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Though not officially acknowleged at the time of its telecast, the made-for-TV movie The Last Survivors was a rehash of the 1957 theatrical feature Abandon Ship; both in fact were based on the same true story. A typhoon at sea has sunk a ship, leaving Alexander Holmes (Martin Sheen) as the highest ranking officer to survive. Commandeering a crowded lifeboat, Holmes must face the fact that the tiny vessel is in danger of floundering itself--and there's another typhoon on the way. Thus is Holmes forced to "play God", decided who among the passengers will allowed to remain in the lifeboat, and who will be cast overboard. Broadcast by NBC, The Last Survivors debuted on March 4, 1975.