If you’re waiting anxiously for Quantum of Solace on November 14th, you may find yourself a brief respite this Saturday on the Ion network. A BBC production made back in 2005, the three-hour-long Archangel stars Daniel Craig as historian Christopher “Fluke” Kelso, who seeks Joseph Stalin’s secret diary.

The Hollywood Report has seen it:

The papers provide evidence that Stalin had a son who has remained hidden but is ready to lead the nation to power and greatness. (DNA testing would be even more conclusive, but it doesn’t offer the adventure of chasing after historical documents and exchanging them at gunpoint.)

Stalin is blamed for more than 20 million murders, so you’d think Russians would be aghast to learn that his family tree is still bearing fruit. Then again, recent democratic reforms haven’t taken, and there remains widespread Russian nostalgia for the good old days of Soviet repression and domination.

It might not be a Bond film…

The special effects are more spartan, the plot is less intricate and the locales are downright depressing, but Craig gets to exercise a variety of acting muscles in a fascinating and not-so-far-fetched story of Russian political intrigue.

…but if you’re interested in Russian history, which is typically underexposed and under-studied, this sounds like a fun little romp. It’s based on a novel by British author Robert Harris, who has written a variety of political thrillers about Germany, Russia, and war. He has also penned a fair amount of non-fiction on these subjects. He raised controversy with his novel The Ghost, a fictional tale of a ghostwriter who hears the memoirs of an ex prime minister. (The character is based heavily on Tony Blair, whom Harris has called a “war criminal.” All the same, he claims that Blair would “see the joke” of his unflattering view.)

Tune into Ion this Saturday at 8pm to see “Archangel,” which will be aired in three consecutive one-hour episodes. Then, get on back here and tell me what you think!

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