The Reckoning

Just started watching now, we were a bit unsure about watching, but have decided to give it a go. Some pretty uncomfortable scenes already 😕

Yeah, it really does get straight into the subject. To me that was wise decision rather than paint a fluffy slippers approach.

Just watched the first part after hearing one of his victims that appears in it talking on the radio today.

WOW!

Coogan was superb.

The subject matter isn't pleasant, but you can't pretend it didn't happen, and the way it's done is very, very good.

Have avoided it so far as had relatives at Stoke Mandeville at the time who clearly knew he was up to no good.

Great interview with Coogan on the Beeb site the other day, a brave choice to take on the role.

A difficult watch was that.

What a absolute bastard. Terrible that he got away with it.

The man at the start who said he groomed a nation got it exactly right.

Very, very uncomfortable viewing.

I grew up in the 70s and even then at that age I thought he was a bit weird and frightening. Jim'll Fix It was just so odd.

Watched the first episode last night. Very well done, and brave of Coogan to play the role. What a barsteward.

I saw most of the first episode and 'enjoyed' it - however, it seems most of the mainstream media is getting its knickers in a twist about it as it didn't expose the BBC (amongst others) as being complicit by turning a blind eye to what was going on. I guess it is a difficult balance though - it isn't meant to be an investigation into what went on, it is meant as 'entertainment', albeit very dark.

I thought Coogan was brilliant, but it threw me a bit with him looking old in the scenes set in the 60s – but I hadn't realised how old Savile was - he was 40 in 1966!

The man at the start who said he groomed a nation got it exactly right.<br /><br />

i thought that was such a powerful statement, I’d never heard it being said before but absolutely spot on.

Coogan is outstanding.

I grew up in the 70s and even then at that age I thought he was a bit weird and frightening. Jim’ll Fix It was just so odd.

Perhaps I was naive - but I grew up in the 70's (child of the late 60's) and didn't have a clue.

Ruddy loved Jim'll Fix It and wrote in loads of times.

I grew up in the 70’s (child of the late 60’s) and didn’t have a clue.

Same here, it was only decades later when the rumours started. I remember thinking Louis Theroux had gone a bit easy on him watching that interview... but by then... wow, so much damage. At least that shit would be much harder to get away with nowadays.. only positive I can take from The Reckoning.

Yeah I can’t say he made me feel uneasy as a kid, but my Dad was some what ‘cautious’ of him. He worked in psychiatric care and was involved with a few sexual predators. 

My parents were of an age when they would go to clubs in Manchester when he was about, I know they saw him at TOTP when it was filmed up here. Perhaps they picked up on his "creepy bastard" vibes.

They weren't keen on him when he was on TV.

I wonder what happened to all his bikes 🤔

I saw him driving past once walking around Otley.

I know, it is a cool story bro.

It's quite easy to have always known / suspected, with the benefit of hindsight. I had no idea at the time.

I didn't know this programme existed, I don't watch much broadcast TV. I'll give it a go, cheers.

He used to live in a riverside flat in the city here. As a kid it was cool to have a 'local' celebrity. Hate to think now how many lives here he actually damaged.

I was from that era and like most people I just though his behaviour was eccentric rather than creepy/seedy.

I saw him a few times out jogging near Roundhay or round the ring road in Leeds. Used to pap my horn and he'd give us a wave!

Came out of work at the same time they were moving his coffin out the Queens hotel in Leeds, took a few photos and watched for a few minutes. Then the shit hit the fan and I deleted all the photos quick smart!!

I was born in 76 but didn't really know anything about him other than Jim'll fix it, TOTP, and his running. Always thought he was a weird looking ****er but most of those old TOTP presenters were a bit letchy!

When celebs like Benny Hill and Dick Emery were mainstream TV every week, Jimmy Saville didn't stand out as being particularly odd! 🙂

Just watched the first episode and it is a bit cringy and hard to watch at bits, Steve Coogan is spot on and has the voice to a T

Could it be having played Alan Partridge all these years who seemed to have a few traits of Saville?

Just read the adopted son was banged up for a few years and died in hospital

Didn't realise until reading the above post that he was Ray Teret. Another monster.

Remember Coogan’s career kind of started with Spitting Image so he’s  very good at voices. 

Yeah took me a little while to realise who he was, very disturbing how he insists on that he calls Jimmy father. I guess there’s an unpleasant childhood that Jimmy never spoke about. 

We've watched the first two episodes so far, and yes, the whole thing is deeply disturbing and pretty 'squirmy' in places. Just what he got away with over the years falls nothing short of a scandal, obviously. I thought the scene where he first appeared at the BBC for interview to kick off TOTP was rather telling - Anna Instone (?) had him banged to rights from the moment he walked through the door, and made it VERY clear that she viewed him with nothing short of utter contempt, even at that stage for his personality alone; "He's an absolute shit, wouldn't touch him with a bargepole"

Just finished the final episode, so well done and his downfall was coming but sadly too late for justice. 

