Brand new factual drama Lockerbie has been announced by the BBC and Netflix.
The six-part series will delve into the real-life events surrounding the tragic 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the joint Scots-US investigation that aimed to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Lockerbie will air on BBC One and iPlayer followed by Netflix in the UK and globally.
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, en route from Heathrow to JFK, was ripped apart by a bomb over the quiet Scottish town of Lockerbie, claiming the lives of 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans. This devastating act of terrorism was the worst attack ever on British soil and a significant one on American citizens.
Lockerbie’s cast includes Connor Swindells (SAS Rogue Heroes, Sex Education), Patrick J. Adams (Suits, A League of Their Own), Merritt Wever (Unbelievable, Godless), Peter Mullan (Ozark, Payback), Tony Curran (Mary & George, Mayflies) and Eddie Marsan (Ridley Road, The Pact), Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie, Vigil), Andrew Rothney (The Undeclared War, Traces), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Guilt), Parker Sawyers (Spy/Master, P-Valley), James Harkness (The Sixth Commandment, The Victim), Khalid Laith (Vigil, Cobra), and Amanda Drew (The Gold, Wolf).
Lockerbie will explore the investigation into the crash, spanning both sides of the Atlantic, and its profound impact on the small town and the families who lost loved ones. From the extensive search for evidence in Scotland to the involvement of the US and Malta and culminating in the trial at Camp Zeist in 2000, the series will depict the journey leading up to the most recent indictment at the end of 2022.
The inspiration for the project came from filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths, who conducted thorough interviews with Scottish police officers and representatives from United States investigative agencies, many of whom had never shared their stories before.
Jonathan Lee, who writes the series with Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park, said: “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. It’s a privilege to write this story for the screen.”
Simon Heath, CEO of programme makers World Productions, added: “We feel honoured to be given the responsibility of bringing such an extraordinary and epoch defining story to the screen, via Jonathan and Gillian’s brilliant scripts.
