The BBC Blame Game Jimmy Savile

Tracing the Jimmy Savile pedophilia scandal in its entirety—including ongoing inquiries, in which executives have avoided taking responsibility and few have been axed—V.F. special correspondent Maureen Orth investigates why an exposé on Savile’s misdeeds mysteriously never aired. Speaking with many of the story’s key players, including BBC producers, the erroneously accused Lord McAlpine, and current New York Times C.E.O. Mark Thompson, Orth examines the consequences of “Auntie Beeb’s” finger-pointing at everyone—and at no one.

Read more

Former CIA Director William Colby: The Man Nobody Knew

In an effort to explain his father, Carl Colby’s new documentary, The Man Nobody Knew, offers a Who’s Who parade of former top-level C.I.A. and government officials as well as some of the most knowledgeable journalists who cover the agency—from Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld to Sy Hersh and David Ignatius. As they opine on the institution and William Colby’s influence, the film gives viewers a true sense of what it is to live a lie day after day and to hobnob at the highest levels in other countries—all while seeking to advance U.S. interests by whatever means necessary.

Read more

Sargent Shriver’s Lasting Impact: an Appreciation

Sarge was both brilliant and selfless—too selfless, some might argue, when it came to his own political career. There wasn’t a tough job that Sarge did not do well. When John F. Kennedy asked him to run the Peace Corps, he joked that J.F.K. had no choice but to give the job to a brother-in-law due to its enormous potential for failure. A few years later, Jacqueline Kennedy asked Sarge to arrange her husband’s funeral, and he did so flawlessly.

Read more