In my search for something to watch, not only did I not expect to find this gem, but I also did not expect it to grip me as it did; given that we all know what happened in the small Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988.

For those who do not, on December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, killing 270 people – 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 people on the ground.

It gripped the world and changed history. I was hooked and pleasantly surprised by the way director Michael Keillor (Line of Duty) played with real television reports – a recipe that has failed all too many times.

The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 attempts to explore the lives of those affected by the bombing. And that is exactly what it does. From the first scene, as parts of the plane rain down across the countryside and local police walk through debris, flames, bodies and charred earth, you sense this series is going to show you something else.

The series goes beyond simply retelling the story that shaped policy. It takes the viewer step by step through the joint UK-US investigation, without allowing the investigation itself to overshadow the people at its centre.

The casting helps enormously. On the American side there is the instantly recognisable Patrick J Adams – Mike Ross from Suits – as FBI agent Dick Marquise, while Connor Swindells (SAS: Rogue Heroes) plays Scottish detective Ed McCusker. Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan add further weight to an impressive cast.

Lockerbie happened in 1988. No smartphones, social media, AI or the vast digital surveillance systems we have today. Investigators then were confronted with one of the largest crime scenes imaginable, with wreckage scattered across hundreds of square miles, and had to painstakingly recover, catalogue and examine thousands of fragments before following the smallest pieces of evidence across countries.

The six-part series on Netflix masterfully tells the story and perhaps that is what makes it so compelling to watch now.

There was one thought though that kept nagging at me throughout all six episodes, that this was before 9/11.

It is difficult viewing at times. If you think you already know the Lockerbie story, watch it anyway. I thought I did too.