Produced to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the world’s most famous ship being discovered on the seabed, the films have been produced for the international market, with Channel 4 and Australian broadcaster SBS already on board for the series through deals with distributor Sphere Abacus.
Four decades ago, the rusting wreck of the RMS Titanic, the British ocean liner and former pride of the White Star Line’s fleet which sank in 1912, was discovered two and half miles below the surface of the Atlantic. The expedition was a collaboration between US and French oceanographic experts leveraging some of the most advanced underwater imaging available, led by Dr Robert D Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel. The moment when the Titanic’s iconic hull was first sighted would create front page headlines across the world.
The series interweaves the jaw-dropping story of the ship’s discovery and resulting global reaction, with a retelling of how it came to rest on the ocean floor using archive footage. The series will hear exclusive first-person testimony from the people involved in the expedition and those that came before it, as well as insights from international maritime experts and leading historians.
Tom Porter, Executive Producer for BriteSpark Films, said: “The sinking of the Titanic is one of the best-known stories of the 20th Century. However, how its wreck was discovered and the incredible efforts and endeavour that went into locating it is less well known. This series will put that story front and centre.”
The series is executive produced for BriteSpark Films by Tom Porter, directed by Dimitri Collingridge with the story developed and researched in depth by Assistant Producer, Geeta Wedderburn. Sphere Abacus is the distributor and the series has been acquired by Channel 4 and SBS (Australia).
