The Reckoning

4 part docu/drama on the life and crimes of one Jimmy Savile - the notorious British DJ, TV 'n radio presenter, showbiz personality, charity fund raiser supremo and serial paedophile with hundreds of victims spanning over half a century.

Steve Coogan plays the title role of Savile and is utterly brilliant - if that's the right word - in capturing the normality juxtaposed with the utter horror of a man who, for a long time, fooled a nation and manipulated those in positions of authority into turning a blind eye to his crimes. Within a few minutes of viewing this you are watching Savile and not Coogan playing Savile.

It's a tough watch I have to say and one wonders what quite was the purpose in bringing this back to screen? That said it makes for compelling viewing but not something I'd ever want to watch again. The various interviews with a handful of Savile's victims in each episode are heartbreaking...

Reviewing the acting in The Reckoning is easy - Steve Coogan is excellent. But reviewing the presentation of the subject matter is not so straightforward.

As someone born in the 60's, I grew up in what might be called, "The Savile Era" and have always been slightly irritated by the notion that Savile was somehow hiding in plain sight and that what happened was another manifestation of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' when, in actual fact, pretty much everyone that I grew up with considered him a weirdo many, many years before anything appeared in the newspapers. There were, in fact, kids up and down the land who were pointing and making fun of him on a daily basis right from the get-go. If anyone was starstruck by Savile, and is mainly to blame, it is the adults and not the children.

I have not read the book by Dan Davies, but assume that it must cover a lot more than was shown in this docudrama. To be honest, I was expecting more disclosures in this series than I already knew, but there didn't seem to be anything else to add.

There is no mention at all on his relationship with his father, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that Savile was an only child as his six older siblings are suspicious by their absence and barely get a mention - did they really all abandon their mother?

The BBC's/ITV's completely unnecessary decision to change the real suicide of (Samantha) Claire McAlpine into the story of an entirely fictional British Asian girl called Sara is not only disrespectful, but utterly unforgiveable. As a viewer, you know that the bar has been set pretty low when the writers have to resort to inventing conversations that took place in a church confessional.

Savile himself reveals nothing, despite the claims made in the final episode that he was going to - and then he died (see review by DC1977 for the veracity of this claim).

Savile comes across not as some mastermind groomer but as a chancer: a pathetic, hapless groper with a sense of misguided entitlement. There were lots like him around in the 70's & 80's and, I'm sure, there still are today.

A strange, creepy, evil man who exploited his celebrity status on vulnerable young people, but though he may have pulled the wool over the eyes of The Establishment, there were plenty of us (like Beryl Hullighan) who made up our minds about him very early on.

We thought he was a weirdo, and we were right.

Many people loved Jimmy Savile, millions would tune in to watch him, he raised millions of pounds for charity, however, the man was genuinely monstrous, the list of his sickening crimes is obscene.

When this broke on the news, it was just shocking, he was a British institution, close to Government, The Royal family, hospitals etc, it was hard to contemplate, this case really did change things.

This is surely going to be divisive, and for many good reasons, there's something a little uncomfortable about the fact that The Beeb made this, considering the history.

However, opinions of the real life situation out of the way, this is an excellent drama, very well made, superbly acted and thought provoking.

Harrowing and hard to watch at times, it's really sickening, mercifully it's not too graphic, but what's shown and implied is diabolical enough.

Steve Coogan delivers a first class, award winning performance, he's got everything spot on, the visuals, the body language, the very strange behaviour, spot on, he's definitely faced something of a backlash. Mark Stanley, Gemma Jones, Fenella Woolgar and others are excellent in support.

Well worth watching.

9/10.

Coogan is amazing as Savile, and I often thought I was watching the show on Netflix. He steals the show from start to finish with his portrayal and offers no excuses for JS's predatory behaviour.

The supporting cast is brilliant, with Gemma Jones playing his mother. She clearly knows that her son is different and in one scene states that 'he's old enough to be their father.'. However, she is dragged into JS's web of deceit and lies.

Hiding in plain sight is an excuse. People knew, particularly at the BBC. In one scene we are shown a picture of JS with his hand on the bottom of a young lady who he later abuses. People knew what was going and did nothing to stop the abuse.

Why is it horrific? The abuse scenes are never shown, and this is implied. However, it is the eye witness accounts which are so painful to watch. These poor people were never heard and will never get the justice they deserve. It is sickening to think that this man has an OBE and was allowed to get away with the most heinous of crimes. In fact, organisations like the BBC allowed a steady stream of young ladies to be groomed, abused, and have their lives ruined by a sadistic, vile, and truly devil of a man.

Coogan nails his interpretation of this man, but it is certainly not an easy watch.

The Reckoning. BBC 2023 docu drama on the life of Jimmy Savile. Steve Coogan plays Saville over a 40+ years and he is frighteningly real. His recreation is stomach turning and he gets the mannerisms perfectly. The main point of the drama is to highlight how Savile was able to get away with years of sexual abuse under the noses of the establishment? Because he made friends with various establishment figures who covered for him and protected him. That element of the story will never be known. He had friends in very high places. Mrs Thatcher, Prince Charles/ Prince Philip. If they didn't know what he was getting up to I'd be very surprised. Guilt by association.

The bravery of all the survivors of his abuse can not be praised enough, credit to the writers and producers of the series, although he is utterly repulsive at the same time it is utterly compelling. 8/10 although I'd never want to watch it again Coogan is stunning.

Growing up in 70s every kids will have their own thoughts and stories of Saville. Mine is seeing Saville and Peter Jaconelli parade down the sea front at Scarborough as if they owned it. Jaconelli in his mayor's chain and Saville in a gold track suit.

Their bling glistening and rattling as they walked by. Not a very exciting story but even then in the mid 90s their celebrity status gave them a certain kudos even though they look outlandish and just weird. Ps nice mention of Green Tambourine by the Lemon Pipers pop fans.