Great British Ships - Season 1 - Eps 4: Secrets of SS Great Britain
In the final part of his documentary series, Rob Bell uncovers the extraordinary story behind what was once the longest passenger ship in the world. Designed by Victorian engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain rewrote the shipbuilding rulebook, pioneering innovations still found on almost all modern ships. Rob learns how the origins of the vast vessel lay in an off-the-cuff boast of Brunel's. Though the ship's early years were plagued by disaster, it finally met with success thanks to the Australian gold rush - and today 250,000 Australians can trace their direct ancestors to its passengers.
About Great British Ships
Title: Great British Ships
First Air Date: 2018-09-20
Last Air Date: 2020-02-17
Status: Ended
Rating: 5.5/10 (from 2 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 2
Total Episodes: 12
Network: 5
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: Windfall Films
Synopsis
Visiting the ships as they stand today, Rob Bell will reveal how and why these monumental vessels were originally built. He’ll uncover a murder on board on the Cutty Sark, reveal the mystery of why the Mary Rose sank and discover how HMS Belfast helped turn the tide on D-Day. From Nelson on board HMS Victory to Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind, Rob will reveal how daring, genius and dazzling invention led to Britain becoming the world’s greatest sea power.
Cast
Rob Bell
Narrator
Eric Grove
Self-Professor
Paul Pattison
Self-Historian
Joanna Thomas
Self-Curator
Simon Potter
Self-Historian
Robert Rumble
Self-Assistant Curator
Nigel Corlett
Self
Brian Lavery
Self-Naval Historian
Nicola Grahamslaw
Self-Ship's Conservation Engineer
Ron Yardley
Self-Vetaran
