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Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story

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Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story
Title card of the documentary
GenreDocu-series
Directed byRowan Deacon
StarringJimmy Savile
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes2
Production
Running time79 minutes (Part 1)
91 minutes (Part 2)
Production company72 Films
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseApril 6, 2022 (2022-04-06)

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is a two-part Netflix documentary series released on April 6, 2022. It covers the life and career of the British television personality Jimmy Savile, his history of committing sexual abuse, and the scandal that occurred after his death in 2011, when numerous complaints were raised about his behaviour.

Interviewees

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As well as colleagues, associates and victims of Savile, some of the public figures interviewed for the series include:

Archive footage

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A number of media personalities and significant historical figures are featured in archive footage.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byOriginal release date
1"Part 1"Rowan DeaconApril 6, 2022 (2022-04-06)
Jimmy Savile rises to superstardom, first as a radio DJ, then as a TV presenter for Top of the Pops and children's TV show Jim'll Fix It. His apparently tireless volunteer and charity work, particularly for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, combined with his eccentric personality, make him a beloved public figure, and by the 1980s is one of the most famous faces in Britain. He develops close relationships with the British establishment, including politicians and members of the British royal family. But many who encounter him are struck by dark undercurrents to his persona, and sinister rumours circulate around his private life.
2"Part 2"Rowan DeaconApril 6, 2022 (2022-04-06)
Savile's fame and charity work allows him extraordinary access to vulnerable patients as a volunteer at Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital and Stoke Mandeville. Journalists probe the rumours around him but are never able to expose him, as Savile is protected by powerful political and professional connections, the affection of the general public, and his own skill in controlling and manipulating his public image. In 2007 an ageing Savile is questioned under caution by police but is not charged, and in 2011 he dies as a loved and admired "national treasure". A damning posthumous investigation by journalists at the BBC's current affairs programme Newsnight indicts Savile, but the film is shelved by the producers and never broadcast. Nearly a year after his death, Savile's crimes are finally exposed by rival TV channel ITV, creating a scandal that implicates some of the most important institutions in the country.

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.00/10. The website's consensus reads: "Charting the rise and fall of Jimmy Savile's public persona, A British Horror Story is a chilling examination of how a nation became enamored with a monster hiding in plain sight."[3]

Reviewing the programme for The Independent, Louis Chilton said, "Netflix's two-part documentary is a slick and occasionally devastating portrait of Savile's evil life, but the subject matter proves too thorny for the standard true crime treatment."[4] Carol Midgley for The Times said, "... like all documentaries about this disgusting pervert, unpleasant to watch. This is not just because of the gruesome detail, such as Savile routinely sticking his fingers into girls' vaginas and promising troubled teenagers trips to the BBC studios in return for oral sex. It is also uncomfortable because, as we know, the nation lauded, hero-worshipped and indeed knighted a psychopathic paedophile."[5]

Writing in the Radio Times, Jane Garvey said "I was a student in the 1980s and we all 'knew' about him. There were always rumours. Some seemed faintly plausible, if unpleasant; others sounded quite outlandish and impossible, surely... In fact, they all turned out to be true. Even the outlandish stuff."[6] The Globe and Mail's John Doyle wrote, "One approaches this very thorough, meticulous production not with the vague sense of dread that accompanies watching other true-crime docu-series. Instead, you come to it already unsettled by knowledge of the sheer scope of his crimes, and with knowledge of his fame and reputation in Britain."[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Top award-winner was the complete broadcast journalist". Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ Hill, Rose (6 April 2022). "Sinister police recordings show furious Jimmy Savile rage over paedophile allegations". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 26 November 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  4. ^ Chilton, Louis (7 April 2022). "Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story gives a monster the Netflix treatment – review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  5. ^ Midgely, Carol (6 April 2022). "Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story review — how we lauded a pervert and failed his victims". The Times. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  6. ^ Garvey, Jane (23 April 2022). "We all loved Jim'll Fix It". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  7. ^ Doyle, John (2022-04-06). "Monster in plain sight: The horrific Jimmy Savile saga". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2024-12-03. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
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