THE RECKONING: BBC JIMMY SAVILE DRAMA 'DELAYED UNTIL 2024'
The BBC have reportedly taken the decision to delay new drama The Reckoning, telling the story of Jimmy Savile, until 2024.
Multi award-winning actor, Steve Coogan plays Jimmy Savile in the four-part BBC One drama, which was originally due to hit screens this year.
The mini-series will trace the life of Jimmy 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.
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.
A source said, via Daily Mail: "The sensitivities are such that the BBC know they absolutely have to get this 100 per cent right. The four-part drama is being edited in such a meticulous and careful way, so as not to create further pain and suffering for the victims of Savile."
Steve Coogan, announcing the role, 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."
The BBC say "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 will also draw on extensive and wide-ranging research sources...
"It will examine the impact his appalling crimes had on his victims and the powerlessness many felt when they tried to raise the alarm."
Savile 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 his celebrity and powerful connections to conceal his wrongdoings and to hide in plain sight.
Executive Producer, ITV Studios, Jeff Pope says: "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."
More details will be revealed in due course.