Many TV documentaries and specials will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Here’s a list
We’ve put together a list of TV specials and documentaries commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
This list will update as new programming is announced.
Aug. 29-Sept. 1
9/11: One Day In America (9 p.m., National Geographic Channel/Hulu) — This new documentary series offers an in-depth and visceral account of Sept. 11 using archival and first-person testimony from first responders and survivors who have now had almost two decades to reflect on the events they lived through. The series, which is the product of a collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is told only in first-person narrative that chronicles, at times minute-by-minute, the events of that day from the perspectives of those who were there. The filmmakers sifted through 951 hours of archival footage (some never before seen) and then tracked down people in the footage. Over the course of three years, they interviewed 54 people for a total of 235 hours to tell the comprehensive, chronological story of Sept. 11 — all in the first person. The series premieres Aug. 29 and airs through Sept. 1 on National Geographic Channel, with episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Aug. 22- Sept. 11
NYC Epicenters 9/11 to 2021 1/2 (HBO/HBO Max) — Spike Lee’s four-part documentary premiered on Aug. 22 with new episodes airing on subsequent Sundays and the finale airing on Saturday, Sept. 11. The series weaves together the stories, memories and insights of those who were eyewitnesses to New York’s greatest challenges to create a rich tapestry of New York City in the 21st century. Lee conducted over 200 interviews for the documentary series, which features first-hand accounts from residents of all walks of life, including first responders, politicians and journalists alongside Lee and his own family and friends. From HBO: “This provocative series is an epic chronicle of life, loss and survival in what Lee calls ‘the greatest city on this God’s earth.’” The series is also streaming on HBO Max.
Aug. 31
Generation 9/11 (9 p.m., PBS NC) — This new documentary explores the impact of 9/11 through the stories of seven children who lost their fathers before they were born. More than 100 expectant fathers were killed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The children of these men, now entering adulthood, carry a new sense of responsibility.
Sept. 1
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (Netflix) — This 5-part documentary series, directed by Brian Knappenberger, answers the following questions: Who attacked the U.S. and why? What breakdowns in intelligence allowed it to happen? How did decisions at the highest levels of three administrations in the war on terror bring us to this moment? The series also features a wide range of interviewees including officials from multiple U.S. presidential administrations, former CIA members, U.S. military veterans, Afghanistan National Army soldiers, Taliban commanders, members of the Afghan government, Afghan warlords, and Afghan civilians — many who had never spoken on camera before. It also spotlights the voices of survivors of the attacks themselves.
Sept. 2
9/11 Inside the Pentagon (10 p.m., PBS NC) — In this 2016 documentary, survivors and first responders tell their stories of what happened behind the walls of the Pentagon on Sept. 11.
Sept. 3
Worth (Netflix) - This new Netflix original dramatic film is based on true events. Following the horrific 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Congress appoints attorney and renowned mediator Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) to lead the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Assigned with allocating financial resources to the victims of the tragedy, Feinberg and his firm’s head of operations, Camille Biros (Amy Ryan), face the impossible task of determining the worth of a life to help the families who had suffered incalculable losses. When Feinberg locks horns with Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci), a community organizer mourning the death of his wife, his initial cynicism turns to compassion as he begins to learn the true human costs of the tragedy.
Sept. 5
9/11 (8 p.m., CNN) - An updated version of the film shot by the Naudet brothers, which was following New York City’s Duane Street Fire House for a “typical” day that became much more than that. This film is why there is footage from inside of the Twin Towers as firefighters raced to evacuate the buildings.
The 9/11 Classroom: Front Row to History (10 p.m., CNN) - Victor Blackwell documents the dramatic events of 9/11 through the eyes of the second grade students, their teacher, and the former White House aides who were in the classroom with President George W. Bush, when he got word about the terrorist attack.
Lost Calls of 9/11 (10 p.m., Fox News) — Anchor Bill Hemmer presents the story of a Houston man who purchased a piece of used computer equipment without knowing that it contained 103 never-heard-before calls from a trading room floor across the street from the World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. This will air again on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. ET.
CIA vs. Bin Laden: First In (8 p.m., Reelz) — This new documentary features interviews with 18 people, including senior CIA leaders, who played critical roles in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden — many of whom have stories that have never been publicly told until now. It also features interviews with former senior officials of French and British intelligence agencies.
