Image Credit: CBS
Tragedies have anniversaries too, and with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 approaching the 10-year mark, networks have scheduled several programs analyzing and remembering that tragic day. Projects include the Steven Spielberg-produced Discovery Channel special Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero, following the construction of a new 104-story One World Trade Center, and Nat Geo’s in-depth documentary interview of former president George W. Bush. Below is a list of the specials announced so far across cable and broadcast:
August 25
8 p.m. Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero (Discovery Channel)
Sunday, August 28
10:00 p.m. George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview (National Geographic)
Monday, August 29
10:00 p.m. CIA Confidential: 9/11 Mastermind (Nat Geo)
Tuesday August 30
10:00 p.m. 9/11: Where Were You? (Nat Geo)
Thursday, September 1
8:00 p.m. Nick News: What Happened? The Story of September 11, 2001 (Nick)
Sunday, September 4
9:00 p.m. 9/11: Heroes of the 88th Floor (TLC)
September 5-11
Times TBD: America Remembers: 9/11, New York Philharmonic 10th Anniversary Concert for 9/11, Engineering Ground Zero, Frontline 9/11 special (PBS)
Friday, September 9
9:00 p.m. 9/11: The Days After (History)
Saturday, September 10
9:00 p.m. Voices From Inside the Towers (History)
Sunday, September 11
8:46 a.m. 102 Minutes That Changed America (History)
8:00 p.m. Making the 9/11 Memorial (History)
8:00 p.m. 9/11: 10 Years Later (CBS)
9:00 p.m. 20/20: 9/11 Anniversary (ABC)
9:00 p.m. The Space Between (USA)
10:21 p.m. Twin Towers (USA)
– With additional reporting by Aly Semigran
Bush reads My Pet Goat all day on Fox “News.”
Now that’s funny.
thank the lord we had bush in office then
so you’re thanking god that we had a president who had outdated cold war thinking national security advisers (rice) and had Bush I era Defense personnel who were still obsessed over Sadam Hussein? You’re thanking God that the Bush White house ignored Berger and more importantly Richard Clarke, who tried repeatedly to warn them of Al queda? You thank god that bush was the only president in our History who allowed such a massive attack on our country??? You thank god that these bush people then exploited the attack to invade Hussein’s iraq all under the pretense of doing something about 9/11???
There’s just no explaining away bush just sitting there in dumb inaction reading a book about a goat as it is CERTAIN that we were under attack. Oh, “he didn’t want to alarm the kiddies” suuureee..
should be good let just remember to respect the cops and fire fighters that day
we should respect them every day.
Even on Christmas? (Asking for a friend- I’m Jewish.)
Hey LOL – At least Bush didn’t use a teleprompter for EVERY speech he gave. Sure you don’t want to reconsider which of the two is dumber?
It’s a dead heat and sadly it is America that is screwed and must pay the price for this tag team duo of ineptitude.
Holy crap Jeff, are you that stupid? ALL presidents use teleprompters.
Lol. Yeah, that might have been the stupidest comment I’ve ever read on this site.
He only repeats it because that’s one of those bs talking points his fave propagandists at FOX use to slag Obama.
Of course Bush used telepromters. Do you think he memorized his speeches?
10 years just flew by.
Just what we “need”. Hopefully the networks will stop televising this now that 10 years have passed.
I know! it will never be forgotten, but to replay news reels and such, do we really heal any wounds?
I’ve read books from wives and families that say that it is so hard to move on when everyone sees them as a constant reminder of what happened.
but as soon as they stop doing that, the other half of ‘merica is whining that they’ve “forgotten”
“9/11: Where Were You?” Lol. It makes it sound like a game show. They should have used a different title.
doesnt FX have the finale of rescue me on as well?
Yep
Just helps us to remind ourselves to never forget where we were on that horrific day in question and all those innocent lives lost as a result of a crazy man who is now dead and buried and eaten by the vultures.
Ocean Vultures?
I was walking around a 9/11 Memorial the other week and there were a few kids in there running around, oblivious to what they were seeing because they were either just born or too young to really feel the impact of what happened. I’m glad that Nick News is doing a special and I hope kids will see it to try to understand the scope of how huge this was. I also can’t believe I already sound like someone remembering WWII at the age of 26.
