The Government Inspector

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More than a decade since its original transmission on Channel 4 and following publication of Chilcott’s excoriating report into the Iraq War, Channel 4 is pleased to make available on All4 Peter Kosminsky’s seminal BAFTA winning drama about the death of the weapons Inspector, Dr. David Kelly.

Oscar winner MARK RYLANCE (Wolf Hall, Bridge of Spies) takes the role of David Kelly in The Government Inspector.  The BAFTA and RTS award-winning factually based drama tells the story of the late Dr. Kelly – caught in the crossfire between the government and the BBC over the war in Iraq.

Written and directed by PETER KOSMINSKY (Wolf Hall, The Promise, Britz,) - one of the country’s pre-eminent makers of factual drama - the drama is based on extensive original research conducted at the time.

David Kelly was one of the Government's foremost experts on Weapons of Mass Destruction. The film moves between Dr Kelly’s time as a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq in the 1990s and the frenetic weeks and months during 2002 and 2003 in which the Blair government attempted to persuade a doubtful nation of its case for war.  It charts David Kelly's own journey from behind-the-scenes expert to a man exposed to a media onslaught as he himself became a weapon, deployed by all sides in their respective battles for survival. 

Executive producer David Aukin says: “Peter Kosminsky has made a remarkable film that honours the memory of David Kelly.  With Peter’s direction Mark Rylance has delivered a wonderfully dignified and moving performance in the lead.”

“I wanted to understand who David Kelly was, and why he did what he did.  I hope we have created a film that explores his emotional journey, with the insights and interpretations allowed by drama.” says writer/director Peter Kosminsky.

The producer is Jonathan Curling (Holy Cross), co-produced by double Oscar winner Simon Chinn, (Man on Wire, Searching for Sugarman), Project Nim) for Mentorn Media.  A Channel 4 commission, The Government Inspector was first broadcast on Channel 4 in March 2005.