The Bombing of Pan Am 103 features portrayals of several real-life detectives from the investigation, including Ed McCusker, who is played by Connor Swindells.
The real-life story of the UK’s deadliest terror attack and the joint UK-US investigation, The Bombing of Pan Am 103 airs on BBC every Sunday and Monday for three weeks starting from May 18. Viewers outside the UK can watch it using a VPN.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 brings to life the heartbreaking events of the 1988 terrorist attack, when a plane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland on 21 December, killing 270 people. Now, those who lived through the tragedy are finally sharing their stories.
Among the real-life figures portrayed in the BBC’s six-part drama is DS Ed McCusker, played by Connor Swindells. McCusker was a key figure in the original investigation and was closely involved in the making of the show — for a deeply personal reason, as shared by the cast.
Lauren Lyle, who plays McCusker’s wife June, revealed during a press event that she had direct conversations with the detective, who was open about his personal life and the emotional toll of the investigation.
She said: “I didn’t know anything about June and then I had a phone call, a couple of quite long phone calls with Ed McCusker and I think it just put into perspective the emotional reality. I think the women of the story put in the emotional reality of what happened.”
Read More: BBC’s Lockerbie Drama “Bombing of Pan Am 103” Is Not a Story About One Hero
He was doing it for her because they had this amazing romantic story of their life and their love together, and about five years ago she died of cancer and the last thing that she said to him was ‘you have to tell your Lockerbie story’.
And I’m on the phone going, ‘Oh my God, well I have to do it now.’ So it was sort of an honour to be a part of something that I’ve always known about, and to do it for her as well because she’ll never see it come to life, but for him to know that we have [is important].
The BBC collaborated closely with detectives and the victims’ families while making the drama, as keeping them “front of mind” was essential, according to director Michael Keillor. Among those who contributed to the series were FBI agents Tom Thurman, portrayed by Eddie Marsan, and Richard Marquise, played by Patrick J. Adams.
Lyle shared that she felt a deep responsibility to tell the story of the victims and their families with care and respect: “I think being Scottish, it’s a very personal story that I’ve grown up. I didn’t live through it, but my parents did and my family did, and it’s always been something that I’ve known a lot about and it’s something people really talk about.”
She also mentioned her connection to executive producer Simon Heath, saying: “I know Simon [Heath, executive producer] because [his company] made my show Karen Pirie so I knew that the show was being made and we spoke and I expressed that it’s such a, in a way, horribly iconic story and I said: ‘If there is anything, I’d be really honoured.'”
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 airs on Sunday and Monday nights.
Source: Yahoo