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ABC PREMIERE EVENT, "TITANIC," WRITTEN BY JULIAN FELLOWES, ACADEMY
AWARD, EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER, SET TO PREMIERE SATURDAY, APRIL
14
Linus Roache, Geraldine Somerville and Perdita Weeks Are Among the
Spectacular International Cast
From the creative minds of Julian Fellowes, Academy Award ("Gosford
Park"), Emmy and Golden Globe winner ("Downton Abbey"), and
BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Stafford Clark ("Bleak House") comes the
highly anticipated ABC Premiere Event, "Titanic," a four-part
miniseries that will premiere SATURDAY, APRIL 14 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET)
on the ABC Television Network. Parts One-Three will air on April 14,
and the miniseries will conclude with Part Four on SUNDAY, APRIL 15
(9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), which will actually mark the 100th anniversary
of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.
"Titanic" is an extraordinary re-telling of the doomed voyage that
cleverly weaves action, mystery and romance over four hours and two
nights of programming. Shot in Budapest, Hungary, it features both
fictional and historical characters, ranging from steerage passengers
and crew to upper class guests and staff, who all come together in an
explosive and unforgettable finale. Each hour follows similar events
from different points of view, culminating in a cliff-hanger, as the
ship begins to founder, and building to an explosive conclusion in the
final hour that draws together all the stories. Viewers will be taken
on a heart-wrenching journey through Titanic's last moments, as it's
revealed who among the characters they've come to know so well will
survive, and who will not.
On Night One, Part One (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), we meet First Class
passengers Hugh, Earl of Manton (Linus Roache, "Law & Order"), his
imperious wife, Louisa (Geraldine Somerville, the "Harry Potter"
films), and their reluctant daughter, Georgianna (Perdita Weeks, "The
Tudors") -- a suffragette who's recently been arrested in a
demonstration. Also on board, in Second Class, are Irish lawyer John
Batley, who works for Hugh, and his wife Muriel. The Mantons'
servants, Barnes and Watson, have a brush with their American
counterparts, while Georgiana is attracted, despite herself, to young
American Harry Widener. Life on board is comfortable for the wealthy
British and American passengers in First Class, despite a disastrous
tea party with the Mantons and the Batleys which highlights the
tensions between Louisa and Muriel. But everything changes after the
ship encounters an iceberg and the realization dawns that the
unsinkable Titanic is going down. Infuriated by Louisa's air of
effortless superiority, Muriel launches a violent verbal attack on
her, hinting at a dark secret in Hugh's past. Chaos and panic grow on
deck, as Officer Lightoller insists on women and children only and
lifeboats go down that are not even full. And Louisa finds herself
faced with an impossible dilemma, as she has to choose between her
husband and her daughter.
Part Two (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) opens with political tensions in
Belfast interfering with the construction of new liner Titanic, but
White Star Line chairman Bruce Ismay is dismissive of designer Thomas
Andrews' concerns. Catholic engineer Jim Maloney longs to leave
Belfast, and when offered the opportunity of a new life via the
Titanic, he accepts. As cabin steward Annie Desmond prepares for the
first passengers to board, she encounters cheeky Italian waiter Paolo
Sandrini, who is instantly smitten with her. Jim meets a mysterious
steerage passenger, Peter Lubov, who unsettles Jim's wife, Mary, while
in the First Class dining room tensions bubble as new and old money
collide. In Second Class, Muriel Batley bitterly resents her husband
John's subservience and reveals she knows the secret of Hugh Manton, a
secret that threatens to destroy his marriage. But John's worries are
over-shadowed by a looming iceberg. Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews
are horrified to learn the full cost of the collision. The ship has
only a couple of hours to live. Chaos erupts in the rush for
lifeboats, but there are just too few. Facing death, John and Muriel
reconcile, but then John spies a glimmer of hope.
Part Three (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) begins in London, 1911. Winston
Churchill is infuriated when Russian anarchist Peter the Painter
escapes after a bloody street battle with the army. Cut to April 1912
and Italian ship stoker Mario, who is thrilled when he connives to get
his brother, Paolo, a job on the new liner Titanic. The squabbling
Mantons' maid, Watson, is seen inexplicably loitering in steerage, and
Barnes is shocked to discover the reasons why, while Paolo startles
kindly steward Annie with an impulsive gesture. Mary Maloney finally
lets her guard down with the mysterious passenger, Lubov, in a manner
that enrages her husband, Jim. Their argument is set aside when the
ship strikes the iceberg and word spreads that it's sinking. White
Star Line chairman Bruce Ismay is concerned that the anxious Italian
waiters will contribute to the rising panic, and fear builds in
steerage as passengers and crew find themselves behind locked gates.
