Jump to content

The Reckoning (2023 TV series)

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 80.41.33.252 (talk) at 10:48, 17 October 2023 (→‎Production). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Reckoning
Title card of the mini-series
GenreCrime drama
Written byNeil McKay[1] (screenplay), Dan Davies (based on book In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile)
Directed bySandra Goldbacher[1]
David Blair
ComposerNiall Byrne[2]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producersNeil McKay, Jeff Pope[3]
ProducerClare Shepherd [4]
Production locationsEngland, Wales
Production companyITV Studios[5]
Original release
NetworkBBC One

The Reckoning is a British television drama mini-series about the British media personality and sexual offender Jimmy Savile, with Steve Coogan portraying Savile.

The series generated controversy during its production and was first broadcast on BBC One in October 2023, after originally being scheduled to be broadcast in 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Coogan's portrayal of Savile.

Premise

The four hour-long episodes chronicle the life of Jimmy Savile, who was one of the best-known radio and television personalities in Britain for much of his life. After his death in 2011, it emerged that he had been a prolific predator and sex offender. The series covers Savile's upbringing, career and sexual offences.[6] Four survivors of Savile's abuse appear in the series, speaking at the beginning and end of each episode. [7]

Cast

Episodes

No.EpisodeDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [16]
1Episode 1Sandra Goldbacher, David BlairNeil McKay (screenplay), Dan Davies (based on book: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile)9 October 2023 (2023-10-09)2.8
In the early 1960s, Jimmy Savile is living in Salford with his friend Ray Teret. Savile gains fame as a DJ in the dance halls of Leeds and Manchester, running sell-out dances for young people, and volunteers at Leeds General Infirmary – but is also able to exploit these positions. He is invited to co-host a new BBC series, Top of the Pops, while victims of his abuse watch in horror.
2Episode 2Sandra Goldbacher, David BlairNeil McKay (screenplay), Dan Davies (based on book: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile)10 October 2023 (2023-10-10)N/A
Top of the Pops makes Savile a household name. His growing influence within the BBC and at a range of institutions enables him to act with apparent impunity. His mother dies in 1974.
3Episode 3Sandra Goldbacher, David BlairNeil McKay (screenplay), Dan Davies (based on book: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile)16 October 2023 (2023-10-16)N/A
At the peak of his fame and influence, Savile hosts Jim'll Fix It on BBC One. The series makes him a regular feature in households across Britain. He further cements his position of power by spearheading a fundraising campaign for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, giving him unprecedented political access. His status allows him to hide in plain sight and silence the victims of his crimes.
4Episode 4Sandra Goldbacher, David BlairNeil McKay (screenplay), Dan Davies (based on book: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile)17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)N/A
During the early 2000s, Savile makes increasingly desperate attempts to protect his legacy and continues to hide in plain sight. In 2011, he is found dead in his Leeds flat, with his fingers crossed. Posthumously, the horrific truth of his crimes is unveiled, tarnishing his reputation and cementing him as one of Britain's most reviled men.

Production

The production was announced in October 2020,[17] and was criticised before filming was under way. Richard Morrison, writing in The Times, stated that, as it was commissioned by the BBC (the corporation that was accused of turning a blind eye to Savile's crimes), it felt "less an act of contrition than of exploitation."[18] Similarly, Pragya Argawal, writing in The Independent',' stated:

It also feels insidiously callous and thoughtless that an organisation that played a role in glorifying a sex offender and profiting from him [the BBC], while covering up his actions for many decades, are once again capitalising on his “brand” and the fascination that viewers have with monsters and true crime.[19]

Ben Lawrence, writing in The Daily Telegraph, said victims deserved "better than the kneejerk hysteria that has surfaced about The Reckoning", and that "... the question is not whether we should make a drama like The Reckoning, but how we do so."[20] In September 2021, Steve Coogan was cast as Savile. Coogan, who had previously voiced Savile on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, said the decision to play Savile was "not one I took lightly", but felt that writer Neil McKay's script "tackled a horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told".[21]

Work on the production started in early October 2021, and included filming location scenes in North-West England and North Wales.[22][23]

In light of the controversy surrounding the series and the events regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the drama was first expected to be broadcast by the BBC in 2022,[24] before being pushed back to 2024 and then later brought forwards to 2023.[25] At the time, a source said, “The four-part drama is being edited in such a meticulous and careful way, so as not to create more pain and suffering for Savile’s victims.”[26] The series went to air on BBC One from 9 October,[27] with all episodes available on iPlayer from the same date.[28]

