On the morning of Sept. 11, 2024, al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners and flew them into various sites in the U.S. killing nearly 3,000 people in the worst attack on the American mainland in over a half-century. It was a day that will live in infamy. And now, with exactly one month to go before the 10th anniversary of these horrific, history-altering attacks, Discovery Channel and Bell Media's factual channels announced today cross-platform coverage of the historic anniversary over four days in September. Beginning Sept. 8 and running through to the anniversary itself on Sept. 11, Discovery Channel and Bell Media's factual channels will commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with extensive and exclusive programming.
The landmark six-hour Discovery Science special Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero showcases the construction of the new, 104-story One World Trade Center
Highlights of Discovery Channel and factual channels 9/11 anniversary coverage include:
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
TARGET: BIN LADEN
Thursday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Get the exclusive inside story of the operation to hunt and kill Osama Bin Laden - told for the first time as a high quality drama-documentary. With exciting, believable dramatizations of all key scenes, from the decision-making in the Obama White House to SEAL Team Six's attack on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan - experience the year's biggest news event like never before - with a winning blend of high politics and excruciating suspense that's reminiscent of The Bourne Identity and Blackhawk Down in its look and tone.
DAILY PLANET: 9/11 10
Friday, September 9 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
The world's first and only nightly science and tech series presents a special hour on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Hosted by Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin, DAILY PLANET: 9/11 10 goes behind-the-scenes to better understand the after effects of that fateful day as the DAILY PLANET team investigates the incredible procedural, physical, structural and psychological changes the world has undergone as a result of the attacks on New York and Washington. First, on "Deadly Dust", meet Dr. Thomas Cahill and his DELTA team from the University of California, Davis. Cahill and his team set up a sampling monitor on the rooftop in lower Manhattan within hours of the attacks in order to track two deadly types of pollution - eventually realizing that the dust had quite literally travelled around the world. Then, check in at the University of San Diego which houses the world's only blast simulating facility, where a team of engineers are attempting to create blast-proof concrete in order to make high-rise buildings completely terror-proof. Next, hop aboard the "USS New York", a San Antonio-class amphibious transport ship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center. And, don't miss "Inventions" where we meet a former firefighter who invented a system for evacuating high-rise buildings.
DISCOVERY SCIENCE
RISING: REBUILDING GROUND ZERO
Sunday, September 11, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
From executive producer Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Television and coinciding with the tenth anniversary of September 11th, the six-hour event RISING: REBUILDING GROUND ZERO takes a comprehensive look at one of the most daunting construction jobs America has ever undertaken. Building four skyscrapers, a transportation hub, a museum and a memorial featuring the largest man-made waterfall in history - at the same time on the same site - presents an unprecedented set of engineering challenges. From the design to the materials to the raw emotions and heavy hearts, RISING: REBUILDING GROUND ZERO chronicles the teamwork and innovation involved in reining in a beast of planning, timing and coordination. The special also looks at the rebirth of Lower Manhattan through the eyes of the residents who survived the horrors of 9/11 to reclaim and rebuild their neighborhood. Programming note: Discovery Science will feature a 12-hour anniversary programming block as RISING: REBUILDING GROUND ZERO repeats immediately after its six-episode premiere at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT.
ANIMAL PLANET
HERO DOGS OF 9-11
Sunday, September 11 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
In documentary style, using a seamless blend of first-person accounts and narration, on-location shooting, stylized archival photos and videos, HERO DOGS OF 9-11 reveals the real-life drama that the Search and Rescue Dog Teams went through in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Now, in the first-ever special about the HERO DOGS OF 9-11, go behind-the-scenes of the infamous tragedy with some of the unheralded heroes of the day. The rescue dogs on the scene at the World Trade Center went where it was impossible for humans to go - an occasional dog collapsed from exhaustion, but none of them gave up. They stood by the sides of desperate people and they offered solace to those in anguish. Today, ten years later, most of these hero pups are retired, or deceased, but they leave a legacy and a story that must be told.