Seconds From Disaster

Infobox Television show
show_name = Seconds From Disaster


caption = "Seconds From Disaster" title
genre = Documentary
creator = National Geographic
developer = Darlow Smithson Productions
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 3
num_episodes = 45
runtime = 45-50 minutes
network = National Geographic Channel
first_aired = July 6, 2004
last_aired = March 7, 2007
preceded_by = Seismic Seconds
followed_by = Situation Critical

"Seconds From Disaster" is a documentary television series that investigates certain man-made disasters and several natural disasters in modern history, and analyzes the causes and events that led up to each disaster.

The series features re-enactments, interviews, testimony, and CGI to deconstruct the sequence of events second-by-second to the audiences.

The series is broadcast on the National Geographic Channel. There have been a total of 45 episodes over three seasons. Afterwards, British production company Darlow Smithson replaced "Seconds From Disaster" with the provisionally titled "Situation Critical". It premiered on National Geographic on June 12, 2007.

tyle

"Seconds From Disaster" is characterised by an emphasis on chronological sequencing (in accordance with the show's name), the usage of CGI technology and its blueprint-like CGI format. The show has little or no dialogue for the actors in the re-enactment, almost entirely dominated by the narrator.

The show starts with a chronological re-enactment of the disaster, which is always cut into several scenes displaying critical moments in the unfolding of the disaster with a clock appearing at the beginning of each scene. After the sequence of events, the show "winds back" the scenes to analyse the causes and events leading up to it. The series uses blueprint-formatted CGI in every episode to reveal the anatomy of the disaster and the structures involved but in episodes 7-19 in season 3, the blue formatting of the CGI is not used on the background and is replaced with a white background. The CGI is emphasized heavily throughout each episode, such as at the beginning, where the narrator often says "Advanced computer simulation will take us where no camera can go: into the heart of the disaster zone", and before the analysis of the disaster, where he says "cutting-edge simulation will reveal just what happened in those seconds from disaster".

The show concludes with the original disaster scenes being "rewound" and played again; the clock is replaced by a countdown timer and the conclusions reached from the analysis being put together with the sequence. Most often, the show finishes with a short moment of sentimentality (where those involved often speak of their emotions on the disaster) followed by the technological advances made to prevent similar disasters from happening again.

Episodes

By topic

Navbox

group1 = Air accidents
list1 =

nowrap begin Air France 4590 (Concorde)·w BOAC 781w SA 201 (Comet)·w Tenerife Airport·w Air Florida 90 (Washington)·w American 191 (Chicago)·w American 587 (Queens, New York)·w British Midland 092 (Kegworth)·w El Al 1862 (Amsterdam)·w The "Hindenburg"·w TWA 800 (Long Island)·w United 232 (Sioux City)·w ValuJet 592 (Florida)

group2 = Natural disasters
list2 =

1974 tornados·w 2004 Asian tsunami·w Galtür Avalanche·w Kobe earthquake·w Montserrat eruption·w 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption

group3 = Terrorism
list3 =

American Airlines Flight 77·w Bali bombing·w Munich massacre·w Oklahoma City bombing·w US embassy bombings

group4 = Train disasters
list4 =

Amtrak "Sunset Limited"·w Austrian alps funicular·w Gare de Lyon station·w German ICE high speed train

group5 = Marine disasters
list5 =

K-141 "Kursk"·w MS "Herald of Free Enterprise"·w M/S "Scandinavian Star"·w RMS "Titanic"·w USS "Forrestal"

group6 = Fire
list6 =

King's Cross railway station·w Mont Blanc Tunnel·w Piper Alpha oil platform·w Texas oil refinery

group7 = Collapses
list7 =

Kansas City hotel walkway·w Puerto Rico shoe store·w Seoul department store·w Singapore hotel·w Stava Dam

group8 = Others
list8 =

Chernobyl·w Guadalajara explosions·w Space Shuttle "Challenger"·w Space Shuttle "Columbia"

By original broadcast date

National Geographic Channel has broadcast many episodes under multiple titles. The title currently or most recently listed on [http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ET/daily/daily.html the NGC Calendar] is shown first. Alternate titles are shown in parentheses.

eason 1 (2004)

ee also

* "Seismic Seconds"
* "Mayday (Air Crash Investigation)"
* "Blueprint for Disaster"
* "Situation Critical"
* "Trapped"
* "Zero Hour"

External links

* [http://natgeotv.com.au/Programmes/Main.aspx?Id=640 Official "National Geographic Channel" website]
* [http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/seconds-from-disaster/ Official "Seconds From Disaster" website]
* [http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/programs/seconds-from-disaster.html Program description on NGC with Preview Video]
*
* [http://www.tv.com/national-geographic-channel-seconds-from-disaster/show/42424/summary.html TV.com: Seconds From Disaster]