It’s hard to think of a more compelling role than James Norton as psychopath Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, but there is one that comes close. McMafia is the brilliantly-plotted crime drama that sees James’s character, Alex, pulled into a criminal world he’s spent his entire life trying to avoid – and, despite being eight years since it first aired on the BBC, the exceptional series is available to binge tonight.

The genius of the series lies in the fact that Alex isn’t your typical villain – in fact, he’s hardly a villain at all. His family has a mafia history, but he wants nothing to do with it and has made a name for himself as a successful hedge fund manager. That is, until vengeance and the need to protect his family mean he’s reluctantly drawn into the murky world of organised crime – and every potential way out spells more danger for him.

With the series now available to watch via the BBC, here’s everything you need to know about McMafia before you tune in, including the plot, cast and why it’s a must-watch for Happy Valley fans.

The eight-part series is inspired by Misha Glenny’s bestselling 2018 non-fiction book and tells the story of Alex Godman (James Norton), an English-raised son of Russian exiles with a mafia history. Alex has spent most of his life trying to escape the shadow of that criminal past, but as he starts building his own business and carving out a life with his girlfriend Rebecca (Juliet Rylance), his family’s past comes back to haunt him.

Over the course of series, Alex is forced to confront his past and delve deeper into the criminal underworld. No spoilers, but it’s not long before he finds himself lured in to the world he’s spent his life trying to escape – not just for his own survival, but to protect his family, and to get vengeance.

In a BBC interview, star James Norton explained how he had to learn a Russian martial art for the role. “Part of the preparation that I’d never done before was Systema, which is a Russian martial art that used by the Russian military a lot. Production introduced me to David, an instructor in London, and I went on an unusual but enriching journey,” he said.

“Alex goes to two or three classes a week and it represents his love for Russia and also his conflict. I would go with David and roll around with lots of big Russians and genuinely, it was magical. I learnt an enormous amount, it’s about breathing, balance, movement and having a centred core but also it’s about dealing with everyday life, fear and adrenalin.”

Fans might also be surprised to know that James speaks Russian in the series – or at least, a version of it. He added: “It was a surprise when they mentioned I’d need to speak it! Alex speaks it badly as his parents are both Russian but he moved to the UK when he was nine, so he has a grasp but doesn’t speak it well.

“It was fun to play with, particularly in regards to his relationship with his father where they were sometimes speaking two different languages. I had a few Russian lines and I learnt them phonetically with the Russian translators on set. I’d also learn Dimitri’s lines in English and listen for the sounds. It’s a beautiful language even though I had no idea what I was saying!”

Who’s in the cast of McMafia?

The cast of McMafia includes:

• James Norton (Happy Valley, Playing Nice) as Alex Godman
• Juliet Rylance (Day and Nights) as Rebecca Harper
• David Strathairn (Nomadland) as Semiyon Kleiman
• Faye Marsay (Adolescence) as Katya Godman
• Aleksey Serebryakov (Nobody) as Dimitri Godman
• Maria Shukshina as Oksana Godman
• Merab Ninidze (The Courier) as Vadim Kalyagin
• Sofya Lebedeva (Addicted) as Lyudmilla Nikolayeva