Ray Teret

Tangent but,

I'd never heard of Ray Teret so googled him. Got a "people also searched for" suggestion of Fred Talbot. I had completely forgotten about Fred. So I thought I'd mention it here in case anyone else had forgotten the prolific schoolboy-botherer.

I started to watch it last night but, unfortunately, couldn't get past "Steve Coogan doing an impression of Jimmy Saville". A good one, obviously, but somehow whatever I see Coogan in, I always see Coogan.

Just finished watching the last part. So well done.

Having lived through this whole era, I can't believe what went on in plain sight. Yet, looking back, so many signs were there. 

I remember when John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) made some comments about Saville in the late 1970s and thinking 'where did *that* come from??'

I guess it would be wrong to say I enjoyed watching the programmes, but I did find them very engaging, and I think the series will have a useful role in 'setting the record straight' or something like that.

I take my hat off to Coogan, and the abuse victims who were part of it.

tillydog , we've watched 3 of the 4 . Like you I lived through the time . I find it disturbing to watch but at the same time compelling . I remember seeing a clip of an interview he did later in his life where he said a lot of things will come out after I'm gone that will shock everyone or did I imagine that ? It's the sinister way he built that shield around himself I find really disturbing. A recent documentary suggests that he thought as a Catholic that as God hadn't punished him it was alright to carry on? He vowed to " Stop all that shit " after his mum died , that didn't last long did it ? 

Will watch the last episode tonight.

Watched the last one last night.

Can't recall at the time thinking much else than he was a good bloke. Weird as hell of course, but a seemingly genuine force for good.

Just incredible that all that and more went on and didn't come out at the time.

What a disgusting and twisted individual and shame on anyone who turned a blind eye.

Thought Steve Coogan was brilliant.

Two episodes down.

All other things aside, this is a career-defining performance from Coogan. The voice is one thing, he's a voice actor first and foremost after all, and there are occasional blips. But the mannerisms and the development from young Savile to old Savile, it is just astonishing work. If he doesn't need a new shelf for the awards he'll net then there's something wrong.

Fantastic job from Coogan. He captured the fake joviality of Savile’s quips perfectly. I speak from experience.

Only one episode in, but agree, Coogan is going to get a clean sweep of the awards.

just started watching, and very disconcerting. Dark haired girl taken back to the flat in the first proper scene is a friend of my kids through their theatre school. I know it's acting but knowing how young she actually is just made it even more horrible.

just started watching, and very disconcerting. Dark haired girl taken back to the flat in the first proper scene is a friend of my kids through their theatre school.

I started watching it twice it but really struggled and haven't even made it to the end of that scene... I just found it too uncomfortable to watch knowing what we know now.

A testamant to his acting I guess.. and I say that as someone who loves horror films and weird phycological dramas etc.

2 episodes in and it's hard to use the word "enjoyable" as it's very grim but it's fantastically well done. A few times I've thought "that's very Partridge-esque" of Coogan's performance but I suspect in reality Coogan would have put some Saville mannerisms into Partridge over the years

@mattyfez yes, it’s very difficult to watch I get where you’re coming from. I found really difficult for some scenes, the first episode is almost tame in comparison. 

I started to watch it last night but, unfortunately, couldn’t get past “Steve Coogan doing an impression of Jimmy Saville”. A good one, obviously, but somehow whatever I see Coogan in, I always see Coogan.

Same here. Extremely well done and disturbing but I kept expecting it to devolve in to comedy because Steve Coogan. Only watched first two episodes. Hats off to his victims to be involved with the making of it.

In a cool story bro aside, an old workmate of mine once pushed Saville down a small flight of stairs in a Scarborough hotel.

Just watched the last one. It was a struggle to watch, really uncomfortable viewing. I thought Coogan's acting was superb. Voice, mannerisms, the way he aged and the constant undercurrent of menace and manipulation he projected were spot on.

What a grade A thunder**** Saville was and what a screaming injustice that he went to his grave without facing his victims in court.

What a grade A thunder**** Saville was and what a screaming injustice that he went to his grave without facing his victims in court.

you could argue that he never got to stand there and try to wheedle himself out of it all - he did what he did and everyone knows he did and he can’t try to hoodwink anyone.

I just don't have any desire to watch it, maybe I should give it a try tho. 

The scene where the cubs/scouts get their group medal then the lad is abused in his dressing room. When he got home and had a tear running down his cheek. Ooft that got me.