Anyone caught this series? It is about Jimmy Savile and how he managed to hide in plain sight and commit hundreds of sickening sexual offences against young and vulnerable people. Not an easy watch but the acting of Steve Coogan as JS is superb. The first episode featured the actual people who were victims of Savile at the end along with the actors who portrayed their story. Only watched episodes 1 & 2 so far and i believe there is worse to come.

Thinking back to the time when JS died and a lot of the stories started to appear, back on the old message board a poster has said his wife was a student nurse at Jimmy's in Leeds when Savile was active and that the stories that had been made public were only the tip of the iceberg and there was far worse to come. He said it was widely known what Savile was up to but as a student nurse she didn't feel able to say anything, given Savile's profile and fame at the time. One poster said anything with a pulse for Savile, to which the reply was it didn't need to have a pulse, he had access to all areas of the hospital, including the mortuary.....

Sickening to think what he got away with for so long, with so many people seemingly aware of what Savile was up to.

Yes, I'm watching it. Just the fourth and final episode to go.
It's compelling but uncomfortable viewing.
I always thought Savile was a bit creepy, but I'd no idea he was one of this country's most prolific ever pervert and sex offender.
The real shame ( particularly for his victims ) is that he died before he could be brought to justice.

I've been recording it and will be watching soon

It’s a very good series if very uncomfortable . Coogan is superb as mentioned above.

Many years ago, the establishment was challenged openly about its knowledge of JS’ activities by one John Lydon (Johnny rotten) but he was quickly discredited and subsequently ignored.

JS was a famous tv and radio personality who raised millions for various charities and who had friends in very high places, Lydon was just a punk with spiky hair, lousy teeth and a potty mouth. The lad had no chance, and so many more people who could’ve been protected fell into Saviles devious and perverted hands.

Finished the last one yesterday.
Very good and Steve Coogan as said is incredible. The bits between the real footage and the drama are seamless.

It’s a pretty horrible watch though. Unbelievable the power and influence he had and how so many people turned a blind eye for decades.

I watched the original Louis Theroux interview with Saville again last night as thought it would be interesting to watch it again after watching the series. It’s still on bbc iPlayer under the Louis Theroux Meets heading.

I won't be watching that. Who is playing DPP Starmer's role?

Saw about 30 seconds and decided i just could not watch this as you know what is going to happen

Owdsyker wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:02 pm

I won't be watching that. Who is playing DPP Starmer's role?

No idea.
Fenella Woolgar was excellent as Margaret Thatcher though.

Disgusting man,I watched for 5 minutes and turned it off,are the BBC kind of apologising for letting Saville off the hook by showing this the BBC should be ashamed of themselves for letting this guy hide is actions in plain sight,should have done at least 30 years of his life banged up.

Watched the 1st episode unsure if I will watch the rest. A very uneasy watch of a vile person who got away with everything due to be protected by people who knew.

Spoiler alert. I hear Steve Coogan is currently taking didgeridoo lessons

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:01 pm

Finished the last one yesterday.
Very good and Steve Coogan as said is incredible. The bits between the real footage and the drama are seamless.

It’s a pretty horrible watch though. Unbelievable the power and influence he had and how so many people turned a blind eye for decades.

I watched the original Louis Theroux interview with Saville again last night as thought it would be interesting to watch it again after watching the series. It’s still on bbc iPlayer under the Louis Theroux Meets heading.

I always liked Theroux, until his Savile work. Like everyone else from history, gave Savile a very easy ride.

Owdsyker wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:02 pm

I won't be watching that. Who is playing DPP Starmer's role?

Has that not just recently been exposed as an urban myth?

bobinho wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 3:02 pm

I always liked Theroux, until his Savile work. Like everyone else from history, gave Savile a very easy ride.

theroux was groomed like many a victim and when faced with this notion on the follow up show he (theroux) totally rejected the idea.

i see some people still put flowers on savile's grave as well which just goes to show his powers of manipulation have followed him into death.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:26 pm

No idea.
Fenella Woolgar was excellent as Margaret Thatcher though.

Incredible voice impersonation.

My friend's in it and I know some folk in The Long Shadow too. Two programmes on at the same time about awful stuff. Haven't got round to them yet but heard good things about both, if "good" is the best way to describe them...

For something a little more jolly, the final series of Ghosts is up on iPlayer. Not for everyone I'm sure but some really well put together silly comedy.

An aunt of mine worked at Leeds General. There had always been rumours about him, both at the hospital and in the Roundhay area, including the necro ones. Later on, he would be chaperoned when doing his voluntary work there.

What a creep he was.
I once watched a programme where Saville was showing his house (Scarborough)?
He had kept his Mothers room exactly as it had been left when she died.....he was combing her wigs & touching her clothes while talking about her.....it was really creepy!
I bet Jimmy was abused when he was a child too.

The BBC had to know what was going on......he even goosed girls on TOTP.

Some scenes were filmed at Gisburn Park.

