With victim outcry and a rumoured intended premiere date close to the coronation, a new drama centred on the notorious Jimmy Savile starring Steve Coogan is being treated with utmost caution.
The BBC is reportedly being exceedingly cautious with the series because victims of the former TV star have had a “fierce reaction” to it.
Series of four parts Coogan plays the disgraced DJ, who died in 2011 at the age of 84 before his serial crimes as a child sex abuser and sex offender were revealed.
Following his murder, more than 450 frightening claims were made to police.
Since its announcement, the proposed drama has been labelled as ‘disgusting,’ with Alan Partridge star Coogan defending the series by stating that it was ‘better to speak about it than not talk about it.’
Now, BBC executives are apparently afraid that they won’t ‘step a foot wrong’ because of the victims’ comments and the intended air date being near to the coronation.
According to The Sun, the intended premiere date was deemed problematic since the series deals with Savile’s association with then-Prince Charles.
According to a source, there has been a “ferocious response from victims” in the three years since the drama was initially publicised.
‘Most dramas don’t take this long to edit and air, but they don’t want to put a foot wrong,’ they said.
It was discovered that Savile had utilised the BBC and his famous status to find his victims, having presented series such as Jim’ll Fix It and Top of the Pops.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We are currently in post-production for transmission later this year. An exact date will be announced in due course.’
In an interview with Lorraine Kelly, star Coogan defended the series, saying that ‘everyone are held accountable, even the BBC,’ and that there is ‘no whitewash in this drama,’ which he called ‘useful and instructional.’
The BBC has been chastised for dramatising his heinous acts, and has been accused of ‘hypocrisy’ given Savile’s history with the channel.
Piers Wenger, controller of the BBC drama, said in October 2022 that they ‘do not seek to sensationalise these acts but to give voice to his victims’.
Executive producer Jeff Pope highlighted why the BBC decided to portray the story: ‘We must understand why a man like Jimmy Savile seems to be impervious for so long to rigorous scrutiny and criminal inquiry.’
Source My Celebrity Life.
