Our Round-Up of What To Watch in Honor of the 20th Anniversary of 9/11


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It’s been two decades since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and most major networks are airing the commemorative events airing live from Ground Zero. The ceremonies will include 6 moments of silence for when each of the towers was hit, when they fell, the attack on the Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93. President Biden will also visit each of the attack locations on September 11.

The ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET, with the first moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. The whole commemoration will last till about 1 pm. The annual Tribute in Light will take place at sundown at Ground Zero.

In addition to the live coverage and day-off programming, we’ve listed some documentaries and more you can stream on-demand remembering 9/11.

Day-Of Coverage

ABC
Good Morning America Saturday – A special edition of the show will air at 7 a.m. ET

9/11 Twenty Years Later: America Remembers – World News Tonight anchor David Muir and GMA‘s Robin Roberts will lead live coverage of events from Lower Manhattan, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Programming will include ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, Shanksville and other locations. Coverage begins at 8 a.m. ET

CBS
9/11: Twenty Years Later Norah O’Donnell will anchor a live special report from Ground Zero. She will be joined by correspondents in lower Manhattan, at the Pentagon and from Shanksville, Penn. Airs: 8:30 a.m. ET

CBS This Morning: Saturday – will have full coverage from the sites of the three attacks on the anniversary, plus interviews with survivors, Gen. Raymond Thomas and musician Elvis Perkins, who lost his mother in the 9/11 attacks. Airs: 7 a.m., ET

CNN
The network will have live coverage of events in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. Jake Tapper will be live from New York City. Wolf Blitzer will be live from the Pentagon. Correspondent Paula Reid will be live from Shanksville, PA.

Front Row to History: The 9/11 Classroom – Victor Blackwell presents this CNN Special Report looking at the moment President George W. Bush, sitting before a class of 2nd grade students in Florida, was told a second plane hit the World Trade Center. Blackwell’s report features exclusive interviews with the students and teacher who were there that day. Airs: 7 p.m. ET

Shine A Light – Jake Tapper hosts this commercial-free discussion with young adults who lost parents on 9/11, with profiles of some of the first responders and military members who felt called to service after the attacks. The event is produced by the organization 9/11 Day. Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio will make appearances. Musical artists H.E.R., Maroon 5, Brad Paisley and Common will take part in the discussions and will each perform as part of the broadcast. Airs: 8 p.m. ET

9/11 – With an introduction by Denis Leary, CNN Films Presents an updated version of the Emmy-winning 2002 documentary by the Naudet brothers, who had the only film crew inside the Towers during the tragedy. They also caught unique footage of the evacuation and the attack itself. Airs: 9 p.m. ET

C-SPAN
C-SPAN will have live coverage of the ceremonies commemorating the attacks including President Biden and Vice President Harris at the day’s commemorative events, remembrance activities. C-SPAN will also feature dozens of House members reflecting on their experiences of that day. Airs: 7 a.m. ET

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
Fox News will air the moments of silence corresponding with the attacks “beginning in the 8 a.m. ET hour.”

Fox & Friends WeekendAmerica’s NewsroomCavuto Live and Fox News Live will all broadcast from Lower Manhattan on Saturday.

The Five – The Fox News roundtable will air live from Citi Field ahead of the MLB’s New York Mets versus New York Yankees game, preempting regularly scheduled programming. Former Mets’ manager Bobby Valentine and retired Mets’ player Mike Piazza, both whom were with the team in 2001, are scheduled to join. Airs: 5 p.m. ET

THE HISTORY CHANNEL
Four Flights – This the two-hour documentary unveils “surprising connections, strange coincidences and detrimental decisions” that impacted travelers aboard American 11, United 175, American 77 and United 93 – and America as a whole – on September 11, 2001. Debuts: 9/11, 8 p.m. ET/PT

9/11: I Was There – I Was There is a unique docuement of the events of September 11 captured by ordinary people who chose to pick up their video cameras and capture the events of that dark day. Told “in the moment without interview, commentary or narration,” I Was There weaves together personal video from a dozen people. Debuts: 9/11, 10 p.m. ET/PT

NBC
Today – Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will anchor a special edition of the show starting at at 7 a.m. ET.

NBC News Special Report – Guthrie and Kotb will be joined by Nightly News anchor Lester Holt for continuing coverage from New York, D.C. and Shanksville at 8:30 a.m ET.

NBC Nightly News – Lester Holt will round out NBC’s programming from Ground Zero. 6:30 p.m. ET

MSNBC
Alex Witt, Lindsey Reiser and Kendis Gibson will anchor live coverage beginning at 5 a.m. ET from Ground Zero. At 8 a.m. ET, MSNBC will air the Ground Zero commemoration ceremony live with additional coverage from Hallie Jackson and Andrea Mitchell in Washington, D.C. Nicolle Wallace and Brian Williams pick up continuing coverage at 12 p.m. ET from Ground Zero.

PBS
Great Performances Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11 – Hosted by Misty Copeland, the Metropolitan Opera presents a live performance of Verdi’s Requiem which will feature footage from the archives of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as well as New York City’s Tribute in Light. Conducted by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the concert features performances from soloists Ailyn Pérez, Elīna Garanča, Matthew Polenzani and Eric Owens. Airs: 8 p.m., ET

TELEMUNDO
20 Years Later: We’ll Never Forget – Noticias Telemundo anchors José Díaz-Balart and Arantxa Loizaga lead this three-hour news special live from Ground Zero. They will be joined by correspondents from Washington, New York and the Pentagon. Airs: 8 a.m. ET

On Demand Titles

Netflix

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror

“This unflinching series documents the 9/11 terrorist attacks, from Al Qaeda’s roots in the 1980s to America’s response, both at home and abroad.”

Worth

“In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, a lawyer faces an emotional reckoning as he attempts to put a dollar value on the lives lost. Based on real events.”

HBO Max

NYC Epicenters 9/11-> 2021½

“NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½, a four-part documentary essay produced and directed by acclaimed director Spike Lee (HBO’s 4 Little Girls, When The Levees Broke) is a rich tapestry of New York City in the 21st century, weaving together the stories, memories, and insights of those who were eyewitnesses to New York’s greatest challenges.”

Disney+ and Hulu

9/11: One Day in America

“9/11: One Day in America tells the in-depth story of September 11th through the eyes of the witnesses, heroes and survivors. Made in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to mark the 20th anniversary, this major new series charts the tragic day in unprecedented detail – from the first plane hitting the north tower to the last survivors being rescued from the rubble.”

Peacock

Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11

“MSNBC Films and Peacock present “Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11,” a Yard 44 and NBC News Studios production. The feature documentary, directed by David Belton and Bjørn Johnson, tells the story of September 11th unlike ever before through personal, self-recorded recollections from a plywood video booth that have never been shown on film.

ABC News Digital will have wide-ranging coverage on ABCNews.com and its apps leading up to the anniversary, including an overview of the 20 years since 9/11, how Islamophobia has evolved in the U.S. since 9/11, what progress has been made with the Victims Compensation Fund and 9/11 victims, coverage of the memorial events held around the country on the day of the anniversary and more. Additionally, two 9/11 related episodes of digital video series VOICES will be released, looking at the 20th anniversary and the “War on Terror.” There will also be a special 9/11-focused episode of “On Location” and video highlights on the day of the anniversary.

PBS

PBS has a full lineup of FRONTLINE documentaries covering details of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks including America After 9/11, In the Shadow of 9/11, and its compilation of “9/11, 20 Years Later: 17 Essential Documentaries to Watch

Haystack News

Local and world news streaming service Haystack News launched a special streaming channel in honor of the upcoming 20-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The channel offers coverage from hundreds of Haystack’s news partners and is available for free through September 12.

The Criterion Channel

From the fiscal crisis of the 1970s to the September 11 attacks twenty years ago, and now a global pandemic, New York City has seen it all. The Criterion Channel has a 63-film Salute to New York City with films from Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Chantal Akerman, Billy Wilder, and many more. Surveying a century of cinematic history, this panoramic celebration of films set in the five boroughs captures the mix of grime, glamour, and anything-can-happen energy that has made the Big Apple an unforgettable canvas for generations of filmmakers.

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