‘Lockerbie’: What’s True and What’s Fiction in Peacock’s True Crime Drama

On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in mid-air over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing everyone on board and 11 people in the town below. That disaster is where Peacock’s new limited series gets its name, but the show focuses on Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth) and his decades long mission to answer major puzzling questions about what happened.

As with all on-screen dramatization, facts must serve the story from writer David Harrower, along with imagined scenes and dialogue, and very true details that feel stranger than fiction (Jim Swire did build a fake bomb out of a cassette player, and you can even see it at the Glasgow museum). But what are the key details in this case still largely shrouded in mystery? Read on for some key points about Lockerbie, almost 40 years after the attack.

The Trial (and Appeals)

Things get a little in the weeds during the trial episodes of “Lockerbie,” but key plot points recreate what actually happened. Tony Gauci (Frank Crudele) did claim that Abubaset al-Megrahi (Ardalan Esmaili) was in his store in Malta to purchase clothes ahead of the attack, but his story did not stay consistent throughout multiple interviews. An old New York Times article notes that he may have been swayed by seeing the case in the news ahead of taking the stand, having seen al-Megrahi’s photo before actually identifying him in court. It was also later alleged that the CIA tried to bribe Gauci to manipulate his testimony.

As presented in the show, the owner of Swiss manufacturing company Mebo, Edwin Bollier (Andy Nyman), testified that the fragment of electronic equipment he was shown in a trial photo did not match the one he was previously shown by trial police. Bollier was denied the opportunity to interrogate this further in court, and in an archived article from The Scotsman, alleges that the FBI tried to bribe him to stick to a specific story.

Megrahi first appealed his conviction within two weeks as mandated by the law, and the resultant appeal was actually broadcast on BBC. Through multiple appeals over the years, his legal team questioned Gauci’s testimony and conflict of interests, the bomb timer, and evidence not originally heard in court about a security breach at Heathrow airport which would change the bag’s origin and render Malta irrelevant. As we know from the show, all appeals were denied, and he was eventually released on compassionate grounds in 2009 after dropping them (documents from the second appeal were published online).

The Gaddafi of it All

Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi remains one of the most controversial and questionable figures whose name is tied to Lockerbie. It’s true that Swire met with him multiple times, though of course the exact contents of those meetings is now known only to those present. “Lockerbie” depicts Firth’s character appealing to Gaddafi from one father to another, but everything about the man’s daughter — from her name to her age to if she even died — is disputed.

In 2003, Gaddafi publicly accepted Libyan involvement in the Lockerbie disaster — but no direct responsibility — though he expressed plenty of dissatisfaction with Western powers including through military action during his regime. In 2011, his former Minister of Justice directly refuted the previous statements, claiming that Gaddafi directly ordered the bombing.

Who Was Responsible?

‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth‘Graeme Hunter/SKY/Carnival

Swire’s research and the series show that much of the case is inconclusive, with connections made to Libya, Palestine, Syria, and Iran throughout the episodes. In the finale, journalist Murray Guthrie (Sam Troughton) pitches his theory: that the attack was initiated by Iran as retaliation for the attack on Air Flight 655, that other countries assisted to misdirect suspicion and ultimately make the West pay for its ideologies and action.

The CIA initially noted that multiple groups claimed responsibility after the attacks, including Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Jihad Organization, and Israel’s Mossad. Megrahi remains the only individual legally convicted of involvement with the attack, though Swire and others believe him to be innocent.

In the documentary film “The Maltese Double Cross – Lockerbie,” a victim’s relative says that a member of George W. Bush’s government told him “Your government and ours know exactly what happened but they are never going to tell.”

Unfinished Business

As the text at the end of Episode 5 notes, the Lockerbie disaster remains unresolved, with some still believing in Megrahi’s innocence and Abu Agila Masud charged with involvement in 2022 but awaiting trial later this year. A BBC series also titled “Lockerbie” is also forthcoming, starring Connor Swindells, Merrit Wever, and Patrick J. Adams.

On the 36th anniversary of the attack — just weeks before “Lockerbie” premiered — Swire called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to release all the information that the U.K. government has on the attacks, much of which is still classified.

“Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” is now streaming on Peacock.