Synopsis

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, this is the untold story of how one man saved the world from nuclear apocalypse. From the producers of The King's Speech, this hour-long special details a shocking and long-hidden side to the historic events of 1962. Today, the public remembers Kennedy and Khrushchev's public battle of nerves. But away from the spotlight of global politics, a drama on board a Russian submarine brought us closer to World War III than anyone knew. The Man Who Saved the World introduces us to Vasili Arkhipov - the man who brought us back from the brink of certain nuclear war. With brand new eyewitness accounts, the first ever TV interview with Arkhipov's widow and dramatic reconstructions, this is the story of the most dangerous moment in human history.