The documentary, which covers the last four days of his life, shows him dying on 26 September 2006 with Mary, his wife of 37 years, at his side.
[3][4] Ewert's children, Ivan and Katrina, who live in the US, decided not to attend their father's death after he expressed concerns that they would become upset.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, questioned in the House of Commons, hours before the documentary was screened, told MPs that he "thinks it is very important that these issues are dealt with sensitively and without sensationalism and I hope broadcasters remember that they have a wider responsibility to the general public.
Privately, other politicians also criticised Gordon Brown, claiming that he had breached a convention of government neutrality by expressing a view on an issue recognised as one of conscience rather than party policy.
This was a huge boost to Sky Real Lives' ratings – the show had less than 10,000 viewers in the same time slot a week before.