The Wargame
What You Need To Know About The Wargame:
● Based on the Sky News original podcast, The Wargame is a new part-documentary, part-drama Sky Original.
● In the landmark four-part series, real political figures will take part in a simulated scenario where they will respond to a Russian attack on UK soil.
What is The Wargame about?
In a landmark new series, The Wargame takes viewers into a realistic scenario and into the top-secret world of a COBR-style crisis room.
Part constructed documentary, part propulsive drama, real-world senior politicians, military leaders and intelligence from across the globe will come together into the room to take on a simulated national emergency.
Set six months in the future, the simulation will have those involved react and respond to a scenario where there’s been a Russian attack on US soil.
This is political pressure at its highest level, with the simulation created in conjunction with a team of leading academics, military and defence experts, including Sky News’ Security and Defence Editor Deborah Haynes, to be as accurate as possible.
Over the course of the series, those inside the war room will decide what to do next, and how to best navigate Britain through the disaster, with every decision potentially having long-term consequences.
The fictional Cabinet will be given news updates, social media footage, and intelligence reports as well as unexpected turns, giving them a new dilemma to deal with as if this was happening in real time.
A provocative stress test on our leaders, our institutions and the country itself, this unmissable event television will prompt us all to engage with our new geopolitical reality.
The Wargame is based on the award-winning Sky News podcast of the same name, and is produced by The Garden, part of ITV Studios whose previous work includes Attack on London: Hunt for the 7/7 Bombers and 24 Hours in Police Custody.
Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals at Sky said: “A year ago, Sky News’ groundbreaking original podcast The Wargame captivated listeners, shedding light on the impossible choices our country’s leaders face under escalating military threat.
“Now working with the talented team at The Garden we’re bringing The Wargame to new audiences in a visceral new TV format, which will challenge some of the most experienced political and military minds in the country to imagine how they might respond under threat of war.
“At a time when we are facing increasing threats from all sides, this series couldn’t be more timely.”
How many episodes of The Wargame will there be?
The Wargame will run for four hour-long episodes.
The seven-part Sky News podcast, also called The Wargame, is also available now on all major services.
Who will appear in The Wargame?
The key cast of The Wargame, and their roles in the scenario, are as follows:
Leadership
● Prime Minister - The Rt Hon. the Lord Gove PC
● Deputy Prime Minister - The Rt Hon. Nicola Sturgeon PC
● Defence Secretary - The Rt Hon. Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE PC
● Home Secretary - The Rt Hon. the Baroness Harman KC PC
● Foreign Secretary - The Rt Hon. Jim Murphy PC
● Attorney General - The Rt Hon. the Baroness Warsi PC
● Director of Communications - The Baroness Hazarika MBE
● Chief of Defence Staff - General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE
● National Security Adviser - The Rt Hon. the Lord Kim Darroch KCMG
● Intelligence Chief - Christopher Steele
International Roles
● Nato Secretary General - The Rt Hon. the Lord Robertson KT GCMG PC
● US Secretary of State - Anthony Scaramucci
Russian experts, led by author Keir Giles, will be facing off against them.
When will The Wargame air?
The Wargame will arrive on Sky and NOW this September with an exact date yet to be announced.
We will update as more information is confirmed.