Long time reader, first time poster. I remember several years ago coming across a documentary on several plane crashes. I seem to remember it being on PBS, but I may be mistaken on the channel. Instead of dealing with the technical aspects of the crashes, this delved more into the survivors and the family of the victims and their experiences with the crashes and aftermath. I particularly remember some of the survivors of United 232 and the families of those on TWA 800 and US Air 427 being interviewed. It was a really well put together documentary and really left an impact on me after viewing it. I haven't come across it since and I just can't seem to remember the name of the program. Anybody recall seeing this?

While it does not cover TWA 800, "Survival in the Sky" is probably my favorite documentary. No cheesy cockpit reenactments here.

Start Here (four parts):

http://youtu.be/9R9if_dOT_w

Could it be "Out of the Wreckage?"

https://youtu.be/yYl2NqT3KX8

Air Crash Investigation/Mayday were series about accidents. I remember the one on TWA800. It could be that.

I don't think I've seen the documentary you describe, I'd be interested in watching it though if anybody can provide a link.

I found this one ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8vdkTz0zqI quite touching. First Person by Errol Morris with Cpt. Denny Fitch describing the events of UAL232.

Rgds.

I have a love/hate relationship with these air crash documentary series. They are entertaining until you see all the wrong aircraft interiors, aircraft exteriors etc. The worst part is when it is absolutely obvious they are filming at Goodyear, Pima or some other boneyard. They can become so incredibly low rent. The shaking cameras and screaming passengers could use some lessons from your average Star Trek actor! They often show digital displays of instruments on what is supposed to be a 737-200! The last one I watched was about the Air Florida DCA crash. The exterior shots of the "airport" showed LH and AB aircraft..... at DCA! I'm still a sucker for them.

Interesting connection. Lester Holt who does many of these accident reports for television has a brother who recently retired as VP Flight Operations, Alaska Airlines. Always wondered if he passed some of these shows before his brother before he works out the final presentation, as most of these are above the average crap you see on TV.

Thank you all for the links. This particular documentary dealt much more with the human aspect. They really didn't analyze the causes and the investigations of the crashes. More so the emotion, physical, and financial aftermath to the survivors or the victim's families. I remember the wife of one of the victims of US Air 427 discussing the lawsuit against the airline. I can't remember the exact details, but the airline's lawyers (or insurance companies) were calling into question the husband's faithfulness in his marriage to argue what was proper compensation for his wife. Another story dealt with the husband who lost his wife and two daughters on TWA 800. The production was top notch. There was no narration or interviewer asking questions. No cheesy music or over the top re-enactments or animation. Just these people telling their story.

I watched all for of the Survivor YouTube's today. Enjoyable overall. What was interesting in a tongue-in-cheek way was that every domestic paint scheme it showed was now gone - except for Continental's.

DL_Mech wrote:

No cheesy cockpit reenactments here.

I'm glad that other folk find the acting in these plane crash programmes off-putting. I'd much prefer a programme that concentrated upon the technical details and the reasons for why the disasters occurred than one that featured endless melodramatic reconstructions, but I guess that's not how modern telly programme-makers see things. On the other hand, if these reconstructions help otherwise unemployed actors to make a living, then that's not such a bad thing.

frmrCapCadet wrote:

DrPaul wrote:

DL_Mech wrote:

No cheesy cockpit reenactments here.

I'm glad that other folk find the acting in these plane crash programmes off-putting. I'd much prefer a programme that concentrated upon the technical details and the reasons for why the disasters occurred than one that featured endless melodramatic reconstructions, but I guess that's not how modern telly programme-makers see things. On the other hand, if these reconstructions help otherwise unemployed actors to make a living, then that's not such a bad thing.

As cheesy or soap-operish as it may seem to some folk in here, it would probably would not be around by much time if it was done how you wanted to. After all this is show business, and their ratings happen to be wonderful, specifically for Mayday it happens to be the most seen show for Natgeo Latin America, so kudos to Cineflix which is the show's producer. I'd rather have it as it is now than having no show at all. I also happen to like the reenacments, cheesy as they may seem to some, it gives another perspective to the show.

Was it perhaps this one: Sole Survivor?

