Who is Bill Cotton, as seen in Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning?

The presenter and DJ sexually abused, raped and assaulted hundreds of victims, which is tackled in unflinching detail in the four-part series.

The culture and practices at the BBC, the organisation which made him a household name, were widely criticised as he continued preying on vulnerable people, many of whom were under the age of 16 and came into contact with him on Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It.

Through his camera-facing work as an entertainer and his charity work, the predator hid in plain sight.

Within the series, four real-life victims appear - Darien, Susan, Samantha Brown and Kevin Cook - while the other figures are played by actors in re-enactments based on testimonials from survivors and witnesses.

Though Savile, portrayed here by Steve Coogan, is the core evil of this drama, those who kickstarted his career and continued to reward him with promotions and opportunities, namely bosses at the BBC and the NHS, are also under the spotlight in The Reckoning.

One such figure is Bill Cotton, the BBC's head of light entertainment when Savile worked for the broadcaster, portrayed by Olivier Award-winning actor Michael Jibson.

Who is Bill Cotton?

Bill Cotton was a television producer and executive who was integral to Savile's progression at the BBC.

In 1962, Cotton was assistant head of light entertainment, before being promoted to head of the department in 1970.

Under his stewardship, the BBC introduced a number of new variety shows that celebrated pop culture, including Top of the Pops, The Generation Game, The Two Ronnies and The Morecambe and Wise Show.

Cotton developed plenty of talent on the BBC, such as Cilla Black and Val Doonican, and he broke the mould when it came to what people typically expected from live television.

For instance, Cotton told Black to speak to her audience directly and build that personal connection with them, which she was later famed for.

The executive also worked with disgraced presenter Rolf Harris and encouraged him to introduce a dance troop and singers the Young Generation on his show. Harris was later convicted of sexual assault on underage girls, decades after his crimes.

At the time, there were rumours that Savile raped a teenage girl, who later died by suicide, which is included in The Reckoning. Yet Cotton continued to promote Savile and keep him at the helm of television shows with large on-set audiences predominately made up of young people.

In the series, Cotton's desire to retain Savile is based on his strong ratings – in 1979, the channel hit a record-breaking figure of 25 million viewers on prime-time Saturday night. However, there is no indication that Cotton knew the extent of Savile’s crimes, and he died in 2008, prior to Savile's death in 2011.

Producer Jeff Pope said: "I think Bill was hoodwinked by Savile, like thousands of others. We contacted Cotton's relatives about the drama and did not hear back. But we have not gone beyond anything established by Dame Janet Smith's independent review of the BBC's handling of Savile."

In the drama, we see some BBC executives attempt to hold Savile to account in the 1960s and '70s, when reports of sexual abuse began to emerge. However, it is unclear how thorough these investigations were at the time, and how much it has been elaborated in the script.

Moreover, since the drama was announced, there has been some backlash given that it is airing on the BBC. Savile, who worked for the broadcaster at the height of his fame, wasn't reprimanded by his bosses when allegations of his predatory behaviour first started to swirl.

Writer Neil McKay and Pope, who worked with ITV Studios to make The Reckoning, were determined to ensure that there wasn't any censorship in the representation of Savile's crimes.

Previously, Coogan addressed this to Radio Times magazine, saying: "It is controversial and I understand that. The BBC are damned if they do and damned if they don't, and I believe the correct choice is to be damned if they do. Broadly, it's better to talk about something than not."

Coogan also reiterated that the central focus of the drama is telling the victims' stories and ensuring that the past doesn't repeat itself.

"The team had the right attitude and it was done with the cooperation of survivors. I think when it's broadcast, it will vindicate itself."

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Victim Support for information and support.

Read more:

• What Jimmy Savile's victims hope viewers take away from The Reckoning
• The Reckoning boss says series 'isn't the BBC marking its own homework'
• Jimmy Savile's relationship with his mother Agnes, explained

The Reckoning is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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