Netflix’s ‘deeply unsettling’ true crime about harrowing Jimmy Savile case is out tomorrow

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is a two-part series examining the shocking story

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Netflix has announced the subject of its latest true crime documentary series, and it’s the chilling case of British TV personality and alleged sex offender, Jimmy Savile. The limited series will be released this week, and a harrowing trailer for it shows just how disturbing the case is.

After Savile died in 2011, hundreds of survivors of his abuse came forward to share their stories. He is now believed to be one of the most prolific sex offenders there has ever been in the UK. Here’s what we know about Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, ahead of its release on Netflix.

CW: Contains details of sexual abuse, including towards children. 

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story true crime documentary series on Netflix

via Netflix

The Netflix true crime series explores the case of Jimmy Savile and his crimes

Jimmy Savile was one of the UK’s most beloved TV personalities. He rose to prominence in a career spanning decades in the entertainment industry, had raised millions for charity, been knighted by the Queen and achieved national treasure status by the time he died on the 29th October 2011.

Shortly after his death, an investigation prompted more than 450 horrific allegations of sexual assault and abuse, with victims as young as five. The independent investigations and those made by Scotland Yard uncovered that Savile had been a prolific and predatory sex offender, abusing hundreds of people. Savile had been a huge TV name, working at the BBC during his career, as well as regularly visiting hospitals, prisons and charities. He was a national treasure, but the world didn’t know he had been fooling everyone for decades. Everywhere he had visited, came allegations of abuse.

The two-part documentary examines, through extensive archive footage, the evil within Jimmy and delves into how he managed to fool an entire nation for four decades. It looks at his career, relationships with celebs and the royal family, and how he was able to hide his crimes for so long. In the trailer, he can be heard saying he is a “voluntary helper” at the places he visited, and “when nobody is looking” would “help the lassies”.

The Netflix synopsis for the show reads: “TV star Jimmy Savile charmed a nation with his eccentricity and philanthropy. But sexual abuse allegations expose a shocking unseen side of his persona.”

Famed for being the host of Jim’ll Fix It, Savile has also been the subject of a number of documentaries, including an extensive ITV piece after he had died and even an episode of Louis Theroux’s series with the BBC.

Watch the trailer for Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story on Netflix here:

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is available on Netflix from April 6th. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

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