User reviews

Opulent miniseries that chronicles the years leading up to and during which the Titanic was constructed in Belfast. As with something this complex some of the stories are more compelling than others as are some of the performances. Kevin Zegers holds the screen well in the lead, his startlingly blue eyes pulling you in. His storyline and several others intertwine and lead to interesting bits of history as well as storytelling. Neve Campbell's reporter storyline however feels superfluous. The best performance comes unsurprisingly from Derek Jacobi as Lord Pirrie. Effiiciently directed this moves along well with very few slow patches. Overall a good, if long, view with some soapy complications thrown in for good measure, but keep in mind this focuses on the building of the ship, not the ill-fated voyage itself.

"Titanic: Blood & Steel" proves there are still ways to approach material that has been revisited on the big and small screens in new and appealing ways. From the laying of the hull to her departure from Belfast, this is the story of the workers, businessmen, and common Irishmen impacted through the construction process of the most famous ship in history.

It's strengths are its historical figures, such as the open-minded Lord Pirrie (Derek Jacobi at his finest) and the perfectionist, driven Thomas Andrews, who is depicted as I have always imagined him to be, soft-spoken and heroic. Its weaknesses lie in its lack of understanding for the social and sexual aspects of the period, as well as its (for me) rather unlikable leading man.

When it comes to historical accuracy, it relies more on fiction than fact to tell its story but somehow this never seems too troubling. The politics of the era are explored: the struggle to unionize Ireland, the rivalries between Catholic and Protestant fractions, even a foray into the beginnings of the Irish Republican Army. The expense of the miniseries shows not only in the terrific cast but the incredible detail on the ships, their construction, the shipyards, and the lavish interiors.

Some might complain about the ambiguous ending, but I like it, since it allows the audience to make their own conclusions about the fate of the main characters. The series held my attention and gave me twelve hours spent in the company of Lord Pirrie and Thomas Andrews -- as an amateur "RMS Titanic" historian, for that, I'm grateful.

I was channel surfing one night and came across episode 1 at the mid-way point and was intrigued. So i watched episode 1 from the beginning and liked what I saw and decided to give this series a chance, and i was not disappointed! James Cameron scored a hit with the movie Titanic by being able to infuse factual with fiction so well that you couldn't tell the difference. This series was the same thing, but in 12 parts.

The story line from episodes 2-9 were outstanding and the acting was incredible. I really felt like i had a window into these people's lives and knew what it was like in Belfast 103 years ago.

Derek Jacobi is an incredible actor and played Lord Pirrie masterfully. He was a great as he was in Gladiator. Alessandra Mastronardi is stunningly beautiful and is great as Sophia.

Her and Kevin Zegers chemistry was great and now i find myself looking for other movies they have been in and will be in because how good their acting is.

The sets and costumes were spot on and the dialogue was very well written.

My one knock about this series is that after episode 9, they rushed to finish it within 2 episodes. I really think they should have allowed the rest of the story to wrap in another 1 or 2 episode so it didn't seem rushed.

But the ending was still very good and I teared up a little as i did at the end of Titanic the movie back in 1997.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is a history buff, a Titanic buff, and anyone who wants a great series to watch.

I suggest watching an episode or two a day so you can absorb they story and you will find that you can't wait to see where the story goes next! Never mind the other reviews about how the accuracy may have been off somewhat, the hats should have been different, blah blah blah.

I think that if you watch this series you would thoroughly enjoy it and you may find yourself never wanting it to end. And you may even be like me and think about watching it all over again.

Speaking of, where's my remote?

It's an OK miniseries. I like the parts of the titanic being built, because well that's the whole reason I'm watching the show. Unfortunately there wasn't as much parts like that as there were of the main character in love or trying to find his daughter. Epic fail if you ask me, people are watching this to see the Titanic, not learn about this guys life. I want to see the Titanic, show me the Titanic ! That should of been the main focus.

A show about the building of the Titanic, has little to do with the building of the Titanic. It's a solid show if you're looking for Downton Abbey. I really wished they showed a lot more of the Titanic herself instead of fictional love stories and family dramas.. that being said it's well acted and the look of the series is great.

This mini-series is a fabricated piece of garbage. Production values are high, but the plot and background stories are substandard. The historic inaccuracies are too many to list. I only have 1,00 words. But this series is basically a soap opera with a ship as the backdrop. It has very little to do with Titanic, and more to do with post Victorian romance. Interspersed between the romance are stories about labor disputes that are inaccurately portrayed using contemporary values. It is an insult to the victims of the Titanic and their memory. It is an insult to the viewer's intelligence. Time would be better spent watching Spartacus or some other historically inaccurate soap opera,

Really enjoyed this refreshing take on a story we all know so well. The Titanic is the connecting backdrop to the story and characters that are most engaging. First rate British and Italian cast.

