Started out promising when i saw the footage in the opening sequence where the camera zooms in on his eyeball rings - more on that in a tick. The first 3 quarters of this build him up to the national treasure, then quickly finishes with not enough victim interviews. But stuff thats been proved now is missing. For one, that he was a necrophile and used his positions at hospitals to gain access to the morgues. Those rings were glass eyes taken from corpses. He continually flaunted and said things openly but no one saw it then for what it was . I thought it was interesting how he said that because he did so many good things, he was allowed to do all the bad things, as a balance well, look how much good he did do, so imagine just what depths this monster went down to. A friend of mine worked at BBC in makeup and she said it was a given that you never left him alone with children or women on their own. I would have liked to have seen interviews with Ransen and JS Porter who have said they knew but as a woman in tv back then, you said nothing. Shame on them. This is a nowhere near complete doco.
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philstrachan7 April 2022
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Lejink18 April 2022I remember driving through the beautiful hills of Glencoe years ago, when my eye was attracted to a remote cottage on a high promontory which must have commanded a spectacular view of the glens. However, the house looked burned-out and ruined, covered in graffiti, like a desecration. I later learned that this was one of Jimmy Savile's retreats and that after his fall from grace when the news broke about his unspeakable criminal offences against mostly defenceless underage girls (although the programme-makers in fact inform us that allegations were made by victims ranging from the ages of 5 and 75 and included members of both sexes), some locals had taken the law into their own hands and laid waste to it.
Savile was certainly a part of my growing up. Always as much a TV as radio personality, I remembered listening to his "Pick Of The Pops" chart history programme on Radio One and also his "Savile's Travels" Sunday afternoon show, the latter seeing him visit towns and villages the length of the country. With what we know now, one hesitates to think what he might have got up to in these different places. However, his fame and later claim to "National Treasure" status was based mostly on his TV persona, not only as a zany presenter of "Top Of The Pops" but as a bona-fide family entertainer on shows like "Clunk Click" and his biggest TV hit "Jim'll Fix It" where he came across as an avuncular granter-of-wishes, mostly to young kids, making childhood dreams come true. It was massively successful prime-time TV, and ran for years on BBC1.
Savile used his celebrity to raise funds for charities he said were close to his heart, like local hospitals or children's homes and in so-doing raised his society profile so that he was soon mixing in circles with the Royal Family and then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Away from the spotlight however, stories were starting to circle about his propensity for underage girls. He never seemed to have a steady girl-friend, far less wife, living alone after his beloved mother died, occasionally boasting on TV about his roving eye for young girls.
Somehow, by a combination of his "untouchable", TV god-status as well as hiring a powerful, big-name solicitor to aggressively take down any threat of exposure of his crimes to the wider-public, he got away with his abuses all his life and in fact received what was akin to almost a state funeral in his home town before, within a year, the truth about his vile misdeeds finally broke out.
Told over two lengthy episodes, this two-part Netflix documentary series is light on Savile's beginnings, really only picking up his rise to fame as it was captured on the small screen. His depravity is only hinted at before, in the second programme, after he dies, the full story emerges, no doubt shaming his high and mighty friends as well as professional colleagues who somehow missed what was in plain view all the time, that the man was a creepy, crazy monster, using his position of power to gratify his sub-normal urges.
Although it was sometimes slow in pace, this programme eventually delivered its incontrovertible conclusion with great impact as it allows two of his young female victims, now grown to obviously still-damaged adulthood, to tell their stories. As we now know, some 400 people later came forward with similar sad stories and I even remember accusations of necrophilia at one point.
The great sadness here, besides the physical and psychological damage inflicted on his victims, is that he was never brought to justice and died considered almost a national hero. His was a tale of gross abuse of celebrity status which he managed to conceal all his life, although the truth, even sordid, perverted truth like this, thankfully got out to at last set the record straight. -
joebloggscity6 April 2022This is a very uncomfortable viewing, and sensitivity is key. Many of us in the UK have been very aware of Saville (although I was never a fan or viewer of any of his shows), and the revelations that came out shocked the country in so many ways. This documentary in my opinion covers it all very well, and respectfully.
There are a number of talking heads, and as much as many claim their own failings in more speedily bringing to light the truth, there are still so many questions to ask.
It goes without saying what Saville was & will be seen as. It's a tragedy (to put it mildly) that he got away with it all in life.
