The BBC has released the first official picture of award-winning actor Steve Coogan as Jimmy Savile in upcoming drama The Reckoning.
In the image, Coogan, 57, can be seen sitting in a chair as he sports one of Savile’s tradmark tracksuits with a cigar in hand.
The new Sandra Goldbacher directed four-part series has been written by Neil McKay and is due to air this autumn.
It will trace the life of Savile, a man who, for decades, became one of the UK’s most influential celebrities, but in death has become one of the most reviled figures of modern history following revelations of extensive and horrific abuse.
Savile used his involvement in multiple organisations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and even the Royal family to cement his position.
Using drama’s unique ability to place events in their emotional and historical context, the series will explore how Savile used his celebrity and powerful connections to conceal his crimes and exploit institutional failings. It is important to understand how he was able to hide in plain sight in order to gain a greater understanding of how he evaded justice. The drama aims to highlight the importance of confronting the horrors of the past and talking openly about abuse.
The team have worked closely with many people whose lives were impacted by Savile to ensure their experiences are told and reflected with sensitivity and respect, and the drama will also draw on extensive, wide-ranging research and published accounts. It will examine the impact his appalling crimes had on his victims, and the powerlessness many felt when they tried to raise the alarm.
Four survivors of Savile who have contributed to The Reckoning will also feature in the series, interviewed on camera to offer their further insight and to reflect on their experiences in the hope that the telling of their stories will prevent something like it happening again.
Actors Gemma Jones, Siobhan Finneran, Mark Lewis Jones, and Mark Stanley will also star.
Speaking about his latest role in a press release, Coogan said: “To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly. Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told.”
Goldbacher, added: “The Reckoning is a unique opportunity to give Savile’s survivors, the people who inspired this project, a voice. I feel sure that Steve Coogan’s powerful performance as Savile will create a debate around how the cult of celebrity cloaked him from scrutiny.”
