Peter Butt
Director
The Liners (1997)
Miniseries
Since their development in the 1850s, ocean liners have been far more than simply passenger ships - they were also the conduit for enormous technological, social and global cultural change. This four-part series is an international story told from a uniquely Australian point of view about the most romantic ships ever built.
Released Oct. 11, 1997
Episode 54 min
None+
Genres: Documentary
Keywords: imdb.ocean, tmdb.ocean-liner, tmdb.travel, tmdb.cruise-ship, tmdb.ocean-voyage, tmdb.ships
Production Companies: Rob McAuley Productions
Network: Channel 4
S1E1 - Maiden Voyage
The history of passenger ships begins with the move from sail to steam and the formation of major cruise lines P&O and Cunard. Rivalry between Germany and Britain intensified with Germany launching the first superliner, Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse in 1897, and Britain answering with Mauretania and Lusitania. Titanic is built and sinks, and events are leading to World War 1.
Oct. 11, 1997, midnight
S1E2 - Ships of War
The passenger-ship history continues, looking at the liners' role as troop ships and immigration transports, and moving on to the era of the great Blue Riband luxury vessels like the Ile de France and Queen Mary.
Oct. 18, 1997, midnight
S1E3 - The Great Duel
Intense rivalry between Britain's Queen Mary and France's Normandie liners drove transatlantic speed records faster and faster during the glamour days of the early 1930s. But by WW2, the Queen Mary and her sister ship Queen Elizabeth had been seconded for war duties along with every other British-owned liner.
Oct. 25, 1997, midnight
S1E4 - Endless Voyage
The final episode tells of the post-Boeing years, when the liners were running half-empty and all seemed doomed to the breaker's yard. Then came the age of the cruise -- and companies like Disney and Royal Caribbean now vie to outdo each other with ever larger and more luxurious floating cities.
Nov. 1, 1997, midnight
Network: Channel 4
Episode Runtime: 54 min.
Season Runtime: 217 min.
Released: Oct. 11, 1997
Last Air Date: Nov. 1, 1997, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: NR
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