Sept. 6
9/11 Twenty Years Later: Women of Resilience (7:30 p.m., ABC) - Anchored by ABC World News weekend anchor Linsey Davis, this hour-long special features the dramatic stories of four inspiring women who survived trauma and loss on 9/11 to find purpose and peace after two decades. One is the first-ever female FDNY firefighter who, along with her fellow first responders, rushed to ground zero on 9/11. Another is a heroic Army colonel at the Pentagon who narrowly escaped death and saved several lives while jumping from the burning inferno. A mother and a widow share their stories of loss and redemption, ensuring their lost loved ones will never be forgotten.
Ten Steps to Disaster: Twin Towers (9 p.m., Smithsonian Channel) - This documentary series tracks 10 mistakes, oversights and missed opportunities that paved the way to disaster on 9/11. See how intelligence failures, missed warnings, and confusion at the top together led to the 9/11 tragedy. Through declassified documents and interviews with key players, we list ten tragic steps to the Twin Towers collapse. We reveal the ten steps that led to the Twin Towers disaster and what America needs to do to confront future threats. Join us as we investigate the most infamous catastrophes of the modern era and break them down, step by tragic step. New episodes of this series will air each night this week leading up to 9/11.
The Missing Evidence: 9/11 Secret Explosions in the Tower (10 p.m., Smithsonian Channel) - This series, which investigates compelling testimonies and explosive accusations surrounding history’s great mysteries and legends, tackles some 9/11 puzzles. For instance, could a sprinkler system, designed to prevent disasters, be the very thing that caused the Twin Towers to collapse? Do we know all there is to know about the collapse of the Twin Towers? By using cutting-edge technology and analytics, the series examines data and eyewitness accounts in search of the missing evidence that will separate reality from mystery.
9/11 + 20: The Longest Shadow (ABC News Live) - Narrated by George Stephanopoulos, this five-part documentary series streams online on five consecutive nights beginning tonight, examining a nation and world completely changed by the terrifying moments when al-Qaeda operatives used U.S. jetliners to attack America on Sept. 11, 2001. Returning to the morning of Sept. 11, the series explores what America is and has become in the aftermath of one of the most traumatic events in history. From families still searching for answers, their responses and the failures that allowed terrorists to turn planes into missiles to the fear over an anticipated “second wave” of attacks and a seemingly endless war on terror, each episode navigates viewers through the past twenty years to today.
Sept. 7
Frontline: America After 9/11 (9 p.m., PBS NC) — This new two-hour special examines the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks and devastating consequences across three presidencies. From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the Jan. 6 insurrection, veteran “Frontline” filmmaker and chronicler of U.S. politics Michael Kirk and his award-winning team expose the legacy of 9/11 and the ongoing challenge it poses for the president and the country.
The Pentagon Attack (10 p.m., Smithsonian) - In this special, see how the Pentagon attack on 9/11 was carried out and how it permanently altered air travel today. Every time a plane crashes, the world takes notice...and so do the experts whose job it is to figure out what happened. Witness accounts, interviews with investigators, and white-knuckle reenactments bring these air disasters to stunning life.
Rebuilding Hope: The Children of 9/11 (Magnolia Channel on Discovery+) - Four families with children who were born after their fathers were killed on 9/11 share their stories of bravery and inspiration. They also reflect on how they rebuilt hope for their futures and came of age over the past 20 years.
Sept. 8
Front Porch Politics (8 p.m., Spectrum News) - NC political anchor Tim Boyum’s report tonight includes the stories of two men who volunteered for active duty service following the events of 9/11 and are now North Carolina lawmakers -- Representative Grier Martin and Senator Jeff Jackson. Boyum also reconnect with a family he interviewed 19 years earlier as they celebrated their son’s first birthday, recounting their experience of delivering their son as the planes were hitting the World Trade Center on TV in front of them.
Women of 9/11: A Special Edition of 20/20 with Robin Roberts (9 p.m., ABC) - After two decades, the women whose lives changed forever on Sept. 11 tell their stories of survival, pain and redemption. From the heroic female first responders and workers who risked everything in dangerous jobs at ground zero to the miracle survivors, including Genelle Guzman-McMillan, the last person pulled out alive from the World Trade Center rubble after 27 hours, and the women who suffered heartbreaking loss; all of them bonded in trauma, grief, and after two decades, remarkable strength and resilience.
E60: Comeback Season - Sports After 9/11 (9 p.m., ESPN2) - E60 looks at the role sports played 20 years ago as the country mourned in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The one-hour program is hosted by Mike Greenberg from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. Among the sports figures appearing in the program are Vinnie Testaverde and Herm Edwards (New York Jets); Mark Messier (New York Rangers); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR); Kate Markgraf and Julie Foudy (USWNT); Joe Andruzzi (New England Patriots); Bobby Valentine (New York Mets); Amani Toomer and Howard Cross (New York Giants) and more. The program also will be available for on-demand viewing on the ESPN App for a limited time after the airing.
