Liputan6.com, Jakarta - BBC Two and iPlayer will air a four-part docu-drama series titled "Titanic Sinks Tonight" starting December 28, 2025.
The series will take viewers back to the crucial moments of the legendary Titanic disaster, reconstruct the final 160 minutes of the ship's life minute by minute.
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The series' primary focus is the human experience of those on board, told through the authentic testimonies and words of passengers and crew.
"Titanic Sinks Tonight" is scheduled to air four consecutive nights until December 31, 2025, at 9:00 PM on BBC Two, and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
'Titanic Sinks Tonight' Docu-Drama Series Details
Titanic Sinks Tonight is a dramatic four-part documentary series that explores the most infamous 160 minutes in maritime history, revealing minute by minute from the moment of the fatal collision with the iceberg to the ship's sinking beneath the waves.
Each scene is built on extensive archives such as letters, interviews, memoirs, and the findings of a public inquiry.
The series' storyline is divided into four episodes, depicting the chronology of events.
The first episode introduces the crew and passengers as the ship sails towards New York.
Subsequent episodes focus on the evacuation and the panic that ensued when the lifeboats were discovered.
The final episode will detail the fate of those remaining on board, including the heroic efforts of designer Thomas Andrews and the crew's final moments.
The True Stories of Passengers and Crew
The series features a cast of real passengers and crew, speaking the words they left behind in the historical record.
Gerry O'Brien plays Captain Edward Smith, while Adam Rhys-Charles plays Charles Lightoller, Second Officer.
Vicky Allen appears as Violet Jessop, a surviving Stewardess.Other actors include Rhys Mannion as Jack Thayer, a First Class passenger, and Tyger Drew-Honey as Harold Bride.
Charlotte McCurry plays Eleanor Cassebeer, Patrick Buchanan as Bruce Ismay, and Jonny Everett as designer Thomas Andrews.
The presence of experts such as JJ Chalmers, Suzannah Lipscomb, Admiral Lord West, and novelist Nadifa Mohamed also enriches the narrative with in-depth commentary.
This forensic approach, rooted in survivor testimony and contemporary accounts, steers the series away from sensational dramatization.
Production Process and Behind-the-Scenes Team
"Titanic Sinks Tonight" is being produced by Stellify Media for BBC Factual and BBC Northern Ireland.
The series was the first production to utilize Studio Ulster's virtual production technology, an innovation that enabled the construction of an immersive and scalable visual world.
Most of the visual effects were created in advance, reducing reliance on post-production.
The drama was shot in the studio, with the exception of one scene shot in the replica Titanic staircase at the Titanic Museum.
Filming took place entirely in Belfast, the city where the legendary ship was built.
Hugh Ballantyne served as Series Director, leading the production team to create an immersive visual experience.
The executive production team included Kieran Doherty and Matthew Worthy from Stellify Media, and Fiona Keane from BBC Northern Ireland.
Simon Young served as Commissioning Editor for BBC Factual.
Expert contributors including presenter and ex-marine JJ Chalmers, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, Admiral Lord West and novelist Nadifa Mohamed provide analysis and fresh insight into the events.
International funding for the series was supported by Sony Pictures Television (SPT), ARTE, and SBS (Australia), with SPT also handling international sales.