Did Titanic Sink?
The RMS Titanic is among the most famous man-made disasters of all time. Despite its sinking 110 years ago, the tragedy remains a fascination, the world over. Everyone has heard of The Unsinkable Ship that hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage and proved to be very sinkable indeed.
After decades of his own “independent research”, Titanic-obsessive Carlo has become convinced the narrative printed in history books washes over the real events of the Titanic disaster. Over six episodes, Carlo presents what he believes really happened. It’s a tale of grand conspiracy involving one of the world’s richest men and possibly, history's largest switch-a-roo.
New Zealand comedian and podcaster Tim Batt hosts Carlo Ritchie, an Australian improviser, writer and amateur historian who would like us to consider; Did Titanic Sink?
Joined by comedy heavyweights Rhys Darby, Urzila Carlson, Guy Montgomery plus the voice talents of Kim Hill, Jeremy Wells, Leigh Hart and many others, this series will make you laugh, think and question; Did Titanic Sink?
Listen every Tuesday from 30 August at rnz.co.nz or wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode 1: Titanic - The Sinkable Ship
The sinking of the RMS Titanic is one of the most famous man-made disasters of the modern era, forever changing icebergs from freezing friends, to frozen foes. From Greenland to Southampton, Tim and Carlo summarise what they know about the creation, launch and sinking of the RMS Titanic. Is everything as it seems?
Episode 2: Meet My Sister
If the Titanic didn’t sink, which ship did? Carlo introduces Titanic’s twin sister, The RMS Olympic and traces her career from Darling to Disaster of the White Star Line. From the drawing rooms of Haarland and Wolf to the frozen North Atlantic, Carlo and Tim uncover a tale of jealousy, greed and villainy.
Episode 3: Fire In The Hull!
We’ve all heard the story of Titanic’s sinking but few know that Titanic was on fire the day it launched. For up to three weeks, a coal bunker blazed in the lower decks of the ship. Tim and Carlo explore how much damage this fire may have caused and more chillingly, whether it was deliberately lit? Could an insurance-fuelled switch-a-roo really be at the heart of Titanic’s downfall?
Episode 4: She Was Not Alone
Over 1500 souls perished the night the ship calling itself “Titanic” sank. Just 706 were saved. Eight kilometres away, the SS Californian watched the disaster unfold, yet for some reason did not intervene. Why? Carlo introduces evidence from officially documented Marconigrams (morse-coded radio communications) and the official inquiry which show that Californian was not the only ship that watched. There were others, who disappeared the next morning into the ice field never to be seen again. What could explain the bizarre behaviour of these nearby vessels?
Episode 5: The Wake of Titanic
Two large-scale official inquiries took place immediately after the Titanic’s sinking, one American, one British. Each had wildly alternative motives behind them and both had something to hide. Heroes and villains alike were created in the course of these inquiries but was this all part of someone else’s fiction? Carlo outlines what these inquiries taught the public and what was shielded from us.
Episode 6: Switch-a-Roo
Carlo pulls all the tantalising pieces of the story together to present a compelling alternative narrative of what really happened to Titanic. A story that has been hidden from us for over a century. Is Carlo out of his mind? Or are we all mistaken about the most famous ship the world has ever known?
Credits
Writer: Carlo Ritchie
Co-writer: Tim Batt
Producers: Tim Batt and Carlo Ritchie
Engineer: Blair Stagpoole
Director: Chelsie Preston Crayford
Executive Producers: Justin Gregory & Tim Watkin
Graphic Designer: Hannah Lawless
Original Theme Song: Eilish Wilson
Inquiry transcripts courtesy of the Titanic Inquiry Project.
Marconigram transcripts courtesy of Sean Coghlan
This work would not be possible without the work of the Titanic Inquiry Project.
Meet the creators
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