Crowning New York (10 p.m., Smithsonian Channel) - After the devastating attacks of 9/11, New York City needed to rebuild itself, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The site where the Twin Towers once stood was now a gaping pit, and the entire world watched to see what, if anything, could fill the void. This special tells the story of One World Trade Center, one of the most significant, and dangerous, construction jobs ever launched. From brazen designs and heated debates to dangerous tasks at dizzying heights, we detail every step of this towering, poignant achievement.
Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11 (Peacock) — This feature documentary, from MSNBC and streaming exclusively on Peacock, tells the story of Sept. 11, 2001, through a unique set of eyewitness testimonies recorded in a small plywood booth in the months following the attacks. Twenty years later, the eyewitnesses return to the box to share their memories and reflect on America today. Bridging past and present, the film is an emotional portrayal of hope, resilience and how to heal.
Sept. 9
9/11 Kids (8 p.m., PBS NC) - The 16 school children present in the Florida classroom when President W. Bush learned of the Sept. 11 attacks, now in their mid-20s, try to find their footing in a world shaped so much by that day.
No Responders Left Behind (Discovery+) — This feature documentary follows 9/11 responder and activist John Feal who, along with comedian Jon Stewart and FDNY hero Ray Pfeifer, fought U.S. Congress to ensure that thousands of terminally ill 9/11 first responders got the health care they deserved. But when Ray is diagnosed with brain cancer from his exposure to those Ground Zero toxins, John finds himself in the fight of his life to guarantee that the legacy of all 9/11 responders like Ray is kept alive forever.
The 26th Street Garage: The FBI’s Untold Story of 9/11 (Paramount+) - This documentary, narrated by Tom Selleck, tells the never-told-on-television story of how in the desperate moments after the 9/11 attacks the FBI was forced to evacuate its New York headquarters, and with no resources transformed a greasy automotive garage into a new command center. There, the agents tackled disturbing questions. such as could the attacks have been prevented? But within hours, from the 26th Street Garage, agents launched the FBI’S most complex and important investigation in U.S. history. In the days that followed, they rewrote the rules for counter-terrorism operations forever. This film takes viewers inside this story of ingenuity, teamwork and determination through exclusive interviews with the FBI agents and officials who were there.
Sept. 10
9/11: The Legacy (7 p.m., HISTORY) — This one-hour documentary provides an intimate look into the profound impact and legacy Sept. 11 had on America’s children through the subsequent days and the 20 years that followed, celebrating their courage, strength and resilience.
Race Against Time: The CIA and 9/11 (8 p.m., CBS/Paramount+) - A two-hour documentary featuring top officials and elite operatives inside the CIA bringing dramatic, exclusive, and haunting first-person accounts of their efforts to warn the United States about the potential of a cataclysmic attack orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden. September 11, 2001 marked the greatest failure in the history of the nation’s premiere spy agency, but also sparked what became its greatest success, helping find Bin Laden. For the spies inside the CIA, it was a race against time to get Bin Laden, and that race began long before 9/11 and ended long after. Emerging from the top-secret corridors of Langley and covert operations in faraway places, they come to tell their story – many for the first time. The documentary features interviews with Leon Panetta, former director of Central Intelligence; John McLaughlin, former CIA acting director; Jose Rodriguez, former deputy director of CIA Operations; and lead intelligence analysts Gina Bennett and Cindy Storer.
Rise and Fall: The World Trade Center (8 p.m., HISTORY) — Through a unique architectural and engineering lens, this two-hour documentary takes a chronological look at the conception, construction and destruction of the World Trade Center towers. It recounts the inspiring, true story behind the individuals who dreamed, planned and built a symbol of American strength and ambition. Step by step, viewers will witness the execution of this innovative and one-of-a-kind sky-high complex from early designs to overcoming technical challenges to its heart-wrenching collapse. The documentary covers the first terrorist attack on the WTC during the 1993 bombing and unpacks, in vivid detail, a timeline of how and why the building fell after terrorists flew commercial airliners into them on Sept. 11. With the use of historical elements and graphics, expert interviews and courageous first-hand testimonies of the two attacks, the documentary reveals the wonders and vulnerabilities of these unforgettable buildings.
