The Reckoning creators: "How and why did Jimmy Savile get away with it?"
"This series is a cautionary tale."
The Reckoning, a four-part drama which explores the heinous crimes of former BBC presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile, who sexually abused hundreds of people, many of whom were girls under the age of 16, arrives on BBC One on Monday 9th October.
One of the most shocking strands of Savile's story is the sheer number of victims who were targeted in institutions that should have been safe, such as hospitals, children's homes and even the BBC studio itself.
How was something so violent and far-reaching able to continue for as long as it did?
Executive producer Jeff Pope described it as "an enormous and important story": adding: "This man was abusing and assaulting hundreds of people, essentially in front of our eyes.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
"That leads to some very simple questions which we wanted to explore in this series: why and how did he get away with it? And how can we make sure it doesn’t happen again?"
Neil McKay, who wrote the series, went on to say that the common thread in the projects he's worked on with Pope (Appropriate Adult, See No Evil: The Moors Murders) is the "underlying theme which you could say is a 'warning from history'."
He elaborated further, he said: "Savile was a sexual predator and a con man. He conned his way through our society to the very top. To me, Savile is the ultimate warning from history.
"Often, people who have been exposed for committing multiple, heinous crimes were invisible to society when they were committing them, but Savile couldn't have been more visible. He did these terrible things as one of the most famous men in the country.
Read more:
- The Reckoning producer: "We have to explore stories like Jimmy Savile"
- The Reckoning had Jimmy Savile victims' interviews from 'first draft'
"As Jeff said, he was aware of these rumours when he started in TV and I know many others were too, but it was never allowed to become more than rumours. Often, Savile was just the source of jokes and innuendos when there were so many people who he preyed on suffering alone.
"That's something worth looking at in greater detail, to ask how and why. This series is a cautionary tale. A massive cautionary tale."
The Reckoning premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Monday 9th October 2023. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
