Manchester: The Night of the Bomb
BBC TWO, 9.00PM
One year on from the Manchester Arena bomb that killed 23, including the suicide bomber Salman Abedi, this documentary looks in forensic detail at what happened. Starting with poignant testimony from concertgoers, the film hears from the teenagers and their parents, who describe the force of the blast, of finding themselves on fire or with others’ body parts in their hair. Along with this, previously unseen phone footage of the carnage and audio recordings from the emergency services bring home the chaos that ensued.
The film looks at Abedi’s motives and speaks to people who knew him, including his former head teacher, as well as to David Anderson QC, the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, who discusses the young Mancunian’s status as a terrorist threat. It also hears from eyewitnesses and members of British Transport Police, who express their frustration at the slow response of the emergency services (neither the police nor the fire service appear in the film). With a ticking clock on-screen informing viewers of the timescale, this powerful retelling makes clear that lessons must be learned.