The first trailer for The Reckoning, featuring Steve Coogan as Jimmy Savile, has been released by the BBC, and it has sent shivers down our spines.
The Alan Partridge actor plays the notorious DJ, who died in 2011 at the age of 84 before his serial crimes as a child sex abuser and sex offender were revealed.
Viewers have previously seen Coogan in first-look photos as the disgusting serial abuser, but the much-anticipated trailer has now been published, indicating that Savile’s misdeeds will be investigated in full.
The 30-second clip begins with Savile acting cocky in a media meeting, at the beginning of his career telling an executive: ‘I’m not an act. What you see is what you get.’
The following shots then follows hoards of young women entering Savile’s dressing room, with a voiceover commenting: ‘He was one of the biggest manipulators of people to rise to the status that he did.’
Another voice adds: ‘He groomed the whole nation.’
The piece also touches on claims of Savile being a paedophile making their way into the public eye for the first time – and is directed at the BBC broadcaster.
When confronted within the trailer, Savile brushes them aside and feigns ignorance: ‘What rumours might they be?’
At the end of the trailer, Savile walks out on the street to applause as a victim is heard saying: ‘As old as I am now I would’ve danced on his grave.’
Following Savile’s death, over 450 terrible claims were made to police.
Given the severity of Savile’s crimes, The Reckoning has already sparked considerable outrage, prompting the BBC to state that it is being treated with extraordinary caution.
Coogan has also defended the drama, claiming that the producers and broadcasters made the “correct decision.”
‘It is controversial and I understand that,’ Coogan told Radio Times.
‘The BBC are damned if they do and damned if they don’t, and I believe the correct choice is to be damned if they do. Broadly, it’s better to talk about something than not.
‘The team had the right attitude and it was done with the cooperation of survivors. I think when it’s broadcast, it will vindicate itself.’
The synopsis for the programme reads: ‘The four-part series will trace the life of Jimmy 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 cast has already been unveiled, with Gemma Jones from Gentleman Jack and Mark Stanley and Siobhan Finneran from Happy Valley joining Outlander star Mark Lewis Jones.
The Reckoning is expected to air on BBC this autumn.