Titanic Sinks Tonight
2025 · BBC iPlayer · 59 min · 1 season
S01E04 · Swimming and Sinking
Sun, 28 Dec, 5:00 pm
With the lifeboats gone and the ship seconds from sinking, thousands face their fate. Those aboard the lifeboats make a life-or-death decision: to help those in the water or row away.
About
Titanic Sinks Tonight aims to provide a complete picture of the most famous 160 minutes in maritime history, telling the astonishing story of the sinking of the Titanic in real time. From the crucial seconds just before the ship hits the iceberg, to the moment the hull sinks beneath the waves, this series pieces together the events, minute by minute, to reveal exactly what happened to the 2240 passengers and crew on 14 and 15 April, 1912.
Combing through a vast archive of eyewitness testimony, the series relives the sinking through the experiences of those who were there, unpacking the anatomy of the disaster and identifying the critical decisions that dictated the fate of those on board. Nothing is invented, there are no ‘composite characters', just the real words of the actual Titanic passengers and crew.
Episodes
- E01
The Unsinkable Ship
Sun, 28 Dec· 57 minThe mighty Titanic collides with an iceberg. As news of the damage filters through to the captain, he realises his ‘unsinkable' ship is going to sink.
- E02
A Chance of Rescue
Sun, 28 Dec· 59 minThe captain orders Titanic to be evacuated, but with not enough lifeboat places for everyone on board, the rescue mission quickly unravels.
- E03
The Moment of Mutiny
Sun, 28 Dec· 59 minAs Titanic goes down fast by the head, there's a scramble for places in the remaining lifeboats. To maintain order in the chaos, officers resort to desperate measures.
- E04
Swimming and Sinking
Sun, 28 Dec· 59 minWith the lifeboats gone and the ship seconds from sinking, thousands face their fate. Those aboard the lifeboats make a life-or-death decision: to help those in the water or row away.
