Documentary Archives - Page 53 of 63

BET special celebrates the short but memorable life of Aaliyah

August 25, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Ten years ago today, at the age of 22, R&B singer and actress Aaliyah (born Aaliyah Dana Haughton) had her life and burgeoning career cut tragically short when she and eight others were killed in a plane crash in The Bahamas. Tonight, BET premieres a special that celebrates her memory. Aaliyah: One in a Million, debuting at 8pm ET, looks at Aaliyah’s life and notable moments from her short-lived career with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, her most popular videos, vintage interviews from BET’s earlier years and intimate conversations with the family and friends who knew her best. Among those sharing their […]

“Paradise Lost” filmmakers watch in court as West Memphis 3 set free

August 19, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

From HBO: Critically acclaimed HBO documentary Paradise Lost filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were in court today to witness the stunning conclusion in which, after 18 years in prison, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelly, known as the West Memphis 3, were set free. The award-winning HBO documentary series Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) spawned a worldwide movement to free the West Memphis 3 for wrongful murder convictions. Set to debut on HBO in Jan. 2012, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory will have its theatrical premiere at the […]

TV specials mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11

August 17, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Ten years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, our country remains scarred, physically and psychically, as we continue to deal with the swirling negative feelings of anger, vengeance, fear and, in some cases, prejudice, that have lasted since that fateful day. But over the past decade, other feelings have begun to rise as steadily as the memorials to the victims — feelings of patriotism, reflection, remembrance, regained confidence and hope that we can start to move forward. All of these emotions, and probably many more, in varying degrees, will be found in abundance over the next few weeks […]

“Beyond Scared Straight” producer shares secrets of A&E’s hit series

August 15, 2011 StayTuned Staff

Follow @ChannelGuideSRH It had been more than 30 years since the landmark documentary Scared Straight! won an Academy Award when A&E decided to revive the format — juvenile offenders spending time with hardened inmates inside a prison in an effort to get them to change their ways — for a weekly series. Beyond Scared Straight has become one of the network’s biggest successes, having last year come through with the most-watched series premiere in A&E history. The much-anticipated second season begins Aug. 18 at 10pm. Last week, I spoke with Arnold Shapiro, who created the original Scared Straight! and is […]

BBC America’s “Reveals” series looks at “My Big Breasts and Me”

August 10, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Follow @ChannelGuide When most networks talk about shows in development, they are talking about forthcoming programs to be aired. At BBC America, it can mean something entirely different. Tonight at 9pm ET, BBC America’s cup runneth over. As part of the network’s “Reveals” series, it is re-running the documentary My Big Breasts and Me, which we should make clear is not a prequel or sequel to the hit movie Marley & Me.

TCA Summer Press Tour: Torture, Witches, H8Rs, Love Labs and more

August 5, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP Thursday was my first full day at the TCA press tour, and the sessions ran the gamut with mostly interesting, and sometimes odd, panels of Showtime and CW programs. Things kicked off with Damian Lewis talking about getting peed on a few days ago, and finished up with talk of Dr. Drew’s Love Lab, if that gives you any indication of the day. “Homeland” Security The first panel was for Showtime’s new drama series Homeland, which looks really good. Stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis and Morena Baccarin were here to discuss it, along with executive […]

TCA Summer Press Tour: Elmo knows where you live

July 31, 2011 Ryan Berenz

I slid in to Los Angeles (which is Spanish for “The Angeles”) on Saturday night for the TCA Summer Press Tour. I am taking the place of our editor in chief Barb, who got to go to the Playboy Mansion and see boob. Things are a little more G-rated for me on my first day. First up, PBS continued its presentation featuring a breakfast with Sesame Street‘s beloved Elmo and the puppeteer who works him, Kevin Clash. PBS will air an Independent Lens documentary called Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. It’s the inspiring story of a kid who wanted to […]

Shark Week 2011 ready to surface

July 26, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP In preparation for our feature on Discovery Channel’s annual summer event favorite Shark Week — airing July 31-Aug. 6 and now in its 24th year — we tried to connect with “Chief Shark Officer” (CSO) Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live), who will be hosting the programming stunt as well as starring in a special of his own. Most “CSOs” would jump at the opportunity to promote their “products” (in this case, Discovery Channel and sharks), but Samberg simply wasn’t available for an interview (don’t worry, Andy, we weren’t going to ask hard-hitting questions about the […]

The search for Bigfoot continues

July 20, 2011 StayTuned Staff

by Karl J. Paloucek Follow @ChannelGuide Animal Planet announced today that its series Finding Bigfoot will be picked up for a second season, coming in early 2012. In addition, a two-hour Finding Bigfoot special, “The Squatchiest Place on Earth,” airing this Halloween, will tide viewers over until the new season begins, taking them to the forests of Northern California, where the presence of “the creature” seems particularly strong. I have to admit that I’m fascinated. Not so much by the whole Sasquatch thing, but at the fact that this is such an interesting case of a show being more “about […]

Bruce Lee documentary on FUEL TV gives the dragon his due

July 20, 2011 StayTuned Staff

Bruce Lee Lives! – Premieres July 13 on FUEL TV!. Watch more top selected videos about: Sports Studio By Stacey Harrison Follow @ChannelGuideSRH Nearly 40 years after Bruce Lee’s death, one might wonder what is left to say about the martial arts master that hasn’t already been covered in the many books, documentaries and movies about his life. Call it quite an achievement then that the makers of Bruce Lee Lives! manage to find a fresh approach. The new six-part documentary — the second part of which airs tonight on FUEL TV — is less concerned with being a standard […]