The BBC has sold Russian mob drama McMafia to a Russian TV station, despite the country’s authorities having previously criticised the series.
When McMafia was initially broadcast earlier this year, the Russian Embassy in London claimed the BBC was portraying “Britain as a playground for Russian gangsters” and spreading “clibchés”.
Friday broadcasts numerous BBC productions, including the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Sherlock, and the documentaries Blue Planet 2 and Planet Earth 2.
The general director of Friday, Nikolay Kartozia, said in a statement: “I’ve been a big fan of the BBC for almost 20 years.