This documentary is possibly the best I've seen on it. The Louis Theroux documentaries previously also covered it as best as possible. There's still a lot to know BUT more importantly learn from to ensure we are all knowledgeable about what happened to avoid anyone else pulling the wool over our eyes too.
To the victims, my full respect to you, and I wish you all the strength in the world. -
daviddunn-906539 April 2022The Jimmy Savile story is horrific , complex, and was needing told properly, an in depth study of what made this man the way he was. It needed an insight into his many victims,their stories and how lives were ruined.
Unfortunately this latest documentary offered nothing new. The same stuff wehave seen many times. It was slow paced and never really got its teeth properly into why Jimmy Savile did what he did. What were his early days like, as a child, his upbringing ? It was briefly mentioned but never elaborated on. Instead we get the same story thats been told many times before in similar documentaries.
It had its interesting moments, but overall this documentary was a disappointing anti-climax after all hype from Netflix. -
Calicodreamin6 April 2022A long winded build up to finally revealing the horrors Jimmy Savile wreaked during his lifetime. The interviews were relevant, good use of archival footage, and the doc flowed easily.
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tkdlifemagazine8 April 2022This story is a National tragedy of the British entertainment scene. This documentary tells the story of the rise and posthumous fall of one of Britain's top entertainers for 5 decades. Jimmy Savile was an odd man who managed to keep much of his personal life out of the press and the source of much speculation. He controlled his image and he did many great things for people in need. But there was a dark side that was hinted at but eventually surfaced. Some things that were unclear was whether his good deeds were the vehicle to hide the bad or to ease his conscience. It is also unclear to what extent people looked the other way. Why is clear is his fame gave him access to do unspeakable things to innocents. This story parallels Bull Cosby' sin many ways. Told through interviews, footage, and narration it is good. It could have been a movie Instead of two parts but there was such a long history of footage I guess it makes sense.
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lovedude_246 April 2022This documentary is 240 mins and divided into 2 episodes. It is only the final act of this documentary they talk about the actual sexual exploits. The entire show is a build up to the last 25 mins which actually deals with what happens.
Its one of those doco's where a person will come on and say, "You would hear these things, but you wouldn't believe it.... but deep down. I knew!". This goes on for everyone who comes on the show. It's really laughable.
So, I would say, don't watch it. Watch a YouTube video which deals with this topic. I will also say, it is just a Netflix thing to stretch out shows and this was really stretched out. You might find your attention wandering. -
Zerbey7 April 2022The documentary was interesting, but it really only scratched the surface of what the man did whilst mostly being bogged down in his life story (particularly in the first half) and focusing too much on several episodes of his antics on camera. The actual allegations and interviews with his victims are relegated to the final act of the second episode, this should have been in the forefront of the documentary.
Sitting watching this documentary with my American wife I frequently found myself having to explain the context of what we were watching, I think it didn't really address how much of a "national treasure" he was considered during his lifetime and how much the rumors were only whispered and rarely, if ever, brought up in the UK media. I would also have liked to see them talk more about the infamous Louis Theroux documentary, this was only very briefly touched upon.
Still, it does a good job of presenting this awful episode in British history to a wider audience so I recommend it. -
Mehki_Girl6 April 2022Aided and abetted by the rich and the powerful. Basically, he was telling people what he was from the very beginning and no one listened and children suffered as well as adults.
His victims ranged from children as young as 5 years old and adults as old as 75.
Here's the problem, no one, but no one listens to the weak, the powerless, and the poor.
What documentary leaves out is the length and the breath of what he did to the victims and for how long so most of this documentary is about the making of Jimmy Savile.
They do not address the rumors that he also molested corpses. He molested children on camera. Harassed women right in front of the camera.
What predators like this do is, they rely on the goodness and the politeness of others. People who don't want to make a "mistake" and accuse you of inappropriate behavior, because in their minds they're thinking, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm misinterpreting what someone just did or said to me?
And for helpless children, they expect the adults around them to see that they are suffering and no one is looking and no one is paying attention.
It's so sad as an American I can't really see the popularity of this individual. Came across as intelligent, but also creepy. Everyone dismiss their feelings or suspicions about him.
You do get to see a couple of journalists who try to dig a little deeper or watching their facial expression you see that they have a gut feeling that something is very wrong with this guy.
But in the end everyone dismissed their own gut feelings. The really sad part is the police force and the BBC actually squashed information about this guy and what he was. He was a sociopath and he was a predator.
