The Petrov Affair (miniseries)

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The Petrov Affair (miniseries) - Wikipedia

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The Petrov Affair
Written by	Cliff Green Mac Gudgeon
Directed by	Michel Carson
Starring	Alex Menglet Eva Sitta
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of episodes	2 x 2 hours
Production
Producer	Bob Weis
Original release
Network	PBL Productions
Release	27 May (1987-05-27) – 28 May 1987 (1987-05-28)

The Petrov Affair is a 1987 mini series based on the defection of Vladimir Petrov.^[1]

Cast

Alex Menglet as Vladimir Petrov
Eva Sitta as Evdokia Petrov
Simon Chilvers as H. V. Evatt
Swawomir Wabik as Michael Bialoguski
Dennis Miller as Eddie War
Mark Mitchell as West
Kym Gyngell as Harry Pitt
Geneviève Picot as Joyce Bull
Brian Moll as Billy Wentworth
Wynn Roberts as Brigadier Spry
Marion Edward as Mrs Munro
Alan Hopgood as Alan Reid
James Condon as Robert Menzies
Melita Jurisic

Production

Filming was scheduled over 10 weeks in Melbourne in 1986.^[2] It was written using research from then recently released government documents that disproved a popular conspiracy theory surrounding the defection.^[3] Vladamir and Evdokia Petrov were both played by East European born actors, Russian Alex Menglet and Czech Eva Sitta respectively.^[4]

Reception

Channel 9 chose to screen The Petrov Affair out of the ratings period.^[5]

Barbara Hooks of the Age gave it a negative review and asked "How could a story which has teased the curiosity of Australians for decades be delivered to the screen so bled of its natural drama that, for the most part, it has all the lure of a long-winded night at the politburo?"^[6] Garrie Hutchinson, also of the Age, was a little more positive but says the series didn't go far enough. "A scarifying 12 hours about Australia in the 1950s might have been a hit - The Petrov Affair was a victim, like the original events, of its lack of ambition."^[7] In the same masthead Jane Sullivan wrote "The Petrov Affair is sometimes muddled, sometimes silly, and about as thrilling as reading back copies of Hansard" and she called "the mediocrity of this mini-series such a tragedy."^[8]

The Sydney Morning Herald's Doug Anderson wrote that the story was "enhanced by the recent release of hitherto classified documents which have illuminated numerous aspects of the complex events surrounding [the Petrov's] defection in April, 1954."^[9]

References

^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p222
^ Wilson, George (23 February 1986), "Petrov actor loved a spy's daughter", The Sun-Herald
^ Bone, Pamela (21 May 1987), "Petrov The end of the affair?", The Age
^ Murdoch, Annna (27 February 1986), "Sleepy atmosphere belies the stormy Petrov times", The Age
^ Purcell, Chris (24 May 1987), "The Petrov Affair a slice of Aussie political history", The Sun-Herald
^ Hooks, Barbara (27 May 1987), "Petrov: A series that stays out in the cold", The Age
^ Hutchinson, Garrie (4 June 1987), "Too much research, not enough story", The Age
^ Sullivan, Jane (21 May 1987), "Muddled and silly affair", The Age
^ Wilson, George (25 May 1987), "The Petrov Affair", The Sydney Morning Herald

External links

The Petrov Affair at IMDb

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