Logo

TVWeek

History Commemorates the 15th Anniversary of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks With a Week of Original Primetime Specials

Aug 25, 2016  •  Post A Comment

Press release from History, Aug. 25, 2016:

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, HISTORY(R) will present a week of programming, including three original primetime documentaries and a series of digital shorts. A new special, “15 Septembers Later,” will premiere on Labor Day, Monday, September 5 at 9pm ET/PT, and the Emmy(R) Award-winning “102 Minutes That Changed America: 15th Anniversary” and “America’s 9/11 Flag: Rise From the Ashes” will air on Sunday, September 11 at 8pm and 10:30pm ET/PT respectively.

“The 9/11 terrorist attacks marked a seminal moment in modern U.S. and world history,” said Jana Bennett, President and General Manager of HISTORY. “HISTORY made a commitment to be at the forefront of commemorating the events that unfolded that day and the extraordinary recovery efforts that followed by documenting the stories of the first responders, government officials, members of the military, the media and eye witnesses. This year we have lined up a diverse selection of original primetime documentaries and short form content that captures the devastation of the day, while also looking back with fresh eyes at the events set into motion that continue to impact the course of modern history.”

Leading HISTORY’s 9/11 coverage is “15 Septembers Later,” which examines 9/11 through the lens of stories and information uncovered over the last 15 years, offering a new perspective on the historic events of that day. The program features recently declassified materials and new interviews with a number of individuals who played key roles in the events of that day, some telling their stories for the first time. John Lehman, a former member of the 9/11 Commission, speaks to the 28 pages from the 9/11 report which were only declassified this summer that allege that some of the “hijackers were in contact with and received support or assistance from individuals connected with the Saudi government.” Major Heather Penney, the F-16 pilot who was assigned the impossible task of intercepting United Airlines Flight 93, recounts her story for the first time. We hear from Ben Sliney, who on his first day as the new FAA National Operations Manager made the decision to clear American airspace and led the effort to land every non-military plane over the U.S. Also interviewed is White House photographer Eric Draper whose recently declassified photos capturing the White House response to the attack are featured.

“15 Septembers Later” also includes a new, rare interview with President George W. Bush, as well as new interviews with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Andrew Card, Leon Panetta, Senator Chuck Schumer, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and other government officials, journalists and eye witnesses. “15 Septembers Later” airs on Monday, September 5 at 9pm ET/PT, and is produced by Left/Right Productions for HISTORY. Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver serve as Executive Producers for Left/Right. Co-Executive Producer for Left/Right is Michael Mezaros. Jason Sklaver is Co-Executive Producer and Director. Michael Stiller is Executive Producer for HISTORY.

Featuring best-selling author and HISTORY host Brad Meltzer, “America’s 9/11 Flag: Rise from the Ashes” looks at the mystery surrounding the iconic American flag that was raised by three New York City firefighters shortly after the attack only to then disappear. The raising of the flag amidst the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11th was captured in a photograph by Thomas E. Franklin of The Record (Bergen County, NJ) and circulated widely. The image and the flag became symbols of hope in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. A different flag believed by the public to be the original flag, was later displayed at a number of events, but in reality, the original flag had been lost. “America’s 9/11 Flag: Rise from the Ashes” will air on September 11 at 10:30pm ET/PT. “America’s 9/11 Flag: Rise from the Ashes” was produced by Left/Right. Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, and Brad Meltzer serve as Executive Producers for Left/Right. Co-Executive Producers for Left/Right are Michael Mezaros and Tim McConville. Michael Stiller is Executive Producer for HISTORY.

HISTORY presents an updated edition of the Emmy(R) Award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentary, “102 Minutes That Changed America: 15th Anniversary.” The program chronicles the terror of 9/11 in real-time, providing a minute by minute account of the catastrophe as it unfolded. The anniversary edition includes added interviews from those featured in the original film. “102 Minutes That Changed America: 15th Anniversary” will air on September 11 at 8pm ET/PT. “102 Minutes That Changed America” was produced by Siskel/Jacobs Productions. Executive Producers for Siskel/Jacobs were Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel. Nicole Rittenmeyer was Producer for Siskel/Jacobs. Susan Werbe was Executive Producer for HISTORY. Additional anniversary content produced by Every Hill Films. Executive Producer for Every Hill is Nicole Rittenmeyer. Producer is Allison Ferner. Michael Stiller is Executive Producer for HISTORY.

HISTORY is also producing a number of new original short form pieces that will be available on the network’s website, app and social accounts. Topics include Reporting the News, The Symbol of the Towers, The Philosophy of Al-Queda, Leading the City, Leading the Country, Capturing September 11th – Photos of the Day, pieces on United Airlines Flight 93, the Pentagon, First Responders, and more.

history-logo

Your Comment

Email (will not be published)