Ghost Ship Mystery Documentary Production Announced
Blink Films, PBS Nova, and Arte have partnered to produce a documentary detailing a shipwreck site in Ukraine.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Documentary
Blink Films has partnered with PBS Nova and Arte to produce Ghost Ship Mystery, a new documentary examining a ship graveyard uncovered by a destroyed dam in Ukraine. The project tracks archaeologists researching a lost Russian military flotilla from 1737.
Why it matters
The documentary provides a unique archaeological look at military history revealed by significant regional changes in Ukraine. It captures the investigation into the 1737 flotilla that attempted to capture a southern Ukrainian port.
The production is a 1x60' documentary exploring a historical site dating back to 1737. The project is currently being introduced to buyers at Mipcom.
The players
Blink Films
This is a factual production company that operates under the parent organization Tin Roof Media.
PBS Nova
This is the flagship science documentary series produced by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.
Arte
This is a public service broadcast network based in France and Germany that focuses on high-quality cultural programming.
SBS
This is a public service broadcaster in Australia that provides multilingual and multicultural television and radio services.
The details
The film documents the work of archaeologists investigating ships found in a graveyard revealed by the recent destruction of a dam. The flotilla involved was originally commissioned to seize a port in southern Ukraine.
Timeline
The Russian military flotilla operated in 1737.
PBS Distribution will present the documentary at Mipcom next week.
The documentary is scheduled to air on PBS, Arte, and SBS in 2027.
Industry Dynamics
The presentation at Mipcom follows a pattern set by industry standards for the international distribution of factual programming. This collaboration between diverse public broadcasters highlights the ongoing trend of co-producing high-stakes historical documentaries.
Viewers can expect to access this hour-long film via PBS, Arte, or SBS when it airs in 2027. The project aims to bring underwater archaeological history to international broadcast audiences.
The takeaway
This project highlights how environmental changes can unexpectedly reveal lost segments of military history to modern researchers. Audiences can look forward to seeing how these archaeological findings are contextualized for the screen in 2027.
What happens next
PBS Distribution will present the film to buyers at Mipcom next week, with an expected broadcast release across PBS, Arte, and SBS in 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest projects in the Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by C21Media.
