S1E1 · The National Anthem

Complete story — includes the ending

Princess Susannah, a British royal family member, is kidnapped. For her return, the kidnapper demands that the prime minister, Michael Callow, have sex with a pig on live television. The demands gather attention on social media and then national news. Backup plans to fabricate footage of the act are trialled by Callow's staff without his knowledge and lead to a change in public opinion when the kidnapper discovers and reveals the plan. A failed raid on a suspected location leads to the injury of a journalist, Malaika, who has been communicating with government staff. Callow reluctantly agrees to go forward with the broadcast to an audience of over a billion. However, the kidnapper—a famous artist—had released Susannah shortly before the broadcast and then hanged himself, facts which are kept from the public and Callow. A year later, Callow maintains good approval ratings but his relationship with his wife is damaged. Cast: Rory Kinnear and Lindsay Duncan