Really sad, but worth the watch. I watched this in one sitting. I thought this was a fairly well done documentary; but there were some things that were left out, including the suspected molestation of corpses, to which he was given free reign because he was friends with the mortician. I believe that those rumors were true because obviously he sought the weak and the vulnerable \. W]What's more weak and vulnerable and unresistant and defenseless, but a corpse.
As a society when are we going to learn the signs and the symptoms of the predators among us? -
Long winded historical setup (part 1) which then leads into an equally long winded collage of bland opinions in Part 2 with dramatic music and still images but no mention of, nor any critical analysis, of the consequences and eventual fallout of the truth coming out. Continuously repeating similar bland opinions from people who suspected what could have happened does not constitute a documentary. This documentary would have been better if it had been condensed into a one-hour documentary. I just finished it and I'd like to get one hour back of the two hours lost watching this one.
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Sleepin_Dragon22 April 2022A two part documentary exposing the rise and posthumous fall of the former DJ, and prolific predator, Jimmy Savile.
The first part deals with his beginnings, where he came from, his charity work, the circles he moved in, the second, is a lot more intense, it deals with the real man underneath the cigar smoking facade.
I'm stunned how it wasn't seen by everyone, the revelations are shocking, and the accounts of his victims are truly horrific.
It's a very well made documentary, it's incredibly uncomfortable viewing, but it is interesting, shocking to believe how such things happened.
Creepier than anything, shame on those that facilitated his behaviour, and allowed it to happen. It would have been easy to say, I don't want to watch it, he makes my skin crawl, I just wanted to understand how it could happen.
Andrew Neal did at least try to take him to task.
A shocking story, 8/10. -
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story
Jimmy Savile was one of United Kingdom's most beloved TV personalities. Shortly after his death in 2011, an investigation prompted more than 450 horrific allegations of sexual assault and abuse, with victims as young as 5.
The irony is that, he was very close to Prince Charles, Lady Diana & then British PM Margaret Thatcher. He was actually Knighted ( can u believe it!!!) .
He unfortunately escaped punishment as investigations only heated up after his death.
A classic case of "justice delayed is justice denied".
Not bad but the series unfortunately focusses more on Jimmy's achievements rather than his sexual deviance. Only a small portion is devoted to the testimony of victims ( maybe due to fear of being sued as the perp had already passed away & was a public figure with a close connect with the common people).
Nevertheless, a decent watch.
3/5 from me for this one .... Adios 🙂 -
herecomesjuan8 April 2022Spends 2 hours going on about Savile and the accolades, the programs he made, the people he hung out with and on and on and on. Honestly we all know he was an icon and didn't need to be reminded of it for 2 slow long hours.
The second half is better but rushed and for me it's more where the focus should have been. For me it was an important documentary to see how the British public, Government, Police were fooled for so long and let him get away with his disgusting sexual assaults just because he was famous. He got away with it till he died and never paid for his crimes. Really sad because you can see from some of the victim's accounts that they still live with this monsters crimes to this day.
Unfortunately the documentary for me was just all over the place and the pacing was the worst I have seen from Netflix. -
admhr-043739 April 2022It's a great documentary, but it could have been tightened up into one episode. There is too much repetition of what is essentially the same information.
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LAMSYD1310 April 2022Interesting to see the story of who he was but did not go into enough detail on the crimes he committed. Lots of allusion and the odd light hearted question but no real interrogatory questions. A better documentary would be to investigate the people who surrounded him and who enabled him to do what he did. For the length of time he was allegedly active, someone must have known what he was doing. The BBC, hospitals, morgues, police forces, VIPs and royalty - someone knew!
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highpriestess324 May 2022This is a good documentary series. In 1986 or thereabouts, I was the daughter of an army officer in Berkshire whereby a wheelchair marathon was hosted on the parade ground as the finishing line. Savile was less 'Savile Row' but more gold tracksuit.
My late father was keen on slimline cigars at the time and he asked me to hand JS his last cigar and get his autograph. JS was sat behind a sort of school desk after the marathon. I was 16-years-old but looked like 13 I suppose. He stared at my (still) prepubescent chest, eyed me up and down and asked me straight out "Are you passionately in love with me?"
