With a quirk of timing, the first episode of The Salisbury Poisonings arrives during the Coronavirus pandemic.
In March 2018 while Britain experienced a bout of severe weather. In Salisbury MI6 agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapsed in the town centre.
The police thought this was not the usual overdose incident. It later transpires that they were poisoned by Novichok, a deadly synthetic nerve agent. The Skripal's were only alive so far because of the cold weather and the medics at the hospital inadvertently give them the correct type of medicine.
The problem was the townsfolk of Salisbury were now in danger. This could be a public health disaster. The police and the regional public health head Tracy Daszkiewicz (Anne-Marie Duff) track the Skripal's movements on that day. A policeman hosing down the bench meant that the water supply could had been potentially contaminated.
Detective Sgt Nick Bailey (Rafe Spall) is the detective who went to the incident scene and later to the Skripal's home wearing a protective suit. He soon falls ill but does not yet realise he has been poisoned.
This was an understated and sensitive drama. Here the various multi agencies get into rapid action and seem to be cooperating well. The question as to who might be responsible will be dealt with in later episodes.