Washington Week (8 p.m., PBS NC) - Yamiche Alcindor moderates a special panel commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11: Peter Baker (The New York Times), Martha Raddatz (ABC), Vivian Salama (Wall Street Journal) and Pierre Thomas (ABC).
20/20: Special Edition (9 p.m., ABC) - Two decades after 9/11, ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir reports on how the day’s tragic events forever changed the world. Muir interviews survivors and family members who lost loved ones in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 in Shanksville. The survivors share their harrowing personal stories of rescue and escape, including Florence Jones, who Muir has followed for years. Muir also spends time with families who lost loved ones, including the family of Flight 93 passenger Tom Burnett who, along with other passengers, helped stop an additional attack on our nation’s capital. The special will also revisit Joseph Pfeifer, the New York City Fire Department chief, who Muir has profiled, who led the command post at the north tower following the initial attack – and firefighters who survived the north tower collapse. Muir’s interviews include personal and moving messages to the American people from survivors and relatives of some of the victims on what they’re hoping Americans will do to honor those who were lost — 20 years later.
The Hunt for Bin Laden (9 p.m., Smithsonian Channel) - In 2011, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 bombings, was killed by American special forces, marking an end to the longest, most expensive manhunt in American history. This special lays out the 20-year search for the most wanted man on Earth, as counter-terrorism experts in the White House, the CIA, and the FBI divulge their firsthand accounts. This inside story reveals the presidential frustrations, missed opportunities, and vicious turf wars that tainted the operation right up until the night Navy SEALs ended Bin Laden’s reign of terror.
20/20: Special Edition with Diane Sawyer (10 p.m., ABC) - Twenty years ago, ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer sat down with young women holding their infants — who were pregnant when their husbands died in the attacks. The mothers she met were fresh in grief, holding new babies who often looked like their dads. Over the years, Sawyer and her team followed these families as they look at the world through their unique lens, with their children’s lives in part shaped before they were even born. Now, as those children approach their 20th birthdays, a special edition of “20/20” brings nearly 40 families together again. Has grief given them new purpose? Are some following in their fathers’ footsteps? A master class in resilience and hope comes from a group forever bonded by a national tragedy. With lessons to teach us after a year of national trauma, they hand us a blueprint for survival.
Dateline: NBC (10 p.m., NBC) - Lester Holt anchors this special “Dateline,” featuring interviews with the family members of Flight 93’s passengers and crew members. For the first time some of the children come together as they honor the lives of their parents and the courage that inspired the world.
Come From Away (Apple TV+) — We get the filmed version of the Tony & Olivier Award-winning hit musical that tells the story of 7,000 people stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, after all flights into the US are grounded on Sept. 11, 2001. As the people of Newfoundland graciously welcome the “come from aways” into their community in the aftermath, the passengers and locals alike process what’s happened while finding love, laughter and new hope in the unlikely and lasting bonds that they forge. This was filmed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City in May 2021.
Sept. 11
Fox News will observe moments of silence beginning in the 8 a.m. hour to correspond with the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The shows “FOX & Friends Weekend,” “America’s Newsroom,” “Cavuto Live” and “Fox News Live” will all air from lower Manhattan.
Good Morning America: Special Edition / 9/11 Twenty Years Later: America Remembers (7 a.m., ABC) - This special edition of “Good Morning America Saturday” leads into the “9/11 Twenty Years Later” special at 8. David Muir will lead special live coverage alongside Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer and a number of ABC News correspondents. The special coverage will reflect on all that happened since that tragic morning and feature the live ceremony taking place in lower Manhattan, including the reading of the names by family members of those killed, as well as the six pauses for moments of silence commemorating the four attacks and collapse of the two towers, and the ceremonies at the Pentagon, Shanksville and elsewhere.
Today (7 a.m., NBC) - Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb anchor a special edition of “Today” from Ground Zero. Lester Holt joins at 8:30 for a special report alongside Guthrie and Kotb, as the nation pauses for moments of silence to commemorate the victims and families of 9/11. The special coverage will also stream on NBC News NOW. Holt will also anchor NBC Nightly News from Ground Zero. (Note: MSNBC’s coverage will start at 5 a.m.)
