The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is a six-part BBC and Netflix drama telling the story behind the the 1988 horror plane crash.
Based on the real-life bombing of Pam Am flight 103 over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, it stars SAS Rogue Heroes and Sex Education star Connor Swindells, Suits’ star Patrick J. Adams, Ozark’s Peter Mullan and Ridley Road’s Eddie Marsan, it tells of the 1988 tragedy which killed 270 people and was Britain's worst-ever terror attack.
The BBC One and Netflix series follows the events of December 21 that year and the joint Scottish-American investigation that sought to bring the perpetrators to justice. It's also made by World Productions, the company behind Anne, the hit drama about Hillsborough mother and campaigner Anne Williams, so it’s set to be a hard-hitting watch.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 was previously announced under the title of Lockerbie and here's all you need to know about the newly titled drama on BBC One and Netflix…
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 release date
The six-part series Lockerbie will be shown on BBC One and BBCiPlayer in the UK in spring 2025 followed by a global release on Netflix. As soon as the release dates are announced, we’ll update you on this page.
Please note there is an entirely different drama called Lockerbie coming to Sky within the same time period and starring Colin Firth. Read about this alternate Lockerbie here...
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 plot
It will focus on the investigation into the crash on both sides of the Atlantic and the devastating effect it had on the residents of Lockerbie and the families who lost loved ones. The bomb and resulting crash into the town’s streets killed 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans. The drama details the exhaustive search for evidence on the ground and takes us right through to the trial in 2000 and the most recent indictment in 2022.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet but when a Lockerbie trailer is released by the BBC or Netflix soon, we’ll add it to this page for you to enjoy.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 cast — Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker
Connor Swindells stars as DS Ed McCusker (see first look, in main picture above) in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. He won himself a legion of fans playing Adam Groff in the Netflix show Sex Education from 2019 from 2023. He also had a role in the Barbie movie and has starred in SAS Rogue Heroes, Emma, The Vanishing, Jamestown and Vigil.
Patrick J Adams as Dick Marquise
Also in a major role in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is Patrick J Adams as Dick Marquise. Patrick is best known for his role as Mike Ross in Suits alongside Meghan Markle. He’s also starrred in A League of Their Own, Plan B, The Right Stuff, Rosemary’s Baby, Orphan Black and The Swearing Jar.
Who else is starring in The Bombing of Pan Am 103?
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 cast also includes Merritt Wever (Unbelievable, Godless) as Kathryn Turman (above), Peter Mullan (Ozark, Payback), Tony Curran (Mary & George) DCI Harry Bell, Eddie Marsan (Ridley Road, The Pact) as Tom Thurman.
Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Shetland, Guilt) plays Moria Shearer while Molly Geddess is WP Lauren Aitken and Cora Bissett is Elma Pringle.
Also starring are Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie, Vigil), Andrew Rothney (The Undeclared War, Traces), Parker Sawyers (Spy/Master, P-Valley), James Harkness (The Sixth Commandment, The Victim), Khalid Laith (Vigil, Cobra), and Amanda Drew (The Gold, Wolf).
Behind the scenes, filming news and more on The Bombing of Pan Am 103
Filming of The Bombing of Pan Am 103 began in Scotland in early 2024 and then continues in Malta and Toronto, Canada.
The lead writer of The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee, with two episodes written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park. The six-part series is produced by World Productions (United, the story of the Munich air disaster, and Anne, the drama about Hillsborough mother and justice campaigner Anne Williams) in association with MGM Television (The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes, Fargo) and Night Train Media (Rogue Agent, Catch me a Killer). Lockerbie was initially developed by MGM Television and Night Train Media.
The producer is Julia Stannard (United, War and Peace, Anne) and Michael Keillor (Chimerica, Roadkill, Best Interests) is the director. The project was initiated by filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths whose research includes extensive interviews with Scottish police officers and representatives from United States investigative agencies, many of whom have never previously shared their stories.
The executive producers are Simon Heath and Roderick Seligman for World Productions; Steve Stark and Stacey Levin for Toluca Pictures, Adam Morane-Griffiths, Sara Curran, Herbert L. Kloiber for Night Train Media, Michael Keillor; and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC. The co-executive producer is Joe Hill. Mona Qureshi and Manda Levin will oversee for Netflix. Lockerbie is produced by World Productions, an ITV Studios company, in association with MGM Television and Night Train Media.
All about the real-life Lockerbie disaster
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb 38 minutes after take-off. It had flown from London Heathrow and was on route to JFK airport in New York. All 243 passengers and 16 crew were killed and 11 residents of Lockerbie, a small Scottish town, also lost their lives as the plane crashed into its residential streets.
Warrants were issued for the arrest of two Libyan nationals in 1991 but it wasn’t until 1999, after protracted negotiations, that Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi handed them over for trial. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was jailed for life in 2001, but released on compassionate grounds in 2009, three years before his death from prostate cancer. However, it is widely disputed that he acted alone. In 2003 Gaddafi accepted Libya’s responsibility for the bombing but refused to admit that he personally ordered the attack, despite claims to the contrary.
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