BBC, Netflix announce drama based on Lockerbie bombing
A series dramatising the Lockerbie bombing has been commissioned by the BBC and Netflix nearly 35 years after the flight from London to New York exploded mid-air, the BBC announced Monday.
The British broadcaster and international streaming giant have asked World Productions to make Lockerbie, a six-part drama series based on real events of the December 1988 bombing and the joint Scots-US investigation which followed.
Pan Am flight 103 was flying over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, en-route to JFK airport from Heathrow just days before Christmas, when a bomb exploded in its hold, killing all 259 on board and another 11 on the ground.
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The tragedy remains the worst ever terror attack to take place in the UK. Former Libyan intelligence officer, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, is the only person convicted in relation to the attack so far.
The series will shine a light on the aftermath of the bombing, from the cross-Atlantic investigation which followed to the turmoil experienced by the Lockerbie community and the families of the victims.
Lockerbie will feature stories from interviews with officers involved in the investigations that have "never previously" been shared, according to the BBC statement.
British novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee will be the lead writer of the series which was researched and initiated by filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths.
"The Pan Am 103 Disaster and the global manhunt it spawned was a defining event in world history -- one that contains so many instances of resilience and courage that deserve to be honoured and understood," said Lee.
Gaynor Holmes, BBC commissioning editor, said:
"We have the right team in place to tell this extraordinary story with the greatest of care (reflecting) the devastating events of that night, the complex and far-reaching investigation that followed and the effect it had on all those who lost loved ones."
Lockerbie will first be aired by the BBC followed by Netflix in the UK and globally after filming later this year.
