The broadcaster has enlisted Downton creator Julian Fellowes to make another epic drama series – this time retelling the story of the Titanic.
The four-part show, called simply Titanic, will mark 100 years since the ship sank after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York.
It is already being described as ‘Downton on sea’ as it follows the Oscar-winning screenwriter’s tried and tested formula of interweaving the lives of the upper and lower classes.
The show will feature 90 actors including Sophie Winkleman, Timothy West, Toby Jones and Downton star Maria Doyle Kennedy.
The cast also includes Perdita Weeks, best known for her role as Mary Boleyn in The Tudors, and little-known Canadian actor Noah Reid.
Fellowes has said that the show will be very different from the 1997 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, insisting his drama will be the most comprehensive view yet of life aboard the doomed vessel, on which 1,500 died.
A two-minute trailer for the show will go out on ITV this Christmas Day - just after the Downton Abbey Christmas special is aired, giving fans a double treat.
Read more at the Daily Mail