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Jimmy Saville documentary on Netflix

365 replies

AlternativePerspective · 07/04/2022 12:39

Have just watched this, obviously we all know what he did and the absolutely reprehensible individual he was.

But watching the documentary and all the clips they played, even if he hadn’t committed all those hideous acts, he was a really creepy repulsive bloke. So why did the nation love him so much?

I’m not talking royals and other celebs etc, but ordinary people. The people who filed past his coffin after his death, and mourned his passing, sent in hundreds of tributes etc. Why? He was just so repulsive. Or is it just me?

OP posts:
pictish · 07/04/2022 21:07

The nation didn’t love him so much. He was on prime tv and radio, put there by the BBC. No one liked him. No one chose him. He was simply there.
Jim’ ll Fix It was popular solely owing to the premise of the show. Any other TVP could (and should) have presented it…for some reason it was Jimmy Savile who was deliberately repulsive. People overlooked him, that was the trouble. They thought he was ridiculous and didn’t matter.

pictish · 07/04/2022 21:09

Hiding in plain sight. If ever there was an example of it…

Malibuismysecrethome · 07/04/2022 21:10

He knew Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Ripper) from his time in nightclubs. I believe the first victim was found in the park in the vicinity of Saville’s penthouse.

CathyorClaire · 07/04/2022 21:15

The nation didn’t love him so much

But they did.

He made his name on the then subversive and cool Radio Luxembourg using it as a springboard to mainstream broadcast.

MissMaple82 · 07/04/2022 21:19

Because it was a completely different era. Times have changed.

x2boys · 07/04/2022 21:26

Regardless of all the " I knew all along posters" were the Bbcand all the other authorities doing allowing this creep the run of the place?!

x2boys · 07/04/2022 21:28

Wtf were the BBC*

CathyorClaire · 07/04/2022 21:36

Wtf were the BBC and all the other authorities doing allowing this creep the run of the place?!

Auntie followed the ratings and devil take the hindmost Angry

ENoeuf · 07/04/2022 21:48

I just did a search on Jimmy saville on MN pre 2008 - fascinating mix of ‘he’s so creepy’ and ‘he should be an MP!’

Trixiefirecracker · 07/04/2022 21:55

My Grandmother was friends with Savile’s mother. She never liked Jimmy though, would not mention him. I think she probably knew something was not right.

venusmay · 07/04/2022 22:02

He was always weird but I would never have thought he'd be weird to the extent we now know about.

What he did was shocking but then I'm more shocked that soo many people turned a blind eye. Esther Rantzen was married to a BBC director at the time and fronts childlike. It seems morally reprehensible, she knew like do many others.

venusmay · 07/04/2022 22:03

*childline

JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 07/04/2022 22:05

Haven’t finished the whole documentary yet but questions do have to be asked of the tv crews and presenters who worked/appeared with him and no it’s not good enough to say ‘it was different in those times’.

I was around when Benny Hill was on and yes the ‘dirty old man’ thing was common and seen as ‘funny’ but looking at the clips, Saville was saying things that were proper sinister about school girls and making ‘jokes’ about sexual crimes which would result in fathers coming to look for him. Nevertheless, you had people like Wogan and Selena Scott smiling on indulgently. However, you could tell they were uncomfortable so they knew it was wrong. They were big stars in their day too so they could have said something even if masked as a joke back to make it clear it wasn’t on.

ManyATime · 07/04/2022 22:05

@Lovebroccoli

Well I don't think anyone's going to cone forward now and say 'Oh I didn't think he was creepy as all, I loved him as a child

I used to enjoy Jim'll Fix It, and I don't remember having any opinion at all of him when I was a child. I certainly didn't love him, but didn't see him as anyone to be frightened of either.

To be honest, I'm a bit surprised by all these people who say they 'always knew' or 'always thought he was creepy.' It's blatantly obvious that most of the population thought he was wonderful.

