ABC sets air date for 'Titanic' miniseries

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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- ABC says it will air the new British miniseries "Titanic" to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1912 sinking of the real luxury liner.

The program was penned by "Gosford Park" and "Downton Abbey" scriptwriter Julian Fellowes. Starring Linus Roache, Geraldine Somerville and Perdita Weeks, it is to debut in the United States on ABC April 14 and to conclude April 15. It will run in the United Kingdom on ITV April 12-15.

"'Titanic' is an extraordinary re-telling of the doomed voyage that cleverly weaves action, mystery and romance over 4 hours and two nights of programming," ABC said in a synopsis. "Shot in Budapest, Hungary, it features both fictional and historical characters, ranging from steerage passengers and crew to upper class guests and staff, who all come together in an explosive and unforgettable finale. Each hour follows similar events from different points of view, culminating in a cliff-hanger, as the ship begins to founder, and building to an explosive conclusion in the final hour that draws together all the stories."

More than 1,500 people died after the British passenger liner struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York.