From the two that I’ve seen so far, I think that they’ve done a pretty good job of relating it to the victims - the interviews at the beginning and end of the episodes really make sure that it hits home.

It’s uncomfortable viewing - the subject matter couldn’t really make it otherwise - but I do think that it’s really well done and some of the acting (Coogan particularly) is superb, even if the odd Partridge mannerism appears every now and then.

It’s probably something that the BBC had to do, and do it right, to really highlight just what he put those people through, the impacts of which they will suffer from for the rest of their days.

It’s crazy how people were brainwashed/groomed by him. He was a patron of a church local to me and a woman involved with the church went absolutely ballistic at my mum one time years ago when my mum just happened to say she’d always found him a bit creepy. Almost cult-like.

I always think of something I saw after George Michael died and it all came out about the money he’d donated to charity/good causes over the years with no fanfare.
‘Tabloids used to try and tell me that George Michael was a pervert and Jimmy Saville was a great man who a lot for charity……..They’re still trying to tell me sh!t now…

Steve Coogan is brilliant top actor..

Just seen the first two episodes so far. Coogan's portrayal of Savile, the mannerisms, voice etc are spot-on.
Had forgotten the military funeral he was given.
Its shivering to watch in parts.

Lip wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 5:16 pm

Steve Coogan is brilliant top actor..

Yeah, fair play to him for taking it on. So many ways he could have got it wrong but i think he manages to do it justice. What he gets across really well are the occassional lapses from the familiar facade into the nasty ******* he was in reality.

Very, very good performance and uncomfortable viewing at times.

Finished the final episode today.

Whilst strangely compelling, it's not a series I'd want to watch again and the abuse scenes, whilst not overly graphic, are still very disturbing (especially the ones with the young girl in the hospital bed and the one in the morgue..)

Steve Coogan's mimicking of Savile is remarkable though as others have said.

Can't have been an easy role to take on considering the subject matter but the actor deserves plaudits for his eerily accurate portrayal of a 2 faced monster.

Steve Coogan has said that he didn't enjoy doing it, but, as a serious actor, it was professionally a challenge he wanted to take on.

Coogan’s thoughts on why he took the role

Jimmy Savile: Steve Coogan on playing paedophile TV presenter in The Reckoning https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66987497

A grim watch but excellent viewing.
I guess anybody calling Savile out if it had happened these days would be labelled by some as being "woke"or being a part of the so - called cancel culture.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:41 pm

Watched the 1st episode unsure if I will watch the rest. A very uneasy watch of a vile person who got away with everything due to be protected by people who knew.

The thing is back then you needed something called evidence to back up your suspicions it wasn't trial by twitter or Facebook or other forms of social media, people did suspect but having something 100% concrete to corroborate them suspicions proved more difficult.

I can't watch it living abroad and don't think I could actually sit through it.

What I find odd is that everybody who knew him and who have since been interviewed says he was horrible. You might say "Well, what do you expect?" but I do wonder whether they did all hate him.

The BBC has clearly had this series made in order to try to "make up" for its inaction when he was doing his vile deeds.

Big fan of Steve Coogan and respect him hugely for taking on the role.

Also, fair play to John Lydon.

ecc wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:23 pm

I can't watch it living abroad and don't think I could actually sit through it.

What I find odd is that everybody who knew him and who have since been interviewed says he was horrible. You might say "Well, what do you expect?" but I do wonder whether they did all hate him.

The BBC has clearly had this series made in order to try to "make up" for its inaction when he was doing his vile deeds.

Big fan of Steve Coogan and respect him hugely for taking on the role.

Also, fair play to John Lydon.

The BBC didn’t make it, ITV Studios did.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:14 pm

The thing is back then you needed something called evidence to back up your suspicions it wasn't trial by twitter or Facebook or other forms of social media, people did suspect but having something 100% concrete to corroborate them suspicions proved more difficult.

Refusal to investigate reports and complaints was very clearly nothing to do with a lack of evidence.
In order to find evidence you have to look and the authorities, politicians, BBC, police etc all looked the other way.

Would have been pretty easy to find DNA, eye witnesses and other evidence.

My friend was a ward sister at LGI. She wouldn't let Savile on her ward, he threatened her with 'having you removed' but she stood her ground.

That was the late 80's.

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:34 pm

Refusal to investigate reports and complaints was very clearly nothing to do with a lack of evidence.
In order to find evidence you have to look and the authorities, politicians, BBC, police etc all looked the other way.

Would have been pretty easy to find DNA, eye witnesses and other evidence.

Yes that's true but do you investigate when things might not be true & risk the flow of money directed towards charities being stopped. The strength of the information at the point wasn't sufficient enough to be pouring stretched resources into launching investigations & jeopardize the charity funding.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:42 pm

Yes that's true but do you investigate when things might not be true & risk the flow of money directed towards charities being stopped. The strength of the information at the point wasn't sufficient enough to be pouring stretched resources into launching investigations & jeopardize the charity funding.