Or we can all move on with our lives. Yeah. I like that option better.
It was a sad and tragic day but they really need to quit doing this every year. And if you really think the young will watch this on Nick you’re kidding yourself… They turn the channel or go do something else. I guess some people are still living in the past. Let go and let these people RIP already.
As someone who lives in Manhattan and was in the city that day, I can vouch that it was an unbelievably awful tragedy. And we should never forget that it happened and that thousands of innocent people died. But we Americans always think that tragedies that happen to us are somehow more important than things that happen to people in other countries because, well, they happened to us. This sort of terrorist attack happens CONSTANTLY in other countries. Where are their 10-year anniversary TV specials? Simple: They don’t have them. Television specials like these trivialize terrorist atrocities. But the American TV networks work overtime in turning everything into “entertainment,” so why should 9/11 be any different. Shame on us for letting them do it, though.
By the way, they’ll stop doing it if we don’t watch their programs…
Leaving politics aside, this was a NATIONAL tragedy we ALL suffered. Like documentaries on other tragedies that have affected this country—Revolutionary War, Civil War, two World Wars, Korean and Vietnam wars, etc.—I don’t mind being reminded that we suffered as a country and grew stronger as a nation and as a people because of it. As long as the shows are interesting and well done, I will watch.
The picture of Robert De Niro above is from a documentary made by two French film makers who happened to be filming the life of first year firemen. The film they produced is FANTASTIC and was shown on CBS. It was one of the best things I saw about 9/11.
The only other thing I’d like to see repeated from that time—and I have not seen it since 2001—is a special I think was on ABC called Report from Ground Zero (later a book by Dennis Smith) where first responders gave testimonies about what they saw, felt, etc. and testimonials about family and friends.
These were the most moving tributes I witnessed after the events. I would love to see the originals as well as a ten-years-later update.
MMJ,
You may have posted the best comment I’ve seen. My children were babies when this happened and I’m glad they are replaying it all simply to give them the most realistic impression that the rest of the world had that day in TRUTH and not minimalized or sugar-coated through a textbook. The great thing about TV is if you don’t want to watch or think it’s inappropriate….. change the channel!
It’s all a record of a historical event. I don’t hear this many complaints when they re-run footage of Pearl Harbor or any other significant national tragedy that has occurred. I guess reality and truth are bitter pills for many to swallow. Plus, it’s always much easier to point fingers, lay blame and be divisive, which takes the focus off of the victims. Get over yourselves.
“Life ain’t always unicorns, rainbows and lollipops”
I completely agree with both of you! I was only 7 on this day, so all the adults I knew who actually talked to me about what was happening sugar-coated all of the facts so I could understand and I wouldn’t be afraid. Watching shows with actual footage and families talking about losing loved ones makes it all the more real to me and helps me understand it better. I’d rather watch shows on tv than read about it in a textbook in history class. It helps you feel all the real emotion. Thank you for these two wonderful comments, and I hope there are many more people out there who agree with us.
Sometime unicorns, though, right?
Thank you for this list. I’ll def watch as many tributes as possible.
I think it’s unfortunate that there are so many out there who do not want to remember that date. I’m not sure what inside of you would feel that way. I am all about moving on with life and letting people live — if nothing else, that is something that everyone should have learned from that tragic event. Don’t waste time — you don’t have it to waste. There are certain events that happen in this country that I believe need to be remembered periodically. We never need to forget how vulnerable we are and how precious life is. I know that my children will watch some of these specials and be glad that they did. When they were 6 and 8, they could not possibly understand the magnitude of what was happening. For many, hopefully, there will never be another event in their lifetimes that will result in such things as a complete stop in air traffic in this country, cause a nation of people to stop everything and watch TV to find out what was happening and to mourn as a group of millions — all at the same time, cause businesses to essentially set most work aside for a day, bring people together in prayer and concern who would never otherwise have looked at each other. That is major and the reason for it should never be forgotten. Many happy events are celebrated by anniversary events, many unhappy ones should be as well. You have options. There are hundreds of channels on TV and few will carry these specials — change your channel. Let everyone else who wants to watch, remember, and show respect for those who died that day and the families that suffered the loss. It’s not right or wrong either way. It’s a choice.