Titanic Sinks Tonight: What time it's on and how to watch the final episode early
You don't need to wait to watch the last episode of Titanic Sinks Tonight
Titanic Sinks Tonight concludes… tonight with Episode 4, but if you want to watch the final episode before your New Year’s Eve party, there’s an easy way.
The BBC Two series is a late contender for one of the best TV shows of 2025. Part-documentary, part-drama, it merges first-hand accounts of the infamous night the ‘unsinkable’ ship went down with a harrowing recreation.
In Episode 3, passengers scrambled to get to the remaining lifeboats as the Titanic fell deeper into the icy depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
Viewers have praised the show, writing online how it’s given them “goosebumps”. So, if you want to catch the finale before it airs on TV, you’re in the right place.
What time is the Titanic Sinks Tonight finale out?
Episode 4 of Titanic Sinks Tonight will air at 9pm tonight (December 31) on BBC Two.
As per the synopsis, the last lifeboat is gone, and the “passengers and crew face their fates”.
“There are a range of reactions – from the captain’s shocked resignation, to designer Andrews’ desperate bid to help others, to the crew who have a farewell drink,” it adds.
“Those in the lifeboats watch in horror as explosions boom, sparks fly and the Titanic splits in two. By 2:20 am, Titanic is gone, and the lifeboat occupants face a dilemma – to risk saving others or to prioritise their own survival.”
How to watch the last episode of Titanic Sinks Tonight early
If you have plans for New Year’s Eve and you’re worried about missing the final episode of Titanic Sinks Tonight, fear not. It’s available to stream on BBC iPlayer right now.
Not every BBC drama releases all its episodes at once. For example, The Night Manager season 2 will be airing weekly on BBC One, so you’ll need to wait for new episodes.
However, like Waterloo Road series 17 and Wild Cherry, all four episodes of Titanic Sinks Tonight have been readily available on the streaming platform all week.
Who’s in the cast?
Tyger Drew-Honey, best known for his role as Jake in Outnumbered, plays Harold Bride. He was the second radio operator aboard the Titanic on the night it sank.
Everyone in the Titanic Sinks Tonight cast portrays real people. Gerry O’Brien (North Sea Connection) plays Captain Edward Smith, who famously went down with the ship.
Adam Rhys-Charles (Father Brown) plays Charles Lightoller, a second officer on the Titanic. The cast also includes:
- Ethan McHale as Joseph Boxall, a fourth officer
- Ciaran McCourt as Fred Barrett, a fireman
- Dino Luca as Thomas Dillon, a coal trimmer
- Vicky Allen as Violet Jessop, a stewardess
- Patrick Buchanan as Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line
- Rhys Mannion as Jack Thayer, a first-class passenger on the ship
- Candida Gubbins as Lucy Duff-Gordon, a fashion designer
You may even recognise some of these names from James Cameron’s Titanic (one of the best movies on Disney Plus). Bruce Ismay was portrayed by Jonathan Hyde in the 1997 movie, while Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill played the captain.
Read more: The best movies of 2025 and how to watch them
