Why key scene was almost cut from major new show, Lockerbie: A Search For Truth

Arguably the most pivotal moment in a blockbuster new series almost didn’t make it to our screens, it’s been revealed.

IN LONDON

Not a single other sound can be heard as a grief-stricken woman, her face etched with pain, counts to 15.

Depending on the circumstance, a quarter of a minute can be lightning fast, or painfully slow. These seconds are excruciating, leaving the audience – both on and off-screen – deeply uncomfortable.

On the 21st of December in 1988, with millions preparing to celebrate Christmas, tragedy struck Britain so profoundly that its impact was felt for decades. Pan Am Flight 103, travelling from London to New York, exploded over Lockerbie, a quiet town in Scotland, just 38 minutes after takeoff.

All 259 passengers and crew were killed, while a further 11 residents died in the plane’s impact.

The victims’ families and friends were left desperate for answers – but as the weeks dragged on, so too did the silence from authorities.

Jim Swire’s daughter, 24-year-old Flora, was on-board the doomed flight, and his tireless mission to find out what really happened was documented in his 2021 biography, Lockerbie: A Father’s Search for Justice.

Three years on, and that incredible story centred on Britain’s worst ever terror attack, is about to be told in a fictionalised TV adaptation – Lockerbie: A Search For Truth – for the first time.

Stream Lockerbie: A Search For Truth from January 2 on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

The new series, starring Colin Firth, is inspired by a true story of one man’s relentless pursuit for answers. Picture: Binge

Actress Catherine McCormack as Jim’s wife Jane is captivating as she utters the 15-second countdown, while her husband (played by Colin Firth) stares at her, aghast, in episode one of the five-part series.

In the wake of the horrific tragedy, Jim has been nominated as spokesman for the victims’ families, and it’s in that capacity that he, his wife, and two others find themselves in an opulent, imposing parliamentary office in the heart of Westminster, demanding action be taken to uncover the truth.

As anger and frustration get the better of Jim, it becomes clear that they are going to again be politely fobbed off by the minister.

That’s when the softly-spoken Jane enters the conversation.

She tells them bluntly that she’s been unable to stop herself researching what her daughter’s final moments may have been – and has thus discovered that Flora had likely regained consciousness for up to 15 seconds between the plane exploding and her plummeting to her death.

It’s immensely powerful, an exceptionally delivered moment by McCormack … but it was almost cut from the show entirely, which premieres locally on BINGE next month.

Actress Catherine McCormack stars as grieving mother Jane Swire. Picture: Binge

Firth plays the lead, Dr Jim Swire. Picture: Binge

Speaking on a panel at an intimate preview screening of the first episode in London, screenplay writer David Harrower admitted he’d thought the scene was potentially excessive.

“I thought it was too much when I wrote it … you can say it out loud to yourself, and it just sounded hokey,” he said.

“But then I realised it does several things at the same time, because actually the way that Colin looks at her, [where he’s] thinking, ‘I hadn’t even had an earthly idea you were thinking like or reading like this’.

“And suddenly their aperture widens … I find that the most moving part about it.”
However, Harrower added that he hadn’t been able to watch the scene back yet, as he was worried it would feel like they were pulling “a cheap trick” on the audience.

“But actually, when things come together, it’s one of the most perfect pieces in the episode … if not the [most perfect].”

Despite the series’ production bosses all agreeing that it was a powerful performance, McCormack herself was unhappy with how it played out, according to director Otto Bathurst.

“I got a message from Catherine [after filming the scene], and she said, ‘I completely messed that scene up’,” the filmmaker told the panel.

“And I was like, ‘Catherine, you completely and utterly nailed it. That was incredible. It was spectacular’.

“It was one of the most amazing scenes I’ve ever shot, but she absolutely smashed it.”

The real-life Swire couple (portrayed here by McCormack and Firth) lost their young daughter in the horrific tragedy. Picture: Binge

In Lockerbie: A Search For Truth, Oscar-winning actor Firth takes the lead – but despite his many accolades, he admitted at the preview screening that he’d felt the burden of responsibility in doing Jim’s story justice.

“When I was sent this script, it had an emotional impact,” the 64-year-old star explained, adding that he’d spent time with the real-life Swire couple in order to understand their journey even better.

“[They] hosted me in their home, and it wasn’t a research meeting for me, that was getting to know each other and see trust, hopefully, build a little bit. You can’t meet them without feeling the warm and the respect – and then realising you’ve got a huge thing to live up to.”

Firth – who is, of course, no stranger to big-budget dramas – added that he’d been deeply impacted by the actual sets on several occasions.

“There were times that I walked onto a set and saw what they created and had to gather myself, because it had so much impact on me,” he revealed.

The miniseries spans three decades and focuses on Jim as he embarks on a “relentless journey that not only jeopardises his stability, family and live, but completely overturns his trust in the justice system”, according to its official synopsis.

Lockerbie: A Search For Truth premieres Thursday 2 January on BINGE, available on Hubbl, and at 8.30pm on Showcase, and is also available On Demand.

Originally published as Why key scene was almost cut from major new show, Lockerbie: A Search For Truth