BBC & Netflix Team for Lockerbie Series

The BBC and Netflix have commissioned World Productions to produce Lockerbie, a factual drama based on the events surrounding the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

The six-part series will focus on the investigation into the fatal crash of Pan Am 103 and the effect it had on the small town of Lockerbie and the families who lost loved ones. It will cover the initial search for evidence on the ground in Scotland through to the most recent indictment at the end of 2022.

Filming is set to take place later this year in Scotland, Malta and Toronto.

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 lead writer is novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee, with two episodes written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park. Michael Keillor (Chimerica, Roadkill, Best Interests) is on board to direct.

World Productions is producing in association with MGM Television and Night Train Media. Lockerbie will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and on Netflix globally.

“The Pan Am 103 Disaster and the global manhunt it spawned was a defining event in world history—one that contains so many instances of resilience and courage that deserve to be honored and understood,” said leader writer Lee. “It’s a privilege to write this story for the screen.”

Simon Heath, CEO of World Productions, commented, “We feel honored to be given the responsibility of bringing such an extraordinary and epoch-defining story to the screen via Jonathan and Gillian’s brilliant scripts.”

Morane-Griffiths, who initiated the project and serves as executive producer, said, “I’ve been working on this project for seven years, so it’s very dear to my heart. The investigation was extraordinary, as was the trial, and I’m beyond excited to work with such incredible partners bringing it to life.”

“The investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which has been expertly researched by Adam Morane-Griffiths who provided the basis for the scripts, is an important story to tell,” added Lindsay Sloane, head of scripted at MGM Television. “He painstakingly researched the incident through extensive interviews with Scottish police officers and representatives from United States investigative agencies, many of whom have never previously shared their stories. We are proud to have shepherded this project and are thrilled that Netflix and the BBC have greenlit the series.”

Gaynor Holmes, commissioning editor, at the BBC, said, “The tragic events which took place in Scotland that night continue to have an impact on our country and in particular the Lockerbie community. It was an atrocity that shocked the world and changed lives forever. We have the right team in place to tell this extraordinary story with the greatest of care, making sure the series reflects the devastating events of that night, the complex and far-reaching investigation that followed and the effect it had on all those who lost loved ones.”

Mona Qureshi at Netflix added, “The moment we read Jonathan’s pilot script, informed by Adam’s meticulous research, we understood that this team had found a way into these events that is epic and intimate, local and global, personal and political. The devastation wrought on the night of December 21, 1988 continues to reverberate through the decades. Netflix is proud to partner with the BBC to bring a true story that feels as raw and urgent as ever to audiences in the U.K. and across the world.”