Lubov helps Mary Maloney, the Irish mother, and her children escape to
the decks, but when his secret identity is uncovered by ex-policeman
Evans, Lubov reacts ruthlessly. Passengers scramble for lifeboats, but
the Maloneys' terrified daughter, Theresa, bolts back inside the
sinking ship. Paolo searches for his brother as freezing waters surge
through the corridors.
The initial celebratory mood on the boat is intercut with a closer
look at relationships -- upstairs and down. Throughout the ship,
secrets and resentments are revealed, love and fury are sparked, but
when the unthinkable happens and one of the biggest maritime disasters
levels the playing the field for everyone on board, each person's life
will change.
"Titanic" stars Linus Roache ("Law & Order," "Batman Begins") as the
Earl of Manton, Geraldine Somerville (the "Harry Potter" films) as
Louisa, Countess of Manton, Perdita Weeks ("The Tudors") as Lady
Georgiana Grex, Lyndsey Marshal ("Rome") as Watson, Lee Ross
("EastEnders") as Barnes, Glen Blackhall as Paolo Sandrini, Antonio
Magro ("Little Dorrit") as Mario Sandrini, Jenna-Louise Coleman
("Waterloo Road") as Annie Desmond, David Calder ("The World is Not
Enough") as Captain Smith, Steven Waddington ("The Tudors") as Second
Officer Lightoller, Brian McCardie as First Officer Murdoch, Toby
Jones ("My Week with Marilyn") as John Batley, Maria Doyle Kennedy as
Muriel Batley, Dragos Bucur ("The Way Back") as Peter Lubov, Peter
McDonald ("The Damned United") as Jim McDonald, Ruth Bradley
("Primeval") as Mary Maloney, Georgia McCutcheon as Theresa Maloney,
Stephen Campbell Moore ("Ben Hur") as Thomas Andrews, James Wilby
("Gosford Park") as Bruce Ismay, Noah Reid ("Three Inches,") as Harry
Widener, Diana Kent as Eleanor Widener, Celia Imrie ("Bridget Jones'
Diary") as Grace Rushton, Simon Paisley Day as Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon,
Linda Kash ("Cinderella Man") as Margaret "Molly" Brown, David Eisner
("Flashpoint") as Benjamin Guggenheim, Sophie Winkleman ("Peep Show")
as Dorothy Gibson, Mark Lewis Jones ("Robin Hood") as David Evans,
Sylvestra Le Touzel ("Amazing Grace") as Lady Duff Gordon and
Josephine de la Baume ("One Day") as Madame Aubart.
Nigel Stafford Clark ("Bleak House") created "Titanic." Julian
Fellowes (2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding
Writing for a Miniseries; 2012 Golden Globe for Outstanding Miniseries
for "Downton Abbey"; 2001 Academy Award, Best Writing, Screenplay
Written Directly for the Screen for "Gosford Park") wrote the
screenplay. Jon Jones ("Going Postal," "The Diary of Anne Frank,"
"Northanger Abbey") directs. Nigel Stafford-Clark and Chris Thompson
("Love Actually," "No 1 Ladies Detective Agency") serve as the
producers for this miniseries.
Produced in association with ITV Studios and Shaw Media, who are
partnered with Deep Indigo Productions and Lookout Point in the UK,
Sienna Films Inc in Canada, and Hungary-based Mid Atlantic Films to
produce this UK-Hungary-Canada co-production.
"Titanic" is executive-produced by Lookout Point's Simon Vaughan ("Ben
Hur," "Coco Chanel," "The Hot Zone [working title]") together with
ITV's Kate Bartlett ("Marchlands," "Identity," Vera"), Sienna Films'
Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny ("Diamonds," "The Hot Zone [working
title]") and Mid Atlantic Films' Howard Ellis and Adam Goodman ("The
Borgias," "Pillars of The Earth") and David Collins of Samson Films,
Ireland.
ABC Premiere Event, "Titanic" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P),
ABC's Selected HD Format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. A TV
parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.
Titanic is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global
Entertainment.