The BBC‘s documentary drama Titanic Sinks Tonight dropped on 28 December, and viewers have been hooked on the “incredible” four-parter ever since.

Based on the true story famously dramatised in the 1998 blockbuster Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, this series charts the events of 1912, when a luxurious ocean liner sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg.

Unlike other docuseries, which often focus on the ship itself, this BBC series highlights the human element of the tragic story we all know.

Explaining their choice to focus on the human element, executive producer Kieran Doherty said: “We focused on the survivors and told their stories using their actual words. Instead of studying the ship as an object, we followed the human experience as it unfolded. Their testimonies guide every beat of the series. It’s not about how the Titanic was built, or even how it sank – it’s about what it was really like to be there.”

Read on to learn more about what viewers are saying about Titanic Sinks Tonight…

Jack Thyer (Rhys Mannion)© BBC / Stellify Media

What are fans saying about Titanic Sinks Tonight?

The series has been a hit with fans, many calling it “fascinating” and “a must-watch”.

“Titanic Sinks Tonight has been the best programme on this Christmas. So well made and considered,” said one viewer on X, while another penned: “Titanic Sinks Tonight is the best thing I’ve watched all year. Good old Beeb saving the best stuff till the end. Happy New Year folks!”

A third added: “Titanic Sinks Tonight has been incredible – if you’ve not watched it, watch it.”

Celiney Yasbeck (Sara Diab)© BBC / Stellify Media

What have critics said about Titanic Sinks Tonight?

The series has gone down a storm with critics too, and was dubbed “harrowing but unmissable” by The Herald.

In its four-star review, The Guardian wrote: “Our grim fascination with the doomed ship shows no sign of abating – so here’s a four-parter which makes it feel like you’re onboard. A truly intense watch.”

Meanwhile, The Telegraph penned: “This gripping docudrama from BBC Two is impressively made, but a very odd piece of scheduling.”

Eugene Daly (Andrew Doherty)© BBC / Stellify Media

What is Titanic Sinks Tonight about?

Told over four episodes, the series explores a vast archive of eyewitness testimony, documenting the sinking of Titanic through the experiences of the passengers and crew who were there.

The synopsis continues: “Minute by minute – the night the unsinkable ship sank. Vivid first-hand accounts from passengers and crew tell the story of the most infamous disaster in maritime history.”

J. Bruce Ismay (Patrick Buchanan)© BBC / Stellify Media

Who stars in Titanic Sinks Tonight?

Tyger Drew-Honey plays Harold Bride, while Charlotte McCurry is Eleanor Cassebeer, Patrick Buchanan is Bruce Ismay and Adam Rhys-Charles is Charles Lightoller.

They’re joined by Lisa Dwyer-Hogg (Charlotte Collyer), Rhys Mannion (Jack Thayer), Vicky Allen (Violet Jessop), Hannah Wengård (Anna Sjoblom) and Ethan McHale (Joseph Boxhall).

Lucy Duff Gordon (Candida Gubbins), Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (Steffan Boje)© BBC / Stellify Media

Other names include Candida Gubbins (Lucy Duff Gordon), Steffan Boje (Cosmo Duff Gordon), Andrew Doherty (Eugene Daly) Charlotte Lavery (Marjorie Collyer), Sara Diab (Celiney Yazbeck), Oisin Thompson (Officer Lowe) and Dino Luca (Thomas Dillon).

Rounding out the cast are Ciaran McCourt (Fred Barrett), Gerry O’Brien (Captain Smith), Parnell Scott (Jack Phillips), Michael Johnston (Harvey Collyer), Matthew Cassidy (Fred Fleet), Jonny Everett (Thomas Andrews), Killian Filan (Daniel Buckley), Forrest Bothwell (Herbert Stone) and Ian Davidson (Harold Cottam).

All episodes of Titanic Sinks Tonight are available to watch on BBC iPlayer