Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story

Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story (2025)

EndedDocumentary showHistory

On the night of 6 July 1988, 120 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, a devastating series of explosions ripped through Piper Alpha, one of the North Sea's flagship oil platforms. By the time dawn broke, Piper Alpha was in ruins. 167 men would die, only 61 survived.

Six months later a Public Inquiry was launched, led by Lord Cullen. It revealed that behind the disaster was a flawed safety culture within the main US owned operator, Occidental, and in the North Sea more widely. But no criminal charges were brought. It remains the world's deadliest offshore oil and gas disaster.

Now, 37 years later, Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story will revisit the events of that night and the months beyond, to reveal a bigger, untold story of the rush for North Sea ‘black gold', the working families shattered by Piper Alpha and the legacy of the disaster on industry and individuals for decades to come.

At the heart of the series will be the unique and compelling testimony heard in the Cullen Inquiry. Revoiced by actors, the words of the men who lived through that night tell a remarkable human story, one that speaks to tragedy, heroism, and an uncompromising quest to uncover the truth.

Network

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Jeopardy!
Running

Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! is a classic game show -- with a twist. The answers are given first, and the contestants supply the questions. Three contestants, including the previous show's champion, compete in six categories and in three rounds (with each round's "answers" being worth more prize money).

FROM
Running

FROM

FROM unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down. In season two, hidden truths about the nature and terrifying origins of the town begin to emerge, even as life for its residents is plunged into chaos by the arrival of mysterious newcomers.

Brilliant Minds
Running

Brilliant Minds

Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, Brilliant Minds follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

NCIS: Origins
Running

NCIS: Origins

In NCIS: Origins, young Leroy Jethro Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.

For All Mankind
Running

For All Mankind

Imagine a world where the global space race never ended. This thrilling "what if" take on history from Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) spotlights the high-stakes lives of NASA astronauts and their families.