The Terror, coming to BBC Two in March, is a must-watch historical epic with a supernatural twist.
Starring Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies and Ciaran Hinds, the critically acclaimed drama blends the true story of Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition with Dan Simmons novel The Terror and brings to life the last days of the two famous ships – HMS Terror and HMS Erebus - and their crews.
But what really happened in 1845 and where does the true story end and the TV series begin? Here’s our guide to the real story of the HMS Terror.
HMS Terror and HMS Erebus before 1845
Horror
It is 1848, and two British Royal Naval ships are lost in the ice-cold waters of the Northwest Passage. They had left England three years earlier to search for the route over North America to the Pacific Ocean. Now frozen, isolated and stuck at the end of the earth, the crew, desperate to survive, struggle not only with the elements, but with each other.
The Terror shocked and surprised viewers and critics alike when it was first broadcast in 2018, and now you can enjoy it all over again as the chilling first season is airing on BBC Two this spring.