National Geographic marks Titanic 100th anniversary

Next month marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and National Geographic has three new films examining why and how the grand ship sank, who fought o save her and how to protect its legacy. Two of the two films Explorers-in-Residence Robert Ballard and James Cameron.

They will form part of a major cross-platform commemoration, joining a National Geographic magazine cover story, books, and more.

Seven also has a major Titanic miniseries to air next month.

Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron
Premieres Monday April 9 at 7.30pm AEST & NZST – Australian premiere
In this two-hour special, National Geographic Channel and Oscar-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence James Cameron bring together some of the world’s leading Titanic experts including engineers, naval architects, artists and historians, to solve the lingering mysteries of why and how an “unsinkable” ship sank. With remarkable underwater footage taken from Cameron’s more than 30 dives to the wreck, historical records and scenes from Cameron’s feature film, the team applies its unmatched expertise to unanswered questions about how the ship broke apart. Working backwards from the shipwreck on the ocean floor and using a never-before-seen stress model, animation (created under Cameron’s supervision by the company that executed the image capture in “Avatar”) provide an accurate picture of how the ship broke apart and why its remains are scattered.

In Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard 
Premieres Sunday April 15 at 7.30pm AEST & NZST – Australian premiere
One hundred years after the Titanic met its tragic end in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, the star-crossed ship faces a new danger, threatened by an explosion of interest that attracts treasure hunters and tourists in custom submarines. Now, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert Ballard – the man who discovered her wreckage – is on a new quest to protect Titanic’s massive underwater graveyard. The special re-traces the ship’s beginnings and examines its original plans – never filmed before – to reveal untold stories of Titanic’s heroes and the unwritten story of her future. Delving into the personal side of the tragedy, Ballard meets with descendants of the ship’s Guarantee Group – nine men who built the magnificent ship with their own hands and lost their lives trying to save her. Ballard draws inspiration from their struggle – and support from their families – to fight for the ship today. Will he be able to save the ship this time?

Titanic: Case Closed
Premieres Wednesday April 11 at 7.30pm AEST & NZST – Australian premiere
Built like a battleship, sailed under calm seas on a crystal clear night with the best captain of its day and a first class crew. Yet, despite all of this, the world’s most luxurious ocean liner, Titanic, met its tragic end on a frigid night 100 years ago. Left in her wake, one of the world’s greatest mysteries: how could this tragedy happen? Titanic 100: Case Closed presents a revolutionary new theory from historian and author Tim Maltin, which examines how two expert lookouts miss a giant iceberg lying straight ahead…something easily spotted on a clear night under a blanket of unusually bright stars, and why did a nearby steamer fail to come Titanic’s aide? Maltin finds his answer is literally written in the stars, indicating that Titanic sailed straight into a strange combination of atmospheric conditions ultimately responsible for deceiving many experienced people on a very cold night in the middle of the North Atlantic.