Titanic

Produced in advance of the imminent James Cameron movie on the same topic, this miniseries was rushed into production and very hastily completed in order to cash in on the latter's before-release hype. This miniseries aired over two nights on CBS in late-November 1996. The first part received high Nielsen ratings, but experienced a huge drop during the second part, because most viewers got thrown off by the lackluster production. Since this miniseries was so rushed, it included mistakes and historical inaccuracies which Titanic enthusiasts found inexcusable given the wealth of knowledge about the liner and its occupants available by the mid-1990s.

There are several errors relating to Margaret Brown. She actually boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg, not Southampton. She was not known as "Molly" until after her death, and in contrast to her portrayal as a raving, oversexed hillbilly, she was in fact an intelligent, well-mannered, social and political activist. She was also much older and less attractive than actress Marilu Henner. Furthermore, she is seen drinking and gambling in the smoking room. In reality, the smoking room was a male-only domain and Brown would not have been there.

The opening credits of Part 1 and 2 are set against a background of photos of the Titanic's construction.

The Croatian video release is heavily cut, trimming many scenes with Alice Cleaver and her employers, the romantic subplot between Isabella Paradine and Wynn Park and Osa's scenes with her roommates, etc. Many subplots and sinking scenes get removed entirely. This version runs approximately 132 minutes.

Edited into Natural World: The Iceberg That Sank the Titanic (2006)