Lockerbie from above

Lockerbie – BBC & Netflix announce cast for their drama series

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The six-part drama stars Conor Swindells, Patrick J. Adams and Phyllis Logan.

The BBC and Netflix have announced casting for its upcoming dramatization of the Lockerbie disaster.

Made by World Productions (Line of Duty), the six-part series aims to tackle the  events surrounding the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the joint Scots-US investigation which sought to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Here’s the official synopsis:

On 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans. It was the worst ever terror attack on British soil and the first major one on US citizens.

Lockerbie will focus on the investigation into the crash on both sides of the Atlantic and the devastating effect it had on the small town and the families who lost loved ones. From the initial exhaustive search for evidence on the ground in Scotland, via the US and Malta to the trial at Camp Zeist in 2000, the drama takes us right up to the most recent indictment at the end of 2022.

The project was initiated by filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths whose research includes extensive interviews with Scottish police officers and representatives from United States investigative agencies, many of whom have never previously shared their stories.

The drama comes from acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee, with two episodes written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park.

The cast

The production has assembled an impressive cast, topped by Connor Swindells Connor Swindells (SAS Rogue Heroes) and Patrick J. Adams (Suits). They’re joined by Tony Curran (Mary & George), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) and Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey).

Also in the ensemble are Merritt Wever, Peter Mullan, Lauren Lyle, Andrew Rothney, Parker Sawyers, James Harkness, Khalid Laith and Amanda Drew.

The series comes from World Productions, in association with MGM Television and Night Train Media.

Filming on Lockerbie is underway in Scotland and will continue in both Malta and Toronto.

The other Lockerbie

As we reported in January, there’s another drama about the tragedy in the offing. Also called Lockerbie, Colin Firth is leading a Sky/Peacock five-part dramatization about the disaster and the subsequent quest for justice by the parents of one of its victims.

The series comes from Scottish playwright David Harrower, with Otto Bathurst and Jim Loach directing. It’s a co-production between Carnival Films and Sky Studios.

We’ll keep you posted on both Lockerbie productions.