Los Angeles: Actor Steve Coogan has been roped in to essay the role of sex offender Jimmy Savile in a miniseries about the disgraced English television personality known for hosting “Top of the Pops”.
The BBC One drama titled “The Reckoning” is written by Neil McKay.
According to Variety, the story will centre on Savile’s life from his childhood to after his death in 2011, when he was ultimately found to have abused more than 500 children.
To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly. Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which however harrowing needs to be told, Coogan said.
“The Reckoning” will be directed by Sandra Goldbacher, while Jeff Pope will serve as executive producer.
ITV Studios is producing the miniseries.
Savile rose from working class background to become one of the most famous personalities on television.
He hosted “Top of the Pops, the popular music chart program, from its 1964 premiere to late ’80s. From 1975 to 1994, he also hosted Jim’ll Fix It, where he granted the wishes described in letters mostly written by children.
As per the makers the series will explore both Savile’s rise to fame and his final years fighting rumours about his private life, exploring how the presenter used his celebrity and powerful connections to conceal his wrongdoings and to hide in plain sight .