Peacock's new drama "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" is one hell of a way to start the year.
Here at Tom's Guide, we think Peacock's one of the best streaming services around. It's been on the rise thanks to some impressive recent originals (seriously, go stream "The Day of the Jackal" if you haven't already). After watching all five episodes of their new drama, "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" ahead of its release, I think that Peacock's new era of must-watch shows is really underway.
"Lockerbie" is a cut above your average true-crime drama; this is powerful, meaningful and deeply human television based on one of the biggest terrorist attacks in history: the Lockerbie bombing.
All five episodes of "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" are now available on Peacock (and Sky's NOW in the U.K.), and I'd implore you to give the series a try. Read on to find out more info about the true crime drama, and to hear why it's left such an impression on me.
What is 'Lockerbie' about?
"Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" is based on the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, and on the nonfiction book "The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice, by Dr. Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph.
Around 38 minutes into its journey from London Heathrow to New York City, bombs went off aboard Pan Am Flight 103. All 259 passengers and crew members aboard the plane were killed, and a further 11 people on the ground lost their lives when the wreckage of the plane came down over the small, titular Scottish town of Lockerbie.
Beginning with the incident itself, "Lockerbie" then follows Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth), the father of one of the victims killed in the attack. After being nominated spokesperson for the U.K. victims' families, he embarks on a quest for truth, seeking to learn why and how the attack took place. That journey takes him across continents and threatens his trust in the justice system.
In addition to Firth, the "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" cast also includes Catherine McCormack as Jim's wife, Jane, Sam Troughton as journalist Murray Guthrie, plus Mark Bonnar, Ardalan Esmaili, Mudar Abbara, Guy Henry, Nabil Al Raee, Jemma Carlton, Harry Redding, and Rosanna Adams.
Why you should stream 'Lockerbie'
I'm not typically someone who goes for these sorts of shows; I usually prefer to stay in the realm of fiction. But where I've previously bounced off other, similar shows, I found "Lockerbie" possessed much more emotional heft, as it takes the form of an intimate and twisting portrayal of grief and determination in following Jim's lifelong campaign.
It begins with what I can only describe as harrowing viewing, recreating the crash and the horrific experience of being in Lockerbie on that fateful evening. It's chillingly effective and imperative to the rest of the series. The shock should help anyone immediately buy into the tragedy of it all, and more specifically, to ensure we're ready to go along on this ensuing quest for justice, and not going to question it.
From this point, it morphs into more of a political thriller/family drama hybrid (and a compelling one, at that), following Jim's ongoing crusade.
The best part of "Lockerbie" is its cast, though. All are impressive, but one stands out most of all: Catherine McCormack's Jane. Firth's Jim Swire, to be clear, is a determined, likable anchor for the season and has some notable scenes of his own, but McCormack really balances that ceaseless campaign for justice by bearing the emotional weight of his dogged investigation and trying to remind him what's still around in the here and now.
I watched all five episodes ahead of release, and for me, no scene has quite managed to eclipse the striking moment she counts, out loud, the 15 seconds Flora may well have been conscious while falling to her death in the final moments of the pilot episode.
It's a haunting sequence, one absolutely worth experiencing, for the gravity it holds. It also, to me, sells "Lockerbie: A Search for Truth" as a drama which interested in engaging with the impact of such a tragedy and the still-ongoing, decades-long search for the absolute truth of exactly what happened.
Outside of its moving performances, its narrative unspools satisfyingly tightly and at pace, and the multiple periods of time all looked right on-screen. "Lockerbie" is well-sketched and deeply moving, I really was impressed by do recommend giving it a go. But if you're not quite ready for something quite so impactful, feel free to check out our guide to the best shows on Peacock to find something to stream.
