Steve Coogan dons the bizarre floral robe which Jimmy Savile wore to host Songs of Praise in 1969 – as he films scenes for controversial BBC drama The Reckoning

• The actor, 56, sported the elaborate cloak while filming a scene where the late TV presenter hosted a 1969 episode of Songs Of Praise
• Coogan will play Savile – who died in 2011 – in forthcoming BBC drama, which will give an account of his rise to fame as a popular pirate radio disc jockey 
• He was seen sporting a bizarre floral robe as he again transformed into disgraced Jimmy Savile to film scenes for the BBC drama
• A damning report detailed Savile’s decades of abuse across the NHS and how management turned a blind eye because of his fame

Steve Coogan was seen sporting a bizarre floral robe as he again transformed into disgraced Jimmy Savile to film scenes for the BBC drama The Reckoning.

The actor, 56, sported the elaborate cloak while filming a scene where the late TV presenter hosted a 1969 episode of Songs Of Praise.

Coogan will play Savile – who died in 2011 – in forthcoming BBC drama, which will give an account of his rise to fame as a popular pirate radio disc jockey and eventual mainstream TV success on shows such as Top Of The Pops and Jim’ll Fix It.

Filming: Steve Coogan was seen sporting a bizarre floral robe as he again transformed into disgraced Jimmy Savile to film scenes for the BBC drama The Reckoning

Stepping into Savile’s shoes during another location shoot in the north of England, Coogan filmed scenes depicting Savile in 1969, when he was 43-years old.

His looks had been radically changed, with a jutting prosthetic chin helping to sculpt his otherwise conventional features into the leery, angular faced Savile. 

During the scene, Coogan, who was sporting a bright blonde wig and cream roll rick, held a wooden staff and spoke into a microphone. 

Seeing double: The actor, 56, sported the elaborate cloak while filming a scene where the late TV presenter presented a 1969 episode of Songs Of Praise

Action: Coogan will play Savile – who died in 2011 – in forthcoming BBC drama, which will give an account of his rise to fame as a popular pirate radio disc jockey and eventual mainstream TV success on shows such as Top Of The Pops and Jim’ll Fix It

Coogan was surrounded by extras who were playing choir members, while the production crew were also pictured standing nearby.

A damning report detailed Savile’s decades of abuse across the NHS and how management turned a blind eye because of his fame and the amount of cash he raised for charity. 

Victims included a young girl raped 10 times when she visited the hospital where her parents worked. The investigation found that none of the complaints were ‘either taken seriously or escalated to senior management’. 

On location: Stepping into Savile’s shoes during another location shoot in the north of England, Coogan, 56, filmed scenes depicting Savile in 1969, when he was 43-years old

Action! His looks had been radically changed, with a jutting prosthetic chin helping to sculpt his otherwise conventional features into the leery, angular faced Savile

He went onto abuse a total of 177 patients, aged between five and 75, across 41 hospitals. Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire was where his abuse was most prolific.

The decision to chronicle Savile’s life has come under fire from many, however BBC has stated that they worked with his victims and will portray a story ‘with sensitivity and respect’.

Steve, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, previously explained in a statement the decision to play Savile was not one ‘I took lightly’.

He added: ‘Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively a horrific story which, however harrowing, needs to be told.’

Plot: A damning report detailed Savile’s decades of abuse across the NHS and how management turned a blind eye because of his fame and the amount of cash he raised for charity

The Reckoning: Coogan was surrounded by extras who were playing choir members, while the production crew were also pictured standing nearby

Savile, who rose from a humble working-class upbringing to become one of British television’s biggest stars, passed away aged 84 in 2011.

In his final years, he fought to quell growing speculation about his illegal exploits throughout his illustrious career with the BBC – with victim testimony expected to be brought to life in the new drama.

A BBC-led inquiry into his actions found he had molested at least 72 children, some as young as eight, over a four decade campaign of sexual abuse with his first victim in 1959 and his last in 2006.

His horrific reign of abuse could be charted ‘in the corridors, canteens, staircases and dressing rooms of every BBC premises’, their 2016 report found.

Hidden in plain sight: Savile was a much loved public figure in life, but he would be exposed as a serial sexual predator following his death in 2011. Here he is pictured at the Wren House International Telephone Exchange in 1975

Executive producer, Jeff Pope, said: ‘I think this is a story that has to be told. We must understand why a man like Jimmy Savile seemed to remain immune for so long to proper scrutiny and criminal investigation.

‘Steve has a unique ability to inhabit complex characters and will approach this role with the greatest care and integrity.’

The BBC also says it will draw on ‘extensive and wide-ranging research sources’ or the project, examining the lasting impact of Savile’s crimes and the ‘powerlessness’ his victims felt.

Here he comes: Steve Coogan returned to work on Tuesday morning as he filmed his latest scenes as disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile in a controversial new drama based on his life, death and posthumous notoriety as a serial sex offender

Piers Wenger Controller, of BBC Drama, added: ‘The story of Jimmy Savile is one of the most emotive and troubling of our times. We do not intend to sensationalise these crimes but to give voice to his victims.

‘We will work with survivors to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect and to examine the institutions which Jimmy Savile was associated with and the circumstances in which these crimes took place.

‘Drama has the ability to tackle sensitive real life subjects and consider the impact of a crime on its survivors and what lessons can be learnt to stop this ever happening again.’

A release date has yet to be announced with filming for the series expected to continue taking place in Manchester over the coming months.

Source: Read Full Article