McMafia 'shelved by BBC amid Ukraine crisis'

The BBC has shelved Russian gangster thriller 'McMafia' amid the Ukrainian crisis.

The crime drama series - which starred James Norton as the British-raised son of a Russian mafia boss living in London - had initially been recommissioned for a second series following a successful debut in 2018, but a number of issues have led to its reported axing.

A TV insider said: "'McMafia' has been beset by problems, ranging from the pandemic to the fact James Norton’s booming career meant it was hard to pin him down to start filming. But it also wasn’t a good look to start a second series of a show where the main protagonist is a gangster from a dodgy Russian family who ultimately triumphs on the back of a string of dark deeds."

Since the inaugural series aired, James has gone on to play wartime osteopath Stephen Ward in miniseries 'The Trial of Christine Keeler', about the infamous Profumo affair, and he is one of the favourites to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond in the 007 franchise.

While the series - which is based on the books by Misha Glenny - does not intend to "glorify murders or corruption", and instead delves into Russia's history with the Soviet Union, it is thought it would be an "awkward" show to be creating in line with current events, following Russian president Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

The source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: "The drama doesn’t glorify the violence or corruption, in fact it attempts to highlight the terrible consequences that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union.

"But given it deals with murderers and oligarchs, it’s still a very awkward show to be creating in the current climate."