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NBC Insider Lockerbie: A Search for Truth

Everything to Know About Peacock's Lockerbie: A Search for Truth Starring Colin Firth

All five episodes arrive exclusively on Peacock Thursday, January 2.

By Josh Weiss

Grief, trauma, and geopolitical back-channeling collide in Peacock's limited drama series, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, starring Colin Firth.

Like All the President's MenZodiac, and Spotlight, the harrowing five-episode event series exemplifies how the passionate work of a few determined individuals can change an entire global narrative. In the case of Lockerbie, a father's love for his daughter ends up exposing an international cover-up.

What is Lockerbie: A Search for Truth about?

Lockerbie follows Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth), a British physician searching for answers after the tragic bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 killed his daughter on December 21, 1988, as she flew to New York to spend Christmas with her boyfriend.

RELATED: Colin Firth Investigates a Terror Cover-Up in Official Trailer for Lockerbie Limited Series (WATCH)

The project is named for the Scottish town over which the flight went down, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground below. As he conducts an investigation — one that takes him all over the world and into the lion's den of geopolitical danger — Swire learns the shocking truth: The British and American governments knew about the terror plot and decided not to act on it. 

Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Season 1 of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.

Is Peacock's Lockerbie: A Search for Truth based on a true story?

Yes, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is based on a true story. Peacock's limited series was adapted from the 2021 nonfiction book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice authored by Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph.

"The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 was one of the most devastating acts of terrorism that took the lives of 270 innocent people, including both U.S. and U.K. citizens," executive producers Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant said in a joint statement. "As the spokesperson for the U.K. victim’s families, we have followed Jim Swire’s remarkable story for over three decades. It is consequential to now watch Colin Firth’s captivating performance as he depicts Jim’s life’s work on screen. In part a profoundly moving character story of love and loss, this drama is as much an investigative political thriller that shows how an ordinary man with unstoppable determination can take on governments and world leaders in pursuit of truth."

Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Season 1 of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.

Who stars in Peacock's limited series Lockerbie: A Search for Truth?

Academy Award-winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech) leads the Lockerbie ensemble as Dr. Jim Swire, soft-spoken general physician who devotes his life to discovering the truth about the airplane bombing that killed his daughter, Flora (played by Rosanna Adams). Catherine McCormack (Jane Swire), Jemma Carlton (Cathy Swire), and Harry Redding (William Swire) co-star as the remaining members of the Swire family, who begin to feel somewhat neglected as Jim's quest begins to dominate all aspects of his life.

RELATED: Colin Firth Stars in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, Peacock's Pan Am Flight 103 Drama (WATCH)

Other principal cast members include Sam Troughton (Mank) as Murray Guthrie, a Scottish reporter aiding Jim's international investigation; Ardalan Esmaili (Deliver Me) as Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a prime suspect in the airplane bombing; Selwa Jghalef (Pensive Moments) as Aisha, al-Megrahi's concerned wife; and Mark Bonner (Napoleon) as Roderick MgGill.

Otto Bathurst (Robin Hood) directed all five installments and serves as executive producer alongside writer David Harrower (Una), Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, Sam Hoyle, Liz Trubridge, Jim Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan, and Oskar Slingerland.

How can you watch Lockerbie: A Search for Truth? 

All five episodes of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth will debut exclusively on Peacock Thursday, January 7.

NBCUniversal's streaming platform offers two monthly subscription plans: Premium ($7.99 a month with ads) and Premium Plus ($13.99 a month with no ads and download access for certain titles). If you're a student, you can enjoy the Premium plan for just $1.99 for an entire year!