BBC orders Jimmy Savile drama ‘The Reckoning’

A new BBC mini-series will trace the life of Jimmy Savile.

The Reckoning is being made by Neil McKay and Jeff Pope, the award winning team behind acclaimed Shannon Matthews drama The Moorside and Fred West drama Appropriate Adult.

Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television, but in death has become one of the most reviled figures of modern history.

The story will trace Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when, in failing health and with his fame in decline, he sought to dispel the growing rumours about his life and the legacy he would leave behind.

Executive producer Jeff Pope commented: “I think this is a story that has to be told. We must understand why a man like Jimmy Savile seemed to remain immune for so long to proper scrutiny and criminal investigation.”

BBC Drama controller Piers Wenger added: “The story of Jimmy Savile is one of the most emotive and troubling of our times. We do not intend to sensationalise these crimes but to give voice to his victims.

“We will work with survivors to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect and to examine the institutions which Jimmy Savile was associated with and the circumstances in which these crimes took place. Drama has the ability to tackle sensitive real life subjects and consider the impact of a crime on its survivors and what lessons can be learnt to stop this ever happening again.”

The official synopsis reads: “Savile, an eccentric showman, the youngest of seven siblings, used his involvement in multiple organisations, such as hospitals, prisons, charities and the BBC, to legitimise himself. The drama will explore the way he used smoke and mirrors to conceal his wrongdoings.

“The team are working closely with many people whose lives were impacted by Savile to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect, and the drama series will also draw on extensive and wide-ranging research sources. It will examine the impact his crimes had on his victims and the powerlessness many felt when they tried to raise the alarm.”

The Reckoning will air in 2021 on BBC One in the UK.