The BBC has announced released the launch date, first trailer and new artwork for the forthcoming factual drama The Bombing of Pan Am 103. The series begins on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Sunday 18 May, with new episodes premiering at 9pm every Sunday and Monday for three weeks.
On 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over 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 act of terrorism against US citizens.
Watch the series’ trailer in the player below:
The series follows the untold story of the Scots-US investigation into the attack 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 series leads up to the forthcoming new trial in the US.The Bombing of Pan Am 103 also highlights the human impact on the investigators, the families and the Lockerbie community as it sought to rebuild and connect with bereaved families around the world.
The trailer features cast members including Connor Swindells (SAS Rogue Heroes, Sex Education), Patrick J. Adams (Suits, A League of Their Own), Merritt Wever (Unbelievable, Severance), Peter Mullan (Ozark, Payback), Tony Curran (Mary & George, Mayflies), Eddie Marsan (The Power, Ray Donovan), Nicholas Gleaves (After The Flood, The Rising) and Kevin McKidd (Greys Anatomy, Six Four).
The series also features Douglas Hodge (The Great, Catastrophe), Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie, Vigil), Andrew Rothney (The Undeclared War, Traces), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Guilt), Cora Bissett (Annika, Shetland), Parker Sawyers (Spy/Master, P-Valley), James Harkness (The Sixth Commandment, The Victim), Molly Geddes (Dinosaur, Where We Stop), Khalid Laith (Vigil, Cobra), Amanda Drew (The Gold, Wolf) and more.
Today’s trailer also includes the first clip of The Bombing of Pan Am 103’s soundtrack, composed by the award-winning Scottish band Mogwai.
Alongside acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee as lead writer, two episodes are written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park. The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is produced by World Productions (United, the story of the Munich air disaster, and Anne, the drama about Hillsborough mother and justice campaigner Anne Williams) in association with MGM Television (The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes, Fargo) and Night Train Media (Rogue Agent, Catch me a Killer). The series was initially developed by MGM Television and Night Train Media. The producer is Julia Stannard (United, War and Peace, Anne) and Michael Keillor (Chimerica, Roadkill, Best Interests) is the director.
The project was developed 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. Producers and writers also spoke to many of the families and loved ones of the victims. Their stories revealed the impact the bombing had on their lives and the heroic activism that followed – resulting in lasting change to the way authorities approached security, safety and duty of care towards those involved in mass fatality incidents.
Filming took place on location in Scotland, Malta and Toronto.
The executive producers are Simon Heath and Roderick Seligman for World Productions; Steve Stark and Stacey Levin for Toluca Pictures, Adam Morane-Griffiths, Sara Curran, Herbert L. Kloiber for Night Train Media, Jonathan Lee, Michael Keillor; and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC. The co-executive producer is Joe Hill. Mona Qureshi and Manda Levin are leading for Netflix. The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is produced by World Productions, an ITV Studios company, in association with MGM Television and Night Train Media.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from 9pm on Sunday 18 May, and will be on Netflix globally at a later date.
