Stalin 1: Revolutionary. ITV/WGBH trilogy 1990

The first episode of a fine series on Stalin. This episode takes in Stalin’s early life and his revolutionary career, and his success in the power struggle that took place as a consequence of Lenin’s illness and death. Narrated by Ian Holm. Written and directed by Jonathan Lewis. It draws on a range of eye-witnesses, relatives of protagonists (including Stalin’s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva and Bukharin’s widow Anna Larina) and historians, including Prof, Robert Tucker and, bringing the power struggle threads together, Prof. Moshe Lewin and Prof. Stephen Cohen. Consultants for the series: Prof. Stephen Cohen, Prof. Moshe Lewin, Prof Alec Nove, Anton Antonov-Oveyenko, Prof. John Erickson, Dr Gregory Guroff, Prof. Yuri Poliakov, Prof Oleg Rzheshevsky.