Yes, I enjoyed ‘Jim’ll fix it’ I don’t remember other children at the time having strong opinions, or any opinions on him either.
YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 07/04/2022 22:07

@Ozgirl75

I mean entire tv shows were made about gross men lusting after young girls (Benny Hill) and sexist jokes were just completely normal in the 1980s and before.
Absolutely, and no male or female would have been believed even if she had told someone about being sexually abused by a star, would they? It’s relatively recent that victims are listened to. Benny Hill made my flesh creep, as did a number of comedians who exploited females for laughs. I didn’t like Savile but then I still don’t like very extrovert individuals. That Netflix documentary is utterly chilling and horrifying. The police covered his activities and the veil of respectability because the rich, the famous, royalty and politicians clearly admired him. He could, and did, get away with absolutely everything. His name makes me feel sick let alone the sight of him.
MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 07/04/2022 22:14

I'm 50 so grew up with it all. My memories are of a very funny man and he seemed normal to me. I was so envious of the scouts who got to eat in the roller coaster.

But I was an innocent. Now he really seems creepy.

My one thing that grates for me is that I adore beyond all things 'two Little boys' song by Rolf Harris and I can't play it anymore 😡😡

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 07/04/2022 22:14

I've not seen it but I thought he was dreadful even as a child. I always wanted a blue Peter badge but no way did I ever want him fixing anything for me 😑

x2boys · 07/04/2022 22:18

I can't get over the BBC and all the other authorities allowing this vile man unlimited access to vulnerable children and adults!

x2boys · 07/04/2022 22:27

@venusmay

He was always weird but I would never have thought he'd be weird to the extent we now know about.

What he did was shocking but then I'm more shocked that soo many people turned a blind eye. Esther Rantzen was married to a BBC director at the time and fronts childlike. It seems morally reprehensible, she knew like do many others.

Exactly esther Rantzen was more aware than most and she set up child line but ignoredc what was going on in front of her own eyes I'm WTF?!?
Papershade5 · 07/04/2022 22:31

I remember JFI as a child and me and my factually wrote in. Weren't chosen thank god. But, like someone said earlier it was more the exciting things on the programme than him.i don't think I had an option on him other than a silly mam on TV. Years later I did think he was creepy then I watched Louis Theroux and was kind of convinced that he was just eccentric.After his death Louis Theroux did another programme and basically admitted to having been groomed by JS. Watching that and clips of JS with cringing women I thought that I would have know if I had seen him in the flesh. So, yes, peoe all knew and covered up.

GrandTheftWalrus · 07/04/2022 22:34

I'm just onto part 2 of the documentary. He really was a vile human being.

EmeraldShamrock1 · 07/04/2022 22:40

Yes definitely a complete slime ball.

There was so many creepy men out on show during the 80's it was sadly the norm for old men who were inappropriate around younger girls.

I wrote a letter every week to Jim thankfully we couldn't afford stamps.

ThoseTallTrees · 07/04/2022 22:41

Paedophilia was basically normalised. People turned a blind eye to dirty old men and young children. They just did. People were relocated to other workplaces (look at the Catholic Church).

There are still celebrities that make my skin crawl! But they are still the nation’s darlings.

Mamamia7962 · 07/04/2022 22:46

Loved the Benny Hill Show growing up. Made me laugh so much. Yes looking back it was very sexist but the joke was always on Benny Hill, with the women getting the better of him.

SevenWaystoLeave · 07/04/2022 22:50

@Papershade5

I remember JFI as a child and me and my factually wrote in. Weren't chosen thank god. But, like someone said earlier it was more the exciting things on the programme than him.i don't think I had an option on him other than a silly mam on TV. Years later I did think he was creepy then I watched Louis Theroux and was kind of convinced that he was just eccentric.After his death Louis Theroux did another programme and basically admitted to having been groomed by JS. Watching that and clips of JS with cringing women I thought that I would have know if I had seen him in the flesh. So, yes, peoe all knew and covered up.
I saw that too and really objected to Louis Theroux using the word "grooming" for himself. Savile groomed his victims; Theroux was not his victim, he was just one more in a long list of people who failed to see what was under his nose. Far from being a victim, he had a great time with Jimmy, and never called him out or challenged him on his disturbing attitude towards women even when it happened right in front of him. There's footage in his follow-up documentary of Savile visiting Theroux at his office, and Savile is hugely inappropriate with the female staff, and they are visibly uncomfortable, all happening right in front of Louis, and Louis never bats an eyelid or says a word. He was never a victim of Savile's, nor was he ever in a position or a day emographic that put him at risk of being a victim of Savile's. He's just yet another person who failed to act because he just didn't see making degrading and uncomfortable comments to women as a big deal, and let it happen right in front of him without ever even thinking it could just be the tip of the iceberg.