My only disappointment is that there is no second season to properly end the story.

Lots of Game of Thrones cast.

12 very good episodes. And the drama wasn't overdone (over acted). How refreshing. No spoiled, uneducated and overly emotional Hollywood types in significant roles so they could not spoil it. Well worth the time. I loved the ending...

Titanic: Blood and Steel is an apt moniker for this period drama. It's not one of the usual titanic disaster drama by the classic cinema makers we buy into. This series delves into the pre-titanic era of Belfast: a portrayal of what happens in and around the Harland and Wolff shipyard. As described in the title, it's about the blood and sweat of young riveters who built one of the magnificent ships ever made by a man with an added fiction of steel quality being improved by a metallurgist. It depicts the shattered lives of exploited yard workers fighting for an appropriate pay rise and keenly focuses on their political, religious, and social differences.

It has a quite ensemble cast who make us wonder if it truly happened. Every actor did immerse themselves in the characters. The diplomatic convey of dialogue by Lord Pirrie(by Derek Jacobi) with the shipyard board of directors and workers is outstanding. Thomas Andrews(by Bill Carter) a well-experienced shipbuilder who had always struck a balance between the accountant and an engineer, his tranquility is infectious. Mark Muir(by Kevin Zegers) an underprivileged man who turned his circumstances into a fortune with unlimited perseverance. His indecisiveness to choose love over the task of designing the mighty floating luxury is quite heart-aching. Albeit the roles of JP Morgan(by Chris North) and J Ismay(by Gray O'Brien) was brief, their austerity was intense. The glamorous Italian lad, Sofia Silvestri(by Alessandra Mastronardi) will catch your attention, she carried the demeanor of her character with ease. Her subtle facial expressions are rich. Producers did not compromise with the costumes, they were custom made to each character based on their storyline. The screenplay never fails to impress us. The graphic representation of keel-laying ceremony and indeed the ship launching ceremony, both of them are jawdropping. I strongly believe you shall never skip the intro soundtrack, the background score is mellifluous and relevant to each subplot. I strongly urge the team to ruminate over filming a second part for this one. If not for the disaster, it should primarily focus on the aftermath of Harland & Wolff shipyard, White Star Line, last Olympic class ship Britannic. The first season was all about the rich human emotions tied to constructing a ship, likewise, the next season has many plots to cover: How did Lord Pirrie take this? Who substituted the loss of Andrews? What were the discussions and changes in the board? How did the media publish the disaster? What happened at court proceedings? Did Joanna Yaegar's photos help her german brother? How could Silvestri cope up with the loss of his both daughters? As many as 1,500 souls drowned with Titanic, how did their families repent the loss? and many more. Keeping all of the historical inaccuracies apart, from a fictional perspective this 12-episode period drama is gripping. It is wise to watch it at a slow pace to absorb the story deeply. Certainly, Titanic: Blood and Steel will stay in your memory even after the end credits roll.

An amazing series that besides the unknown elements for the construction of the Titanic, also had a very romantic romance. Italian actress Alessandra Mastronardi who plays Sofia Silvestri met her in the second season of the Medici series: The Florence rulers and left me with the best impression in this series.

As much as I am fascinated by the ship and the tragedy that sunk her, then this 2012 series was a very lukewarm experience. Why? Well, first of all it was 12 hours long! And secondly, but most importantly, the ship itself was a mere backdrop around which all other stories were told. And that was a major disappointment.

"Titanic: Blood and Steel" tells the backstory of Titanic, of how it was built and trying to tie in stories of the working man, the shipyard board-members, the executives of the White Star Line, and so forth. Individually there were some good enough stories, but all thrown together in a 12 hours long series, no, it just became too much.

The ship itself wasn't the heart and core of the series. It was, at best, a mere backdrop to which director Ciaran Donnelly tried to connect all other stories around. But it just didn't work out all that great. I was sorely disappointed, because I had such high hopes and expectations.

It should be said that the series was quite well-cast and that the cast really performed quite well with their given roles and characters. And there is a good early 1900's atmosphere to the series.

But all in all, a mediocre result that lacked the grand ship itself and a far too long playtime.

