". There's probably very little in it that you haven't seen before though the degree of culpability of the main character Ian Porter (Dougray Scott) had me guessing for a long time.

I thought this was a co-production between Australian pay-TV company Foxtel and British TV (BBC?) but apparently it's all-Aussie. The action takes place in London and Sydney and in case you're not sure where we are, every time the location changes we start with a shot of Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben etc or alternatively Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Opera House. (Incidentally, according to "False Witness" every resident of Sydney has a harbor view).

Real-life couple Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani are a great-looking pair, Clare especially is a stunning-looking young woman. Unfortunately on this evidence Dougray is something of a sleepwalker.

I don't think I need to explain the plot again as Venus Attack has covered it well but I suspect the couple whose marriage fails after they lose a child in an accident has been done before.

(The broadcast I watched had sub-titles (which I find helpful) in the second episode but not the first!)