Titanic 100th Anniversary

[expressmoria]

For those interested in the Titanic the following TV programs maybe of interest:

National Geographic Channel Canada

Monday, 9 April 8pm-10pm
Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron
James Camerons epic 1997 film Titanic won 11 Oscars and grossed well over a billion dollars worldwide. Now, on an empty sound stage, in the shadow of a massive 42-foot replica of the Titanic and other props from the blockbuster film, Cameron brings together some the worlds leading Titanic experts, including engineers, naval architects, artists and historians, to solve the lingering mysteries of why and how the unsinkable ship sank.

Monday, 9 April 10pm-11pm
Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard
Ballard travels to the shipyards of Northern Ireland to meet with descendants of Titanics Guarantee Group nine men who helped build the magnificent ship with their own hands and were selected to sail on her maiden voyage. Throughout his journey, Ballard is driven by one personal question will the Titanic survive another 100 years?


PBS

Tuesday, 10 April 8pm-9pm
The Titanic With Len Goodman
The legacy of the Titanic is explored by "Dancing With the Stars" judge Len Goodman, who once worked as an apprentice welder for the company that built the ship. He visits Belfast, where it was built, and Southampton, England, home to many of the dead, and meets with descendants of the passengers and crew.

Tuesday, 10 April 9pm-10pm
Saving the Titanic
A dramatic portrayal of the Titanic's final hours from the perspective of the ship's engineers, who toiled beneath deck to keep the ship's power systems running even after they learned all was lost.


Discovery Channel Canada

Sunday, 8 April 10am-12pm
Titanic, The Aftermath
The docudrama reveals how a Canadian team, charged with recovering Titanic's lost passengers, had to invent a whole new forensics system to identify the dead. Led by Halifax public servant John Henry Barnstead, the team inspired a breakthrough in forensic methodology - a procedure still used in mass disasters today. The experiences of Barnstead, the recovery team and other characters are re-created in exceptional detail in this two-hour special.

[opticalout]

The CBC will also be airing a 2hr show on the Titanic. Thursday, April 5th @ 8pm. It is part of their Doc Zone series.

[Fry1989]

I've been a HUGE Titanic buff since early childhood. There was one book I used to get from the library almost once every 2 months. Made models, drawings, watching Cameron's movie probably 200 times.

I was actually surprised at how little programming about the Titanic has aired so far, considering it's the 100th anniversary.

[NB Josh]

Global has been airing a new four-hour miniseries on Wednesdays at 10pm ET. ABC is also showing it sometime this month I think.

[smegger2000]

There is also "Nazi Titanic" on Histroy TV, a documentary about the 1943 German wartime film commissioned by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels that portrays the sinking of the Titanic. It is on April 15th.

[Michael R.]

I thought this was a well done documentary, although it was a bit on the slow side. Although I read a fair amount about the Titanic (there is an interesting book about the public inquiry), I had forgotten how few bodies were brought back.

[james99]

I watched A Night to Remember over the weekend, just came out on BD. Every time I watch it, I realize how bad a job James Cameron did.

[Michael R.]

I enjoyed Cameron's file a lot. I'll need to watch "A Night To Remember" to see if I agree with your assessment.

[james99]

Cameron's version has little to do with the sinking of the ship, it was merely a time and place for his fictional love story. The Love Boat meets the Young and the Restless (complete with Victor Newman running around with a gun when the ship is sinking).

When you turn a tragedy into a chick flick then you're gonna see comments like mine.

The sets and costumes were well done but the story and acting were sub par.

You don't need to make up a story when you have history on your side.

Mikey Bay took this formula and used it for Pearl Harbor, another chick flick. Luckily pre-teen girls didn't go see it like they did for Leo and the box office was more realistic.

[Smoothfonzo]

I liked Cameron's special, but I liked Titanic: Case Closed even more. It went more into the why, such as why it hit the iceberg in the first place and was based more in forensic science. The Historian postulated that the reason they couldn't see the iceberg was due to an ongoing cold water mirage effect, which distorted the horizon and cloaked the iceberg and made it invisible to the watch until they were too close, and which also affected the other ship from seeing their signals. This made a lot of sense to me, particularly since it was a very clear night, combined with the info about the high-tide.

[NMAS]

^^^ i saw this as well. Very interesting. Made a lot of sense to me

[rob1]

I was wondering why the look out crew did not have any spot lights? Or the ship didn't have any forward facing lights....they had power and maybe this would have helped with visibility?....

Cheers

[mrvanwinkles]

This past weekend, I watched and recorded the two on PBS:


1. The Titanic with Len Goodman ( on PBS )

2. Saving the Titanic (on PBS )
[ " The Story of the Men Below " ]


Seen, received and recorded in Kingston, OTA - over the air - with antenna.

On WPBS-HD 16-3, broadcasting OTA from Watertown N.Y.

... broadcast a few times during the weekend - but I caught the ones broadcast Saturday evening, April 14, 2012, between 8 and 10 PM


I thought they were both very good / great Documentary / Docu-Dramas.
I can definitely recommend them.

Liked them enough that I put them on DVD myself - to watch again sometime.


1. The Titanic with Len Goodman (on PBS)

Len Goodman said that in the 1960's he was a Welder who worked for the same company / and in the same ship yard that built the Titanic.

Alot of good facts and info and issues and story were packed into that 1 hour show.

Excellent documentary that covered many of the aspects of this tragic story.


2. Saving the Titanic (on PBS)
[ " The Story of the Men Below " ]

Highlighted what went on with the the men below deck: the various Engineers, Specialists, Technicians Tradesmen and Workers below, who kept the ship working and afloat for as long as they could. But who mostly all went down with the ship in that effort.

Had good Documentary type Narration and story ...

But also had some acting and drama to help visualize and imagine the story.

I would call this one a Docu-Drama.


Recommend them both.

Might be able to stream them online - not sure - maybe on PBS.org

Might be able to order the DVD's - not sure - I think they mentioned at the end of the show, how to order the DVD's from PBS.


P.S. I believe they said the sinking happened on April 15, 1912

So Sunday was the 100th aniversary ?

Correct me someone, please, if I am wrong with that date.

[reidw]

@rob1: Even today ships keep their outside lighting subdued after dark. Aside from deck lighting and the lights from individual staterooms shining out the sides there's rarely any other lights on deck. I think the problem is that any lights pointed forward of the ship don't help and actually can blind the bridge. Never seen a ship with the equivalent of high beams!

[Danster]

@mrvanwinkles,

Titanic hit the iceberg on the 14 before midnight but sank ~2 hours in the early hours of the 15th so you are right.