History
Station:
BBC iPlayer (GB)
Status:
Ended
Start:
2025-08-24
Rating:
0/10 from 0 users
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.
TV Show Ended.
S1E1 - The Golden Ticket
In this episode, 1970s Britain is struggling with industrial decline and mass unemployment, but first oil flowing from the North Sea brings hope. Offshore platforms are soon pumping gallons of oil and gas back to mainland Britian and into the economy. It's tough, dangerous work, but it promises good wages and steady employment to thousands of men. At the heart of this boom is Piper Alpha: a giant, oil and gas-producing platform located 120 miles off the coast of Aberdeen that feeds the UK's energy supply.
We meet the men who worked it: drilling foreman Mark Reid, superintendent engineer Andy Mochan, electrician Bob Ballantyne, control room operator Geoff Bollands and underwater inspection diver Ed Punchard.
Air Date: 24 Aug 2025 00:00 (CDT)
S1E2 - Dark Cloud Over Aberdeen
Piper Alpha burns and the platform begins to collapse. With 167 men and just a handful of survivors, grief turns to fury and the fight for justice begins back home.
Air Date: 24 Aug 2025 00:00 (CDT)
S1E3 - The Perfect Storm
With Piper Alpha gone, survivors' evidence becomes key to the truth. The inquiry reveals fatal errors, ignored warnings and failed systems. Will there be justice?
Air Date: 24 Aug 2025 00:00 (CDT)