Brunel's Last Launch

Special Episode60 minNov 10, 2011
Brunel's Last Launch

Nowadays, London's East End is synonymous with the 2012 Olympic Games. Cutting-edge engineering and design have transformed the Olympic Park. But 150 years ago, the world was watching for a very different reason, although the spectacle on display was as high-tech as anything on offer today. The East End was once home to the most advanced shipbuilding industry - and best workers and shipyards - in the world. A century and a half ago, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Britain's most famous engineer, was about to launch a ship five times bigger than any that had ever been built before, the most revolutionary vessel the world had ever seen: the SS Great Eastern. Pioneering the transition from sail to steam and timber to iron, Brunel and East London's ship builders created vessels that were bigger, faster and tougher than ever before. But this launch was a disaster. Brunel went from hero to laughing stock overnight as his leviathan stuck on the slipway. Brunel died not long after. Today archaeologists are scouring the banks of the Thames to discover why launching such a big vessel proved a complete disaster. Examining the slipways, they hope to discover what went wrong and how it affected shipbuilding in London for ever. Tony Robinson joins them in their quest to solve the puzzle. But he and the team also explore some of the extraordinary successes of this long-gone industry and a time when the East End led the world.

Brunel's Last Launch has aired on Nov 10, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Brunel's Last Launch is a special episode of season 18
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Running

Below Deck Mediterranean

With a new boat, new location, and new faces, the excitement, drama, and adventure of life aboard a private luxury yacht is taken to another level in the Mediterranean. Providing unparalleled service to wealthy and uncompromising guests is made even more difficult as the team faces everything from love triangles to seeing fellow crew members shockingly cross the line with guests. Voyaging from Santorini, Mykonos, and many of the Greek islands, each episode features a new group of elite clientele who present a new set of challenges, all while offering the crew a glamorous lifestyle and exotic perks that most people only dream of experiencing. For these young, attractive, and adventurous yachties, the "work hard, play harder" nature of the job combined with the pressure of working in the most exclusive yachting scene in the world pushes the team close to the breaking point on Below Deck Mediterranean.

Ginny & Georgia
Running

Ginny & Georgia

Free-spirited Georgia and her two kids, Ginny and Austin, move north in search of a fresh start but find that the road to new beginnings can be bumpy.

Days of Our Lives
Running

Days of Our Lives

Days of our Lives is set in the fictitious Midwestern town of Salem. The core families are the Bradys, the Hortons and the DiMeras, and the multi-layered storylines involve elements of romance, adventure, mystery, comedy and drama.

Beginning on September 12, 2022, DAYS became exclusive to streaming on Peacock.

Anne Rice's The Talamasca
Upcoming

Anne Rice's The Talamasca

Anne Rice's The Talamasca will feature the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, werewolves and other creatures scattered around the globe.

The Lincoln Lawyer
Running

The Lincoln Lawyer

Mickey Haller, an iconoclastic idealist, runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles.