A&E and Bio Channel Present Four 9/11 Commerical-Free Doc Specials

A&E Network and BIO Channel honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with four commercial-free documentary specials. On Saturday, September 10 A&E presents "Portraits from Ground Zero" at 10PM ET/PT, highlighting the work of Andrea Booher, one of the only photojournalists given full 24-hour access to Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. In addition, BIO Channel will premiere "When Pop Culture Saved America" on Monday, September 5 at 8PM ET, "I Survived...9/11" on Tuesday, September 6 at 8PM ET and "Beyond: Messages from 9/11" on Saturday, September 10 at 10PM ET.

In "Portraits from Ground Zero," photojournalist & filmmaker, Andrea Booher, was one of only two photographers allowed unlimited, 24-hour access to Ground Zero in the days after the September 11th attacks. This 2-hour special will feature the subjects of Booher's harrowing photographs including: a firefighter searching for the body of his life-long friend; a teenage girl mourning her stepfather; a Franciscan friar ministering to the dead; and the future FDNY Chief of Department worrying about a potential building collapse. She uses the battered green notebook she carried at the Trade Center to track down the people in nearly a dozen of her favorite pictures, and gets them to tell, for the first time, the riveting personal stories behind the photographs.

"When Pop Culture Saved America" is a two-hour documentary on BIO that takes a comprehensive look at the days and months following the attack - to show how the non-news media pitched in to bring the nation together. Comedians, singers, actors, entertainers all did their part with concerts, telethons and specials to help bring the nation back to the new normal. Featuring interviews with Kristen Chenoweth, Denis Leary, Dan Rather, Regis Philbin and many more.

"I Survived...9/11" BIO Channel's popular original series honors the 10th anniversary by profiling the stories of 12 fire fighters, ambulance workers, defense officials and ordinary office workers who went to work on that sunny September day, unaware that their lives were about to be forever changed. Fred Eichler was one survivor who, in early at his office on the 83rd floor of the World Trade Center North tower, looked out the window to see a large passenger jet cutting through the blue sky, coming straight for him. The plane slammed into building just fifty feet above his head, turning his floor into a raging inferno. He tried to escape into the corridor, but the flames and smoke forced him back into his office, where he truly believed he was about to die.

In "Beyond: Messages from 9/11," Bonnie McEneaney's husband Eamon died the morning of 9/11, in his 105th floor Twin Towers office. Before his death, Eamon predicted an event at work and even after has never stopped sending Bonnie messages of his love from the beyond. Soon after her loss, Bonnie realized she wasn't alone in her experiences of receiving signs and messages from lost loved ones. In this one-hour special, families of 9/11 victims share their stories of the messages they received from beyond, and the love and hope that lives on knowing that life doesn't end at death - but is instead transformed.

"Portaits from Ground Zero" is produced by Left/Right Inc. for A&E Network. Executive Producers for Left/Right are Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver. Producer is Frank Koughan. Executive Producers for A&E Network are David McKillop and Laura Fleury.

"When Pop Culture Saved America" is produced by BrainStorm Inc. for Bio Channel. Executive Producer for BrainStorm Inc. is David P. Levin. Executive Producers for BIO Channel are David McKillop and Lily Neumeyer.

"I Survived...9/11" is produced by NHNZ for BIO Channel. Executive Producer for NHNZ is Andrew Waterworth. Series Producer for NHNZ is Alan Hall. Executive Producers for BIO Channel are David McKillop, Tom Moody, Laura Fleury and Stephen Harris.

"Beyond: Messages from 9/11" is produced by September Films for A&E Network. Executive Producer for September Films is Rich Hansil. Executive Producers for A&E are David McKillop, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Lily Neumeyer.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching 100 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series, including "The Glades" and "Breakout Kings," to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning "Intervention," "Dog the Bounty Hunter," "Hoarders," "Billy the Exterminator" and "Storage Wars," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com.

About BIO

At BIO, we prove that the truth about people is always more entertaining than fiction. BIO is about real people and their real lives: up close and personal, gritty and provocative, always unfiltered. BIO original series uncover the real drama in people stories: everyday situations with a twist; celebrities going off-script; people-centric crime stories and paranormal events. In addition to being the exclusive home to the Emmy-Award winning "Biography(R)" series, the dynamic blend of original and acquired series on BIO includes "I Survived...," "Celebrity Ghost Stories," "Inside Story" and "Aftermath with William Shatner." The 24-hour network is now available in more than 63 million households. The BIO web site is located at www.bio.com.

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