BBC to make drama about Jimmy Savile's life:

Hummm not sure how I feel about this. I won’t watch it, I’m not going to watch the Shipman one either. Dramatisations of real life events are always tricky - there was Honour recently. I watched the one about the Irish dentist and then found out afterwards that the family hadn’t wanted it to go ahead so I felt that was wrong. The Hillsborough one was very moving and focused on the family whose two daughters died. I suppose my main issue is how survivors/victims/families feel about the drama . And once it’s been on, many people will believe that that is the truth regardless of any dramatic licence that may have been taken. Tricky - an interesting issue. I’d like to hear the views of others.

I think there is an issue about how his victims feel but I think it's very important to discuss this and why/how it happened. I think it should be made by an independent production team the BBC were involved in this issue.

The Shipman documentary series was very good. Well researched and looking at the situation from different and interesting angles.
Will the Saville programme be a documentary or a drama?

Good point Galaxy I wonder who is making it? But I still think making a drama out of it will compromise the truth.

Galaxy Tue 20-Oct-20 09:52:24
I think it should be made by an independent production team the BBC were involved in this issue.

Good point, Galaxy, it was an ITV research team that did the investigation that led to the discovery of Savile's past. An independent team could expand such a program and include others, such as Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris.

It's too early to say, but was there some sort of collusion by the BBC when Savile worked there? Now they want to gloss over their involvement. That's just my speculation, but as Galaxy says, and independent team has no agenda, unlike the BBC.

* Jane* I got that wrong - I thought it was a drama. The JS is a drama I think

I would have no problem with a documentary as that would (should) be airing verified facts. A drama would contain some dramatic licence and could be seen as entertainment - something I completely disagree with.

I agree Oldwoman it shouldn't be a drama. Lots to include in a documentary though. So much to include it would need a series.
A drama would be distasteful.

Drama? No. Too recent, too painful. Give it a hundred years or so.

Documentary? Perhaps. But only if it's honest.

I won't be watching it - as I don't want that flesh-crawling feeling!

Don't think I could watch it - I was never a fan, but didn't realise quite how vile he was

I don't think I could watch it.

I won't be watching it - as I don't want that flesh-crawling feeling

I agree; couldn't bear to look at him when he was on tv. There was something about him, long before his activities became public knowledge, that made my skin crawl.

Get bad vibes just thinking about him. I won’t watch but maybe it’s a story that needs to be told.

I think a drama is/would be in bad taste, like *feeding off" the very very many real life victims.

There was something about him ... that made my skin crawl

Snap Chewbacca.

I feel annoyed that the BBC are making money out of this when they were a big part of the problem.

It's a terrible idea, the worst of bad taste. I assume it's a production company that developed it and pitched it to the BBC who decided that they'd better grab it or it would go to ITV, Sky or a cable channel.

Extremely bad taste in any format, either drama or documentary. I didn't like him at all when he was alive, in the spotlight and supposedly raising money for Stoke Mandeville Hospital. I always found him sleazy and creepy!

He lived local to us when I was growing up and used to take the children from the local children's home to Scarborough ever year. I could not watch any sort of programme about him although it is perhaps sad for the victims to be forgotten.

Yuk. I can’t imagine any actor wanting to play the role of Saville.

A documentary is one thing, but a drama.....who on earth would want to be cast as the creepy Savile? Bit of a career killer I would think.

The problem with a Drama is that they change events to make it more ‘watchable‘, so they can and probably will ignore the BBCs involvement.
I wouldn’t watch it anyway, because i couldn’t stand him, but a Documentary would be better.
They dramatised the story of Hughie Green a couple of years ago and I don’t know how much of it was fact or fiction, but he was ( on this programme) an absolute horror, but was it true or artistic licence?

Louis Theroux made an excellent programme about him, and I’ve read where he wondered if he could have done more.
He interviewed his assistant who said she refused to believe any of the allegations.

Oh no, that's a good point SueDonim; a horrible role to have to take on. <<shudder>>