Steve Coogan - Jimmy Savile drama. What's you thoughts on this?

Last edited by Gemini73 on Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

Was discussing this at work the other day and I'm of the opinion that it could be a bad move for Coogan's career who in the below articles says it's “an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told”.

Does it really need to be told, though? Unlike more recent dramas involving serious crime (Night Stalker, Stephen), this won't have any kind of manhunt leading up to the capture, trial and sentencing of the man. All it can ever really be is a sordid look into Savile's vile crimes and the pain and misery he caused hundreds with the only ending being that he died and as such got away with it. I honestly don't think it's something I'd want to watch.

Thoughts?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... -bbc-drama

Feels incredibly harsh on his hundreds of victims to me.

A very much doubt they spoke to all of them and got their blessing.

It's like the Met making a documentary about Sarah Everard and getting Steve McFadden to play Wayne Couzens

Well he does a good Savile impersonation.

Not something I have any inclination to watch though. A murder mystery or thriller makes for compelling TV. A bloke repeatedly rapes kids and gets away with it, not so much.

I didn’t watch ITV’s documentary on him this week either. It feels like there’s nothing left to be told about the guy at this point.

Its the type of thing you make a documentary about and handle sensitively, not a dramatisation in my view

There will no doubt be a drama made of it at some point, I guess the real issue is that this is too soon and too raw for a lot of people. Also questionable for the BBC to be seen to be making money, or spending money, making a drama about their own disgraceful failings over previous decades.

I kind of have to reserve judgement until we can see exactly how it turns out. Coogan can be a great actor but it's also uncomfortable at this stage to have a predominantly comic actor taking on such a role. I think he would probably do a great job though.

I just find it immensely uncomfortable, which is why I guess my summing up is that it's too soon and being made by the wrong people.

KK wrote:
I didn’t watch ITV’s documentary on him this week either. It feels like there’s nothing left to be told about the guy at this point.

I did watch that documentary and it made for uncomfortable viewing and not just because he got away with it, but how much of a blind eye was turned and the willingness to dismiss any notion of Savile being a paedophile because of his popularity with the public right up to the Royals and, of course, his charity work. Truly shocking

Coogan will be amazing in the role, he really can act and will probably have the disgusting mannerisms down. It's just how much more do we need to know now? Unless it's going to focus more on the people around him facilitating his behaviour.

If they so much as provide a hint of sympathy or context to the character, they'll be held in utter contempt. And if they try to go easy on all the other BBC staff that knew and did nothing they'll also be held in utter contempt.

Feels like a hiding to nothing to me.

Victor Mildew wrote:Coogan will be amazing in the role, he really can act and will probably have the disgusting mannerisms down. It's just how much more do we need to know now? Unless it's going to focus more on the people around him facilitating his behaviour.

With the BBC making it, it'll probably be all like "nObOdY kNeW", while they cover their own arses and the arses of their friends.

Don't really think the BBC should be making this TBH.

Gemini73 wrote:Was discussing this at work the other day and I'm of the opinion that it could be a bad move for Coogan's career who in the below articles says it's “an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told”.

It doesn't need to be told. There are too many victims of his crimes out there to make it possible to tackle this and not cause grief for some of them. As others have said, a documentary would be more suitable.

Knoyleo wrote:
Gemini73 wrote:Was discussing this at work the other day and I'm of the opinion that it could be a bad move for Coogan's career who in the below articles says it's “an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told”.

strawberry floating hell. :lol:

I've got a very bad feeling about this whole thing. Do not think it should be anywhere near anyone associated with the BBC.

strawberry float the BBC

There's a huge story to be told of how it was allowed to happen, the failings on so many levels of people and practices that should have been in place to prevent his actions. I'm not sure it really needs to have much, or any, focus on Saville himself though

KK wrote:It feels like there’s nothing left to be told about the guy at this point.

I disagree - and as to why, well, this person puts it better than I:

Mark Lawson wrote:The weakness of this documentary is that it features only those who knew or suspected; there is no challenge to those who claim not to have noticed. Yet health ministers and officials who allowed Savile accommodation keys to, and a bedroom for his use at, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor (where multiple assaults took place) are still alive, as are bosses from Savile’s other places of predation.

It is likely they refused to speak to the film-makers, but the ease with which such potentially key witnesses can hide behind their PR teams and public pensions means that culpabilities in the case are likely to remain hidden.

Though claiming to feature the People Who Knew, this film includes only the most honourable of them – the victims and the whistleblowers. It may take many more shows yet to reach true accountability on Savile.

It shows a real brass neck by the BBC for them to exploit the situation in this way without having ever made public their own inquiries.

Gemini73 wrote:
KK wrote:
I didn’t watch ITV’s documentary on him this week either. It feels like there’s nothing left to be told about the guy at this point.

I did watch that documentary and it made for uncomfortable viewing and not just because he got away with it, but how much of a blind eye was turned and the willingness to dismiss any notion of Savile being a paedophile because of his popularity with the public right up to the Royals and, of course, his charity work. Truly shocking

I saw the documentary too, they did a good job of highlighting just how he had been able to get away with his crimes for so long.

It still chills me to think just how revered the guy was as i was growing up (my class at school wrote letters to Jim'll Fix it FFS :dread:

, the teacher even showed us the big stamped envelope they were being sent in), such a creepy horrid bloke.

Steve Coogan - Jimmy Savile drama. What's you thoughts on this?

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