The programme was presented as being partly fictionalised, with some characters and events created for dramatic purposes.[29] Several scenes have been described in the Telegraph as embellished or false. In a subplot in Episode 2, Savile, after hosting an edition of Top of the Pops, rapes a young girl who subsequently kills herself with an overdose of pills. This incident is based on the suicide in 1971 of 15-year-old Claire McAlpine, who claimed to have been sexually abused by two disc jockeys: it is unclear whether Savile was one of her abusers.[30]

Critical reception

The Reckoning received mixed reviews from television critics. In The Guardian, Lucy Mangan wrote that Coogan was "chillingly brilliant as Jimmy Savile", but that "to watch The Reckoning is to come away depressed but unenlightened".[31][32] The series was criticised as gratuitous and for being shown on the BBC, which had shielded Savile in his lifetime.[31][32][33][34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Glover, Ella (12 October 2021). "Steve Coogan pictured as Jimmy Savile for first time while filming The Reckoning". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Niall Byrne Scoring BBC's 'The Reckoning'". Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  3. ^ "BBC to make drama about Jimmy Savile's life". Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Steve Coogan cast as lead in BBC Drama The Reckoning". Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Further details and casting announced for forthcoming BBC factual drama The Reckoning". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  6. ^ Evans, Chris, ed. (26 October 2021). "Cold Stare". The Daily Telegraph. No. 51, 770. p. 7. ISSN 0307-1235.
  7. ^ Rodger, James (10 January 2022). "Savile survivors will appear in BBC Steve Coogan drama The Reckoning". Birmingham Live.
  8. ^ Waterson, Jim (26 September 2021). "Steve Coogan to play Jimmy Savile in 'sensitive' BBC drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  9. ^ Hainey, Fionnula (9 October 2023). "The Reckoning on BBC: Cast, plot and how many episodes there are". Manchester Evening News.
  10. ^ a b c "Meet the cast of Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  11. ^ Griffin, Louise (22 October 2021). "Steve Coogan gets into character as Jimmy Savile in new look at controversial BBC drama". Metro. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. ^ "BBC One - The Reckoning, Series 1, Episode 1". BBC.
  13. ^ a b "The Reckoning". 9 October 2023 – via IMDb.
  14. ^ Duke, Simon (10 October 2023). "The Reckoning cast as Jimmy Savile drama launches on BBC". Chronicle Live.
  15. ^ Cook, Sam (9 October 2023). "Everything you need to know about BBC Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning". Wales Online.
  16. ^ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
  17. ^ Morris, Lauren (14 October 2020). "BBC announces drama mini-series The Reckoning about life of Jimmy Savile". Radio Times. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  18. ^ Morrison, Richard (1 October 2021). "The Reckoning: Tim Davie should think again about the BBC's Jimmy Savile drama". The Times. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  19. ^ Argawal, Pragya (27 September 2021). "Opinion: We don't need TV dramas about child abusers like Jimmy Savile". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  20. ^ Lawrence, Ben (30 December 2021). "It is the duty of dramatists to go to the dark side". The Daily Telegraph. No. 51, 825. p. 25. ISSN 0307-1235.
  21. ^ Waterson, Jim (26 September 2021). "Steve Coogan to play Jimmy Savile in 'sensitive' BBC drama". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  22. ^ Carr, Flora (13 October 2021). "BBC drama boss defends new Jimmy Savile series starring Steve Coogan". Radio Times. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  23. ^ Steves, Ashley (12 November 2021). "UK What's Filming: BBC Miniseries 'The Reckoning', Starring Steve Coogan". Backstage. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  24. ^ Mzimba, Lizo (26 December 2021). "TV lookahead: 22 highlights to look out for in 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  25. ^ Waterson, Jim (28 February 2023). "BBC Jimmy Savile drama to air this year despite concerns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  26. ^ "The Reckoning: BBC Jimmy Savile Drama 'Delayed Until 2024'". TV Zone. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning air date confirmed on BBC". Radio Times.
  28. ^ "BBC One - The Reckoning". BBC.
  29. ^ The Reckoning, BBC Media Centre, 7 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023
  30. ^ Alexander Larman, "Jimmy Savile and The Reckoning: what really happened, and what the BBC made up", The Telegraph, 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023
  31. ^ a b Mangan, Lucy (9 October 2023). "The Reckoning review – Steve Coogan is chillingly brilliant as Jimmy Savile". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  32. ^ a b Harvey, Chris (9 October 2023). "The Reckoning, review: Coogan's Savile is evil personified – but the BBC should not have made this". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  33. ^ Cooke, Rachel (9 October 2023). "The BBC's Jimmy Savile drama is entirely gratuitous". New Statesman. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  34. ^ Hilton, Nick (9 October 2023). "The Reckoning review: Steve Coogan's Jimmy Savile drama is a parade of villainy without a point to make". The Independent. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Reckoning_(2023_TV_series)&oldid=1180552493"