Remembering 9/11: 20 Years Later (8:30 a.m., Spectrum News) - Live national coverage of the annual commemoration ceremony beginning anchored by Spectrum News NY1’s Ruschell Boone. Boone will be joined by Spectrum News’ Josh Robin and Bob Hardt live from the NY1 studios. NY1 and Spectrum News reporters will also report from ground zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
9/11: One Day In America (5:30 p.m., National Geographic Channel/Hulu) — A rebroadcast of this new documentary series offers an in-depth and visceral account of Sept. 11 using archival and first-person testimony from first responders and survivors who have now had almost two decades to reflect on the events they lived through. The series, which is the product of a collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is told only in first-person narrative that chronicles, at times minute-by-minute, the events of that day from the perspectives of those who were there. The filmmakers sifted through 951 hours of archival footage (some never before seen) and then tracked down people in the footage. Over the course of three years, they interviewed 54 people for a total of 235 hours to tell the comprehensive, chronological story of Sept. 11 — all in the first person. All episodes air today, and are also available to stream on Hulu.
The 9/11 Classroom: Front Row to History (7 p.m., and 11 p.m., CNN) - Victor Blackwell documents the dramatic events of 9/11 through the eyes of the second grade students, their teacher, and the former White House aides who were in the classroom with President George W. Bush, when he got word about the terrorist attack.
Shine A Light: 9/11 Tribute Concert (8 p.m., CNN) - Jake Tapper hosts this 20-year remembrance of 9/11, which will include discussions with young adults who were impacted by the events of 9/11 and its continuing aftermath, as well as musical performances by H.E.R., Brad Paisley, Common and Maroon 5. The program is a tribute to the nearly 3,000 innocent people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks, their families, the survivors, rescue and recovery workers and volunteers, and those in the military who rose in service in the aftermath of the attacks.
9/11: Four Flights (8 p.m., HISTORY) — This two-hour documentary uses powerful and personal narratives to tell the stories of the four flights — American 11, United 175, American 77, and United 93 — that took off the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 unaware of the life-changing events to follow and fate that would forever intertwine them. The documentary contains riveting and emotional human stories of those aboard each doomed jetliner. Looking at all four flights for the first time in one program, the special unveils a saga of surprising connections, strange coincidences and detrimental decisions. From one flight tracking another as it veered off course, barreling toward Manhattan, to the final heart-wrenching phone calls to some incredibly harrowing yet heroic moments, viewers will hear about the bravery of passengers, crew, air traffic controllers and more who tried in vain to intercept the airliners.
Surviving 9/11 (8 p.m., Discovery) - A deeply personal film that moves between accounts of the two-hour period when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Flight 93 and the story of the 20 years since.
Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11 (8 p.m., PBS NC) - Misty Copeland hosts this special performance of the Verdi Requiem to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This marks the Met’s first performances inside its iconic Lincoln Center home since March 2020, and includes footage from the archives of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, as well as NYC’s Tribute in Light, a commemorative public art installation that features two beams of light that each up to four miles into the sky, echoing the shape and orientation of the original Twin Towers.
9/11: We Remember (9 p.m., PBS NC) - A look back at the events of September 11, 2001 in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.
9/11 (9 p.m., CNN) - Another airing of the updated version of the film shot by the Naudet brothers, who were following New York City’s Duane Street Fire House for a “typical” day that became much more than that. This film is why there is footage from inside of the Twin Towers as firefighters raced to evacuate the buildings.
9/11: I Was There (10 p.m., HISTORY) — Another two-hour documentary, this one using rare footage and audio to unveil an intimate portrayal of the events of Sept. 11 captured by ordinary people who chose to pick up their video cameras that day. Told in the moment without interview, commentary or narration, this riveting documentary weaves together the personal video diaries of a dozen people whose emotions are remarkable documentation of that dark day. The documentary puts viewers in the shoes of New Yorkers and visitors alike to unfold the tragedy, the fear of what was next and the horrific aftermath to follow resulting in a raw and unfiltered telling of 9/11 from confusion to comprehension, terror and relief.
9/11/01: The First Night (Midnight, MSNBC) - MSNBC will re-air select NBC News coverage as it aired the night of Sept. 11, 2001 from midnight to 5 a.m. ET.
SEPT. 12
America’s Longest War: What Went Wrong in Afghanistan (9 p.m., CNN) - CNN’s anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper hosts a new CNN Special Report on the end of America’s longest war. Twenty years after the initial invasion, Tapper sits down with U.S. veterans, officials, a former Afghan ambassador to the U.S., and the top commanders who led U.S. troops into the battlefield of Afghanistan spanning four administrations and two decades, including Gens. McChrystal, Petraeus, Dunford, Allen, McKiernan, McNeill, Lt. Gen. Eikenberry and Lt. Gen. Barno. The generals, no longer in uniform, are ready to talk and speak candidly with Tapper about the withdrawal, what they believe really went wrong in Afghanistan, and whether it was all worth it.
Some programming descriptions are provided by networks.
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