When the allegations first broke I had no doubt as to his demeanour nor his guilt. He was allowed access to places that people, even celebrities, should have been restricted from. He had a God Complex and was hiding in plain sight. -
sarahkhayes11 April 2022This documentary is sensitively done and uses a lot of archival footage which I liked. I felt so much for those who had been abused by that man. What I didn't realise was that there was only 2 episodes. I was left thinking 'is that it?' I felt angry that there was so much about how great he was/his achievements. I wanted to know more about the investigations and hear more about the inquiries that followed. Disappointed really.
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juan_moran9 April 2022I always think the same, I don't care all all all about his life, should be shorter with a resume of that bullsh1t and why the police help him, come on...
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grahamf-5554215 April 2022When I began this I had assumed it was a single episode, so I was surprised to discover two. Many reviewers have complained the whole thing was too long but I disagree. I felt the detail was bearable and there wasn't too much repetition of the visual images.
What justified the length was the need to cover how his crimes remained covered from the general public for such a long time. A sad indictment of those people who should all share the blame, but we assume went unpunished. At least Andrew Neil was brave enough to admit that the journalists had failed, along with so many others.
Uncomfortable viewing, but recommended. -
fostrhod8 April 2022You have got to see Jimmy Saville, A British Horror Story, on Netflix. It's a grim 2 1/2 hour overview of how his exploits, were ignored by all throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. Loads of questions left unanswered. Royals, Conservative Party and the Police all are embroiled in what was going. Question Netflix how you can list The Beatles to be the stars, or any of the others who happen to be on shows that Saville appeared on, unless they made a contemporary contribution, Nevertheless compelling viewing
It's unbelievable. -
Jimmy savile was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing, a beloved UK entertainer, whose fan base mainly consisted of young teens (thanks to his radio work) and kids courtesy of his hit tv show 'Jim or fix it'. His crimes, when eventually revealed were therefore more shocking, because of the trust and belief his young fans had in him and the access his job offered him in terms of potential victims.
This two part Netflix documentary thankfully avoids the lurid sensationalism that has been the norm when discussing or reviewing the Seville case in the mainstream media. The first part is a a contextual almost sober look at savile's professional career pre scandal and it is the most riveting episode, juxtaposing images of an exuberant albeit eccentric entertaining the nation via his myriad media work with information that reveals that this was the amongst the most prolific times n his monstrous criminal history. Part 2 is no less devastating but more forthright and detailed when dealing with his crimes. Suspicions are aroused, alliances are made with innocent members of the UK establishment, who knew nothing of savilles dark side and who were ultimately used as smokescreen of respectability for this truly wretched man. Part 2 culminates with his death and public unveiling as a predatory monster. What this superb two part documentary does so well is explore how the public were deceived , how the signs were always there and how one man used the cult of personality as a shield to batter away accusations. Rather than focus on all the lurid details of his crimes, it looks at how his crimes were able to be committed in the first place. -
gorepop-699782 May 2022A documentary that stands out for its hard investigative work, but that lacks rhythm and editing expertise. Through its two parts, viewers can witness the sadistic and ambiguous personality of Jimmy Savile for most of the footage. However, a couple of more testimonies seem to be missing, since a number of 500 abstract victims subtract a slice of truth. It's worth it.
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ingamazonaite7 April 2022I felt documentary was just so so. There was a lot talking about Jimmy savile,basically took all time of documentary and it was very little time dedicated to victims.
It felt very rushed at the end.
Started very slow and rushed at the end. I don't think it shown more, than was already known from newspapers and Internet articles.
Nothing special about this documentary. -
manonlemieux25 September 2022Constantly saying he's a villain, a sinner, grabbing girls, that his credit needed to be more than his debit to get into heaven.. basically being a creep and no one believed him.
When someone tells you who they are, believe them.
Reminded me of Athlete A in the secrecy, the coverups, the denial and protection of a pedophile.
But as much as the content was important and disturbing, the way it was presented was horrible. 90% of this too long documentary was about how wonderful people thought he was. Not knowing who he was, I had no idea what he did, and didn't find out 'til almost the end of a too long first episode. -
westywales20 April 2022I rarely leave reviews on IMDB but felt compelled to leave a brief one for this. I think the pacing and detail is flawed but when we (finally) get to a very respectful and mercifully not-over-edited interview with one of Savile's victims it becomes incredibly powerful and moving and really hits like a sledgehammer on the most important aspect of this terrible story. Not a perfect documentary but definitely worth watching for some of the first-hand accounts of some of the most significant figures involved in exposing this genuinely evil man. Even if it was all too late.