Documentary Archives - Page 43 of 63

Military Channel unveiling “Narrow Escapes of WWII”

May 11, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Most World War II history buffs know about the so-called “Great Escape” as lionized in the film starring Steve McQueen, but war is full of escapes, both great and narrow — and it’s the latter that are getting their time in the sun with Military Channel’s Narrow Escapes of WWII premiering May 15 at 10pm ET/PT. The series honors the generals and troops both on the line and in the rear echelon who, through brilliant tactical maneuvers, selfless heroism and in spite of terrible odds, carried out missions that saved hundreds of thousands of innocent lives — and who lived […]

TLC’s “Obese & Expecting” & “Birth Moms” look at troubled motherhood

May 11, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s a good thing that TLC waited until after the warm glow of Mother’s Day to premiere two specials, both dealing with different facets of problem pregnancies. Obese & Expecting and Birth Moms premiere Thursday, May 17 and take a hard look at mothers facing particularly acute anxiety and hardship about the babies that they’re carrying and are about to deliver. The first of the two, Obese & Expecting (9pm ET/PT), looks at four mothers-to-be who are facing their pregnancies and eventual deliveries in a state of morbid obesity. Over the course of an hour, this special delves into the […]

TLC clones its hit “I Cloned My Pet” special (video)

May 7, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

TLC is following up a special it aired earlier this year called I Cloned My Pet with a second hour, containing three new pet-cloning stories, to air May 21 at 10pm ET/PT. Featured in this new special are: * Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon George Semel, who has decided to do whatever it takes to bring his beloved Chihuahua named Bob back to life. Bob was attacked and killed by a Rottweiler in the summer of 2011 after two and a half years with Semel, who first met the canine when it was malnourished and needed help. * Los Angelino Myra, […]

VH1 “Uprising” documentary looks back at L.A. Riots

April 30, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

It’s been 20 years since the L.A. Riots — nearly a week (April 29-May 4, 1992) of unrest, looting and rage that erupted in the wake of the acquittal of four LAPD officers (three white, one Hispanic) who were caught on videotape beating black motorist Rodney King. The riots paralyzed Los Angeles and sent racial shockwaves across the country. To recognize the anniversary of the event — which left 54 people dead and over 12,000 arrested — VH1 will premiere the documentary film Uprising: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots at 9pm on May 1. The film is executive-produced and […]

Discovery special presents details on classified bin Laden intel

April 27, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

On May 1 — one day before the first anniversary of Operation Neptune Spear, the special operations mission that led to the killing of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden — Discovery Channel will premiere the one-hour special Secrets of Bin Laden’s Lair. The program reports on currently classified intelligence seized during the May 2, 2011, raid on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan (pictured above the day after the raid), and is narrated by NBC News correspondent Harry Smith. When the United States Navy SEALs killed bin Laden during the operation, they captured a prize far greater and more valuable […]

“Outlaw Empires” and “The Devils Ride” take a walk on the dark side

April 27, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s almost becoming a genre unto itself. Hunter S. Thompson famously befriended and wrote about the lives of ’60s motorcycle gang members in his now-classic Hell’s Angels. Bill Buford ran with England’s football hooligans in the early ’80s and described the game-day mob mentality that brought pandemonium to Britain’s streets and elsewhere in his book Among the Thugs. Now along come two series devoted to exploring the modern-day outlaw culture, both from Discovery Channel: The Devils Ride, premiering May 8 at 10pm ET/PT and Kurt Sutter’s Outlaw Empires, premiering May 14 at 10pm ET/PT. Both series aim to get inside […]

NGC to premiere special about James Cameron’s Mariana Trench dive

April 24, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

I almost had the thrill of my professional life to date a few months back when it looked like I was going to interview Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron about a Titanic special he had coming up on National Geographic Channel. I had to stay close to my phone, as I was told Cameron may call within a certain time frame during a given day, since his availability was limited due to the fact that he was “on the other side of the world.” No more than that cryptic info was given. Cameron never called, but given what we have since […]

Discovery brings you “World’s Scariest Plane Landings”

April 23, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Just about anyone who’s ever flown in an airplane has probably thought it at some point or other, if not every time: The thought that you might not survive this flight. It usually hits me during take-off and especially at landing. So far, I’ve been fortunate — aside from one instance in which the plane that brought me back to Chicago actually bounced rather spectacularly on the icy runway (inducing paroxysms of terror throughout the cabin and even a nerve-shattering scream from one hysterical passenger), landing has generally been a pretty smooth affair, as it is for most of the […]

“Push Girls” sneak preview part of SADD, Sundance, Seventeen campaign

April 17, 2012 Barb Oates

TV doesn’t frequently inspire. Tonight it does with the sneak preview of Sundance Channel’s docu-series Push Girls (airing at 10pm ET/PT). Unfiltered and very, very personal, Push Girls follows four confident and inspiring Los Angeles women who are paralyzed from either the waist or neck down. The sneak preview is part of a pro-social campaign geared at raising awareness about the dual dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or riding with someone who is. Sundance Channel, Seventeen magazine and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) have partnered together for this. The campaign includes an online pledge, live […]

Angelo Guglielmo on his ID film “The Woman Who Wasn’t There”

April 13, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Director Angelo Guglielmo didn’t want to make this film. The Woman Who Wasn’t There — executive produced by Meredith Viera and premiering Investigation Discovery April 17 at 8pm ET/PT — started out as the idea of its eventual subject, Tania Head. One of the most celebrated survivors of the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center, Head had one of the most harrowing and inspirational stories of any who made it out alive that day. After barely escaping death on the 78th floor of the South Tower, she escaped the immediate carnage and although badly burned, managed to […]