Titanic

Airing in November 1996, the CBS miniseries Titanic remains a significant milestone in television event programming. Directed by Robert Lieberman, this production sought to humanize the tragedy through a multi-perspective lens, featuring an ensemble led by George C. Scott and Catherine Zeta-Jones. While often overshadowed by the cinematic juggernaut that followed a year later, this version holds the distinction of being the first major production to show the vessel breaking in two—a detail confirmed by the wreckage discovery. The series successfully balanced historical figures like Captain Smith with fictional romances, capturing the era's rigid social hierarchies. For many viewers, it served as a poignant introduction to the disaster's scale, offering a television experience that emphasized character drama over pure spectacle. Its legacy is one of ambition and historical curiosity.