Aye you wouldn’t want to risk a new hospital ward in favour for a few hundred people sexually abused.
Last thing you would want to do is jeopardise that charity funding eh

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 9:46 pm

Aye you wouldn’t want to risk a new hospital ward in favour for a few hundred people sexually abused.
Last thing you would want to do is jeopardise that charity funding eh

It's easy to judge what we know in this present day as opposed to judging what people didn't know with 100% sure certainty years ago.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 9:59 pm

It's easy to judge what we know in this present day as opposed to judging what people didn't know with 100% sure certainty years ago.

Only you would defend the indefensible.
This isn’t a with hindsight case.
It was a f’in cover up.
Loads of people knew exactly what he was but did nothing.

In terms of the police unless you catch someone in the act of sexual abuse (extreme rare occurrence) then they are never 100% sure when somebody makes an allegation. That’s why they have to investigate it and obtain the evidence.
The police chose not to investigate Saville and as said a lot of people chose to pretend it was not happening or even worse a number collaborated and facilitated the abuse.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:42 pm

Yes that's true but do you investigate when things might not be true & risk the flow of money directed towards charities being stopped. The strength of the information at the point wasn't sufficient enough to be pouring stretched resources into launching investigations & jeopardize the charity funding.

That’s a really, really weird angle to take.

By your logic, unless there is cast iron proof that a crime has been committed, there’s no point in the police investigating.

Perhaps worse though is the thought that it might risk further monies being raised for charity. That’s sort of the whole point of what he did.

All of his actions, powerful allies and accolades from fundraising and philanthropy were a rouse, a smoke screen.

It’s exactly what they mean when they say ‘in plain sight’.

I remember around the time of his death when he was being fondly remembered by most of the press listening to 5Live on the way to a Burnley game and Stuart Hall finished his match preview by speaking about the times he'd met him. Can't have been long until he was arrested

Not long after Saville’ s death Leeds United came to Turf Moor.
The away fans started singing ‘He’s one of our own’ about one of their players.Instantly our fans replied ‘Jimmy Saville ! He’s one of your own’ That quietened them straightaway !

Owdsyker wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:02 pm

I won't be watching that. Who is playing DPP Starmer's role?

If you won't be watching, why are you interested ?

Rumpelstiltskin wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 11:28 pm

Not long after Saville’ s death Leeds United came to Turf Moor.
The away fans started singing ‘He’s one of our own’ about one of their players.Instantly our fans replied ‘Jimmy Saville ! He’s one of your own’ That quietened them straightaway !

And Leeds came back with another chant

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 9:59 pm

It's easy to judge what we know in this present day as opposed to judging what people didn't know with 100% sure certainty years ago.

There'd be no need for our justice system if every potential crime had a 100% certainty.

Owdsyker wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 2:02 pm

I won't be watching that. Who is playing DPP Starmer's role?

You may be able to Google that.

evensteadiereddie wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:00 pm

A grim watch but excellent viewing.
I guess anybody calling Savile out if it had happened these days would be labelled by some as being "woke"or being a part of the so - called cancel culture.

Hmmmm...

AmbleClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 12, 2023 11:48 pm

There'd be no need for our justice system if every potential crime had a 100% certainty.

The point is some people back then were 100% certain about him so on that basis they weren't exactly protecting him or facilitating his evil actions, more the fact they couldn't prove it due to a lack of evidence & a clear unwillingness from the authorities to properly conduct an investigation. For want of a better description it was swept under the carpet & certain people probably hoped the problem would go away.

A few years ago I was doing some work with a major insurance company who have offices in Leeds City Centre.

The meeting rooms in the offices were named after famous Yorkshire folk, the Fred Trueman room, The Patrick Stewart Suite, The Jane Tomlinson Lounge etc and they all had a shiny gold plate on the door and imagery inside of the people they were named after. One of the staff said to me that he’d never seen someone move so fast with a screwdriver the day the Jimmy Saville news properly came to light, as they scrambled to remove all traces of him from their site. I bet that story was repeated hundred fold throughout Leeds and elsewhere such was his iconic status during the 70’s and 80’s

Someone above made the point about cancel culture etc and suggested people would defend him these days. I don’t think they could be more wrong. There is a far cry from some of the stuff that sees trial by social media now and the things Saville did. Being alleged to have abused potentially consenting adults compared with abuse of defenceless kids or vulnerable adults is hugely different and there is plenty of evidence of very famous folk being brought down and brought to justice regardless of their standing in society.

You mean SIR Jimmy Saville

arise_sir_charge wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 13, 2023 5:35 am

Someone above made the point about cancel culture etc and suggested people would defend him these days. I don’t think they could be more wrong. There is a far cry from some of the stuff that sees trial by social media now and the things Saville did. Being alleged to have abused potentially consenting adults compared with abuse of defenceless kids or vulnerable adults is hugely different and there is plenty of evidence of very famous folk being brought down and brought to justice regardless of their standing in society.

When I read that I thought I bet I can guess the poster who alluded to this. I scrolled up and wasn’t surprised in the slightest.