When Your Life Shows Up on Netflix

A New Show About Pan Am 103

I feel as if I am walking around naked in my neighborhood. That is the only way I can describe what it feels like to know people are watching the fictionalized series, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, on Netflix. To know that people are viewing a dramatization of the worst tragedy of my family’s life is heartwrenching. I feel exposed and vulnerable. It’s like a scar has been ripped open and salt is being poured on the wound. It does not feel great.

And, yet, I am glad it was made. I am glad it exists because it attempts to tell the truth about the bombing; a truth that has been muddied by conspiracy theories and sensational media content. From the moment the bombing occurred, family members vowed to never forget. We have done a brilliant job at remembering and honoring our loved ones. But our fight has evolved into a fight for truth, to ensure what happened is remembered with accuracy and care. To have gone through what we have gone through is enough pain and sadness for a lifetime. To have to push against inaccuracies and a media ecosystem that feeds on tragedy and sensation is simply more than any one should have to bear.

From the start, we felt hopeful about this project. In 2023, we were approached by Adam Morane-Griffiths who was researching the story. From the moment I spoke with Adam, I understood his intention. It was clear by the questions he asked and the in depth research he was doing that he was going to handle this story with utmost sensitivity. He wanted to include our personal story in the series and spoke with both me and my mom to gather details. Over the next year, we developed a relationship with him and producer, Julia Stannard. They kept us up to date on how things were developing, including the scenes that included our story. They sought our input but also our understanding about alterations they were making to our storyline. Because, after all, they were not working on a documentary, they were creating a television show based on real events.

This brings me to the disclaimer that appears at the start of each episode. They could have easily written “based on a true story”, but they chose not to. Instead, they give the audience more context and framing. The disclaimer reads:

What follows is based on extensive research and interviews with the investigators, victims’ relatives and residents of the Lockerbie Community.

Hundreds of investigators on both sides of the Atlantic were involved in the case. Here they are represented by a small number of key characters.

Some characters have been created and merged and scenes added for the purpose of dramatization.

This is significant. It matters that the producers chose to do this. They don’t want you to watch this show thinking that everything you are about to see is true. They want you to know that while they did extensive research, there are changes that were made for the sake of making a better TV show. Like all “based on a true story” content, timelines are truncated, characters are merged, dialogue is fabricated, and details are designed to make the show more entertaining.

Let’s break down a couple of the scenes from the series that show my family’s story to exhibit how this works.

In Episode 4: Kathryn Turman from the U.S. government visits Scotland and meets Margaret Connell whose family found my father. Later in the episode, Kathryn Turman meets my Mom at our home in NJ to let her know that she met the people that found my Dad and suggests we visit.

What actually happened: My mom met Kathryn Turman many times but not as part of our personal story. My mom was introduced to the Connell family through another family member who lost her husband in the bombing. We then connected directly with the Connells when we first visited Lockerbie in 1992.

Why was this change made? The writers needed to portray the importance of Kathryn Turman as the families’ advocate. They needed to connect her character with personal stories to convey the difference she made for the families.

In Episode 6: There is a memorial at Drysfesdale Cemetery in Lockerbie. My mom, my sister, my niece, and my nephew are there as well as Margaret Connell. They speak with Kathryn Turman and explain how we spend Christmases together; with my family coming to Lockerbie and Margaret’s family joining us in N.J.

What actually happened: We have visited Margaret and her family many times over the last 30 years. They have also visited us in New Jersey. We have never seen them on Christmas nor have we ever traveled to Scotland at that time of year.

Why was this change made? They wanted to close the series out with a coming together of many different characters that had been seen throughout the show. They wanted to convey the close relationships that have developed between Scots and Americans. They needed to do it quickly and succinctly.

In these scenes, they have fabricated details, but they also captured the essence of the story. That’s really all we can hope for when something is dramatized.

Overall, my assessment is that this series does a good job capturing some important aspects of this tragedy:

• The complex and difficult investigation that would require hundreds of investigators and a search area that spanned 850 miles.

• The incredible generosity and warmth of the people in Lockerbie from the very beginning.

• The coming together of the American families to fight for justice.

• The efforts to remember and honor the lives lost.

Overall, I thought the pacing and the tone were respectful and sensitive. I also appreciate how the show examines different theories of what might have happened to the plane but also conveys how the evidence clearly led to Libya’s role in the atrocity.

If the story of Pan Am 103 is going to be fictionalized, I am glad that this version exists. I am glad people interested in staying close to the truth chose to take this complicated story on. I appreciate how hard they worked and how much they cared about telling this story respectfully.

I continue to be astounded by the amount of media content that relates to the bombing of Pan Am 103. I do understand it though. It is a compelling story. This can be a really hard pill to swallow when the compelling story is your life.

For those of you that watch the show, you will see an actor portray my dad in the opening scenes. Because of this, I want to share some pictures of my dad.

This is the person I want you to know. This is the person I want you to see. His beautiful smile, his thick dark hair, his olive skin. I don’t want anyone to think of those images in the TV series when you think of my dad. This is the man I remember. This is the man I have in my heart. This is my truth.

If you want to learn more about my dad, we created a memory book for his grandkids in 2013. You can find it here.