Steve Coogan has been cast as Jimmy Savile in the fact-based BBC One drama.
The BBC has announced a new drama, The Reckoning, about the life of sex offender and disgraced broadcaster Jimmy Savile, who died 10 years ago this year.
The BBC One mini-series has cast Steve Coogan (Stephen, This Time with Alan Partridge) in the role of Savile, with further casting to be announced in due course.
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.”
Executive producer Jeff Pope said: “The purpose of this drama is to explore how Savile’s offending went unchecked for so long, and in shining a light on this, to ensure such crimes never happen again. Steve Coogan has a unique ability to inhabit complex characters and will approach this role with the greatest care and integrity.”
At the time of writing, only Steve Coogan’s casting has been announced. We’ll keep this page updated with further cast and character announcements as and when they happen.
Read on to find out more about the cast and characters in The Reckoning.
Steve Coogan plays Jimmy Savile
Who was Jimmy Savile? The drama series focuses on Savile, “a man who 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 following revelations of extensive and horrific abuse”, according to the BBC synopsis.
“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 he sought to dispel the growing rumours about his life and the legacy he would leave behind.”
Where have I seen Steve Coogan before? You probably know him best for his comedic role as Alan Partridge, but he’s also starred in factual dramas, notably the recent ITV drama Stephen, based on the investigation into Stephen Lawrence’s murder. Steve Coogan said it was an “honour” play Clive Driscoll, the man who managed to secure convictions for two of Stephen’s murderers. Coogan also starred opposite Dame Judi Dench in the 2013 film Philomena.
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