A really fascinating series that covers both the building of the RMS Titanic at the Harland and Wolff Shipyards in Belfast and the wider world in the early 1900s. Some interesting topics covered, including union riots, mixed race relationships, the growing divide between Irish and English and, of course, the construction of the White Star Line's allegedly unsinkable ocean liner. Of course, we all know how that turned out. The interwoven stories are brought to life over twelve episodes by a stellar cast including Derek Jacobi, Neve Campbell and others. Production values are good, and, from what I have read, events in the series are fairly true to real life.

The finale, whilst offering closure, was also a little open-ended, which made me think Blood and Steel was intended to have more than one season. It would have been fascinating to see what happened to some of the characters who set sail on Titanic.

Really good television.

O------M-----G Just finished 'Titanic: Blood And Steel' and i am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beyond disappointed! This HELLISHLY fictional series i jumped into with LOW expectations........

I had already read enough to know that this show was going to have some ATROCIOUS inaccuracies and subplots.

However the PERK of going into something with LOW expectations is that you USUALLY end up on a WINNING END............ESPECIALLY if it involves TITANIC.

This WAS true.............till the final episode.

For me, i rather enjoyed it......... It had some likable characters, the acting was pretty good and the animation of Titanic and Olympic (though faulty) wasn't half bad. The plot-lines didn't bother me so much as my worry that they would wrap them up by the final curtain call............

They DID NOT!!!!!! Seriously what the HECK were the writers SMOKING when they finished the LAST EPISODE. I mean..........OKAY if you'r NOT going to give us a SECOND SEASON to WRAP IT ALL UP............then give us TWO OR THREE MORE EPISODES to DO THAT INSTEAD!!!!! These are just SOME of the holes we are left with..........and i do mean SOME....

Dr. Muer: has seemingly reconciled with his love, both are on Titanic....but he HASN'T told her he's returning to belfast to work on GIGANTIC. Also, even though he made DIRECT EYE CONTACT and got a "Huh i think i know that girl" feeling from his MISSING DAUGHTER (Also on Titanic) will he realize its her and save her during the sinking? for that matter...........as a member of the GUARANTEE GROUP will HE SURVIVE when historically ALL OTHERS DIE (from this group) the Irish worker dude who pulled up stakes and married his brothers widow and child to start a new life, HOW WILL HE COPE with the responsibilities? What about the German WAR SUBPLOT and the REPORTER who helped instigate it? Will the TOP SECRET plans she stole make it to New York? Will her Brother be freed from prison? What about our favorite slut turned ACTRESS 'Kitty'.........will she make it to New York? or will shacking up with mister fictional BIG BUCKS and his motion picture industry work out? for that matter will HE even survive long enough to give her what she desires in life? How the FRICK did that wussy Andrea and that other dude manage to secure a job in the BOILER ROOM of Titanic? and will they make it to CHICAGO? I am just left with SOOOOOO many loose ends that i hate to say it leave me feeling LARGELY EMPTY. With NO SEQUEL or Second season in sight.......it appears this is one Titanic program i am going to have to use my imagination..........so......

****BOOM**** ALL MAIN CHARACTERS SURVIVE AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!!!!! There..............if your not gonna give me an ENDING i'm gonna envision an EQUALLY FICTIONAL...........HAPPY ONE.

On a scale of 1-10 i rate this a 3.5 It woulda rated an EIGHT but there are TOO MANY loose ends to make this show watchable a second time. I DID NOT ENJOY IT because the ending RUINED IT.

This series was intended to commemorate the centennial of the Titanic. So what idiot then decided to completely falsify the history regarding Harland & Wolff's refusal to hire Catholics, as well as the issues regarding labor unions and the quality of the steel? Why commemorate history by perverting it?

Maybe that same idiot hired the screenwriters who produced a turgid script lacking any semblance of realism. The lines are all too often artificial and pompous - even Derek Jacobi can't make them believable.

I wasted four hours hoping this show would get better. It didn't. Don't waste your time on it.

If you are a history buff or a Titanic buff, DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE.

This is nothing but a soap opera set in the time of the building of Titanic - so many facts are so severely distorted for "dramatic license" that there is little relevance to any history of Titanic.

This was broadcast in April 2012, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The producers deliberately chose this occasion to exploit the anniversary in the interest of maximizing profit. The review on the front page of this movie title is nothing but a marketing sales pitch which was written by someone who knew NOTHING about Titanic history.

The only redeeming quality of this steaming pile of excrement is Derek Jacobi, always a pleasant screen presence.

I have been a Titanic buff for over thirty years and was vastly disappointed in this DVD. I do not like soap opera and was duped into buying this DVD by the false marketing on the package. Don't throw away your money like I did.