The French Atlantic Affair

When the SS Festivale sets sail from New York to France, its 3,000 passengers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harold Columbine and 146 members of the Church of the Cosmic Path, led by Father Craig Dunleavy, their charismatic messiah. Seizing control of the ship, Dunleavy demands $70 million in gold, intending to kill everyone onboard once it's paid. Without knowing which passengers are cultists and warned that 12 will die for every hijacker harmed, Columbine and the captain search for a way to save 3,000 lives before Dunleavy makes good on his threat. Based on a novel by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, this mini-series was broadcast over three nights in November 1979.

Directed by Douglas Heyes, The French Atlantic Affair leans on a strong ensemble — Telly Savalas, Chad Everett, Jean-Pierre Aumont — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1979.