Lockerbie: A Search for Truth

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Lockerbie: A Search for Truth
Lockerbie A Search For Truth.png
Opening title card
Genre Biographical drama
Created by David Harrower
Based on
The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice
by
Written byDavid Harrower
Directed by
Starring Colin Firth
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
Producers Colin Wratten
Brian Kaczynski
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Sky Atlantic
Release2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is a limited British television drama series directed by Otto Bathurst and Jim Loach, based on the 2021 book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice by Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph. It stars Colin Firth as Swire, who embarks on a quest for justice after his daughter, Flora, dies on Pan Am Flight 103. It premiered on 2 January 2025 on Sky Atlantic and Now in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Peacock in the United States. Each episode's length is around 60 minutes. [1]

Contents

Premise

On 21 December 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, a transatlantic flight from London to New York City, was destroyed by a bomb 38 minutes after take-off while flying over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members. Parts of the aircraft crashed into a residential area, killing an additional 11 people. The series follows the true life story of Jim Swire (Firth) and his wife Jane in their quest for justice for the victims, who included their daughter Flora. [2]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Otto Bathurst David Harrower 2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Flora Swire, daughter to Jim Swire, boards Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988. The flight crashes over Lockerbie, killing all passengers and crew on board as well as 11 residents on the ground. The Swire family journey to Lockerbie, where a journalist reveals to Jim personally that a warning had been given to the FAA sixteen days prior to the attack but was ignored due to it being perceived a hoax. A pressure group is formed with Jim as its representative to force the UK government to launch its own independent enquiry into the attack and as to why the government did not act in regards to the warnings received. The Prime Minister later announces that an independent enquiry will not take place. Jim promises that he will himself take up an investigation on his own merit.
2"Episode 2"Otto BathurstDavid Harrower2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Jim Swire continues his campaign for truth and justice, two suspects – Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah – are indicted for the bombing, believed to be Libyan Intelligence Agents.
3"Episode 3" Jim Loach David Harrower2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Jumping forward to 2000 and the Lockerbie trial finally begins after 12 years in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Jim questions the evidence against the two suspects.
4"Episode 4"Otto BathurstDavid Harrower2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Convinced they have the wrong man, Jim grows closer to the convicted Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
5"Episode 5"Otto BathurstDavid Harrower2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Jim starts to wonder if they will ever learn the truth.

Production

The series is a co-production between Sky Studios, Peacock and Carnival Films. The development of the series was first reported in February 2022. [4]

Executive producers include Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant for Carnival Films, Sam Hoyle for Sky Studios and David Harrower, Liz Trubridge, Jim Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan and Oskar Slingerland. Maryam Hamidi is an associate producer and Brian Kaczynski is a producer. It is based on Dr Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph's book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice. The book has been adapted by David Harrower. Directors include Otto Bathurst and Jim Loach. [5]

Colin Firth was reported to be cast in January 2024 as Dr Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora on the plane. [6] Colin Firth told the New York Times that in the decades following the initial, widespread shock, "fewer and fewer people cared, or even knew about, the disaster". [7] Swire approved of Firth playing him. [8]

Filming took place in Scotland in February 2024, in the Friars Brae area of Linlithgow. [9]

Filming also took place at Pyramids Studios in Bathgate. Bathgate town centre and areas around bathgate along with Forth side near Stirling. [10]

Release

The five-part series premiered on 2 January 2025. [11] It will be broadcast on Sky Television and streaming service Now TV in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Peacock in the United States. [12]

Reception

The series holds a 68% "Fresh" score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10. [13] In a positive review, Nick Curtis of the London Standard wrote, "This is a thoroughly decent, even honourable attempt to remind us what the Lockerbie atrocity was, and why it matters that it remains unresolved." [14] Conversely, Alison Rowat of The Herald wrote, "In leaving many questions unanswered the makers could be hoping that interest will be rekindled. Yet the opposite might be true. Viewers, stunned by the case’s complexities as set out here, might conclude the truth will never fully emerge." [15]

The series was also criticised by reviewers, [16] and families of the victims for capitalising on the events. [17]

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References

  1. ↑ "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth – Episode Guide | Sky Atlantic | Sky.com". www.sky.com. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  2. ↑ Szalai, Georg (23 January 2024). "Colin Firth to Star in Peacock, Sky Limited Series 'Lockerbie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Lockerbie: The Cast & Characters". www.sky.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Goldbart, Max (24 February 2022). "Sky & Peacock Behind Miniseries About Notorious Lockerbie Disaster; Oscar-Nominated Jim And Kirsten Sheridan To Write". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (23 January 2024). "Colin Firth to Star in 'Lockerbie' Series About 1988 Flight Disaster From Sky and Peacock". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  6. ↑ Mensah, Katelyn (23 January 2024). "Colin Firth to star in new Sky Lockerbie disaster drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Marsh, Calum (7 January 2025). "Colin Firth Wants Answers in 'Lockerbie: A Search for Truth'". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  8. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62310j6r7do
  9. ↑ Buchanan, Jill (8 February 2024). "Flight 103: Film crew in Linlithgow to work on Lockerbie bombing TV series". Falkirk Herald. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Ferguson, Brian (16 April 2024). "Stirling reveals film and TV vision for former MoD base used for key scenes in Lockerbie disaster drama". The Scotsman. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  11. ↑ Goldbart, Max (14 October 2024). "'Lockerbie: A Search for Truth': Peacock & Sky Unveil Trailer For Colin Firth Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  12. ↑ Whittock, Jesse (23 January 2024). "Colin Firth To Star In Sky & Peacock Limited Series 'Lockerbie' As Campaigner & Grieving Father Jim Swire". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth: Limited Series". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  14. ↑ Curtis, Nick (27 December 2024). "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth on Sky – a meticulous and honourable dramatisation of the 1988 atrocity and what happened next". Evening Standard . Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  15. ↑ Rowat, Alison (27 December 2024). "Review, Lockerbie: a Search for Truth". The Herald. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  16. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/02/lockerbie-a-search-for-truth-review-colin-firths-disaster-drama-is-worryingly-close-to-a-casualty-episode
  17. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn012g8xlyzo
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