Former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy is set to make his television drama debut in Sky’s new four-part series The Wargame, a high-stakes political simulation examining how Britain might respond to a major Russian attack.
Murphy revealed that there was no script during filming, with participants instead reacting in real time to an evolving national security crisis over four days.
He said:
“This week I make my TV drama debut.”
“It’s The Wargame on Sky.”
“There was no script for the show, it’s entirely spontaneous across the four days of filming — and the four episodes.”
Murphy described the premise as a “low likelihood, huge impact scenario”, adding: “No plot spoilers.”
Sky describes the programme as a hybrid of documentary and drama, placing former politicians, military figures and intelligence experts inside a COBR-style crisis room and forcing them to make decisions as a fictional attack unfolds.
Murphy plays Foreign Secretary
In the series, Murphy takes on the role of Foreign Secretary.
He is joined by an unusually high-profile fictional Cabinet, with Michael Gove as Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon as Deputy Prime Minister, Penny Mordaunt as Defence Secretary, Harriet Harman as Home Secretary and Sayeeda Warsi as Attorney General.
Other participants include former national security adviser Lord Kim Darroch, former MI6 officer Christopher Steele and General Sir Richard Barrons.
International roles include former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson and former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci as US Secretary of State.
No script as crisis unfolds
The format is designed to replicate the pressures of real government decision-making rather than conventional acting.
Participants receive rolling news reports, intelligence assessments, social media footage and unexpected developments, forcing them to respond without knowing what will happen next.
Michael Gove has said those taking part tried to respond as real politicians would, rather than perform scripted roles, while Sayeeda Warsi described treating the exercise as though it were genuine government business.
The scenario was developed with military, defence and academic experts and is intended to test both political judgement and Britain’s wider national resilience.
Russian attack tests UK preparedness
The fictional crisis is set six months into the future and involves a Russian attack affecting the UK and its allies.
Sky says the series is intended to explore difficult questions around military capability, NATO solidarity, cyber security, infrastructure and how governments might respond under extreme pressure.
The premise builds on Sky News’ earlier Wargame podcast, which similarly tested former ministers and security figures against a fictional Russian assault on Britain.
Four nights of political pressure
The Wargame will air in four hour-long episodes from Monday 21 September to Thursday 24 September on Sky and NOW. The final episode will be followed by a live programme hosted by Cathy Newman, with cast members discussing the decisions they made and the wider implications for Britain’s security.
The programme arrives amid a wider political debate over defence spending, military preparedness and resilience against hostile-state activity.
For Murphy, the series marks an unusual return to the political front line — not as a candidate or commentator, but as a fictional Foreign Secretary forced to make real-time decisions in a simulated national emergency.