Wayfarer515 wrote:

frmrCapCadet wrote:

DrPaul wrote:

I'm glad that other folk find the acting in these plane crash programmes off-putting. I'd much prefer a programme that concentrated upon the technical details and the reasons for why the disasters occurred than one that featured endless melodramatic reconstructions, but I guess that's not how modern telly programme-makers see things. On the other hand, if these reconstructions help otherwise unemployed actors to make a living, then that's not such a bad thing.

As cheesy or soap-operish as it may seem to some folk in here, it would probably would not be around by much time if it was done how you wanted to. After all this is show business, and their ratings happen to be wonderful, specifically for Mayday it happens to be the most seen show for Natgeo Latin America, so kudos to Cineflix which is the show's producer. I'd rather have it as it is now than having no show at all. I also happen to like the reenacments, cheesy as they may seem to some, it gives another perspective to the show.

Well I for one am a count of -1 in viewership of "documentaries" made like this.

I grew up in the UK in the seventies on a diet of Tomorrow's World, Horizon, QED and even Open University. All of those except Horizon have disappeared from the TV - and I just can not watch Horizon any more. Ever since BBC started co-producing it with a US channel the science started getting watered down... and when they came out with that horrible slogan "pure science, sheer drama" in the 1990s it just turned into talking-heads and stupid soap-opera stories. (I just had a look at the Wikipedia page for it and apparently that was a watershed moment for a lot of like-minded criticism).

I can't stand the way TV has to do everything with a "human interest angle" (yuck!) these days - nor the way they use so many tired tropes. (British TV especially has to *ALWAYS* have a presenter "arrive" at a location and "meet" the person about to be interviewed - it's all such a big fat stupid and unnecessary lie!)

If there was any show on TV that still covered science stories factually and in some depth then I would not hesitate to programme it on the recorder... but there's nothing.

It's like the way the BBC news website has a "technology" heading... which is nothing but stories about social media and the new i-gadget. They literally do not think that engineering and hi-tech manufacturing is technology. Such a joke.

SomebodyInTLS wrote:

British TV especially has to *ALWAYS* have a presenter "arrive" at a location and "meet" the person about to be interviewed.

I love it when the interviewee is at home and the second shot is of them (all surprised that someone has rung their doorbell) answering the door... shot from behind them from the inside of the house.

You've already let the camera crew in the house... why the surprise?

Virtual737 wrote:

SomebodyInTLS wrote:

British TV especially has to *ALWAYS* have a presenter "arrive" at a location and "meet" the person about to be interviewed.

I love it when the interviewee is at home and the second shot is of them (all surprised that someone has rung their doorbell) answering the door... shot from behind them from the inside of the house.

You've already let the camera crew in the house... why the surprise?

Exactly. It's such a load of [rubbish], everyone knows it's a load of [rubbish], it serves no purpose whatsoever, yet 9/10 times that a British show interviews someone at home or at work they waste everyone's time setting up this pointless pretense then filling 30 seconds of the broadcast with it. Why?!?!?!?!?

And that's besides the fact that it's a dishonest LIE.

Melodrama instead of science, canned applause and laughter on every studio audience, fictional storytelling during "talent" shows, etc. etc. They don't fool me and it just makes me not want to watch.

Bah! Humbug! Etc...

SomebodyInTLS wrote:

Virtual737 wrote:

SomebodyInTLS wrote:

British TV especially has to *ALWAYS* have a presenter "arrive" at a location and "meet" the person about to be interviewed.

I love it when the interviewee is at home and the second shot is of them (all surprised that someone has rung their doorbell) answering the door... shot from behind them from the inside of the house.

You've already let the camera crew in the house... why the surprise?

Exactly. It's such a load of [rubbish], everyone knows it's a load of [rubbish], it serves no purpose whatsoever, yet 9/10 times that a British show interviews someone at home or at work they waste everyone's time setting up this pointless pretense then filling 30 seconds of the broadcast with it. Why?!?!?!?!?

And that's besides the fact that it's a dishonest LIE.

Melodrama instead of science, canned applause and laughter on every studio audience, fictional storytelling during "talent" shows, etc. etc. They don't fool me and it just makes me not want to watch.

Bah! Humbug! Etc...

Come on though... you've still not mentioned the MOST annoying part of all.....

".... that would send shockwaves through the industry".