False Witness

{{Other uses|The Diplomat (disambiguation){{!}}Diplomat (disambiguation)}}

{{short description|2009 film directed by Peter Andrikidis}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox television

| alt_name = The Diplomat

| image = TheDiplomatDVD.jpg

| image_size = 250

| image_alt =

| caption = UK DVD cover

| genre = Thriller

| creator = {{Plainlist|

• Ronan Glennane
• Nell Greenwood
• Greg Haddrick

}}

| based_on =

| writer = Peter Gawler

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = Peter Andrikidis

| starring = {{Plainlist|

• Dougray Scott
• Rachael Blake
• Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
• Richard Roxburgh
• Claire Forlani
• Don Hany

}}

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer = Burkhard Dallwitz

| country = {{Plainlist|

• Australia
• United Kingdom

}}

| language = English

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 2

| executive_producer = Justin Bodle

| producer = Peter Andrikidis

| editor = Neil Thumpston

| cinematography = {{Plainlist|

• Owen McPolin
• Mark Wareham

}}

| runtime = 90 minutes

| company = Screen Australia

| budget =

| network = {{Plainlist|

• UK.TV
• BBC HD

}}

| first_aired = {{start date|2009|01|11|df=yes}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2009|01|12|df=yes}}

}}

False Witness, also known as The Diplomat internationally, is a two-part Australian television mini-series, produced by Screentime Australia, and broadcast simultaneously on the Australian subscription television channel UK.TV and BBC HD.{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=False Witness|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/01/false-witness.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au|date=9 January 2009|accessdate=9 January 2009}} Commissioned as part of its required drama output, False Witness was the third in a series of drama commissions by the network in 2008, following Make or Break and Supernova.{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=UKTV commissions international thriller|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/06/uktv-commissions-international-thriller.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au|date=11 June 2008|accessdate=12 June 2008}}

Inspired by real events, The Diplomat stars Dougray Scott as Ian Porter, a British diplomat to Tajikistan, who comes under scrutiny from Scotland Yard whilst trying to prevent the sale of a nuclear bomb formerly belonging to the Soviet Union.{{cite web|title=The Diplomat - Series 1, Episode 1|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/m9hds/the-diplomat--s1-e1-the-diplomat/|publisher=Radio Times|accessdate=26 April 2019}}

The series premiered in Australia on 11 January 2009, with the second episode broadcast the following night.{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Airdate: False Witness|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/12/airdate-false-witness.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au|date=31 December 2008|accessdate=4 January 2009}} The series also broadcast in the United States on iOn as a four-hour event on 17 January 2009.{{cite web|first=Alessandra|last=Stanley|title=Chases, Gunplay and Terrorism, Without the Familiar Landmarks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/television/23ion.html|publisher=NY Times|date=22 January 2009|accessdate=26 April 2019}} Despite being co-produced by the BBC, the series was never broadcast on terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, instead being made available on DVD on 14 March 2011 via Showbox Entertainment.{{cite web|title=The Diplomat [DVD]|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diplomat-DVD-Dougray-Scott/dp/B0049UVAVK/|publisher=Amazon|accessdate=26 April 2019}} The series was, however, broadcast on True Entertainment.