25 Years Later: How Networks Are Marking 9/11 with New Documentaries & Specials

This month marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the fateful day in American history in which the nation came under attack in New York, Pennsylvania, and the nation’s capital, and nearly three thousand people lost their lives, thousands of others were injured, and years of reactive warfare commenced.

To commemorate the historic day, television networks are now announcing special programming tied to the September 11th anniversary.

Here’s a rundown of how television will honor the solemn occasion.

9/11 Remembered: 25 Years Later (NewsNation)

NewsNation will commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with daylong special coverage on Friday, September 11, including live broadcasts from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. Chris Cuomo and Connell McShane will anchor from the memorial, with additional coverage and reporting throughout the day.

At 9/8c, NewsNation will air the one-hour documentary 9/11 Remembered: 25 Years Later. The special features new interviews with President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani reflecting on September 11 and its impact 25 years later.

The documentary will also use archival footage and firsthand accounts to revisit the events of the day, with interviews featuring Gary Sinise, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael R. Fenzel, Sebastian Gorka, and dozens of first responders who were there on September 11.

9/11 Reunited (NatGeo)

National Geographic has announced a three-part docuseries premiering Friday, August 21, at 8/7c. The series aims to reunite those who were rescued on 9/11 with the first responders who put their lives on the line to save them. “Created in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and from the Emmy Award-winning team at 72 Films, the series revisits the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history through the extraordinary human connections formed amid the chaos, courage, and heartbreak of that day,” the description reads.

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“Across the episodes, survivors, first responders, and witnesses reunite with the strangers, rescuers, and everyday heroes who changed, and in many cases saved, their lives on September 11. Many of these emotional reunions take place for the first time in 25 years, providing a rare opportunity to ask long-held questions, express gratitude, and reflect on how those moments have stayed with them for decades.”

In addition to the docuseries, National Geographic has launched an interactive online video archive commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The digital experience features more than 100 hours of footage spread across approximately 500 video clips, including more than 20 hours of material that has never before been seen by the public.

National Geographic has also published a companion digital feature by 9/11 historian and author Garrett M. Graff that examines, minute by minute, the 17 minutes between the first and second plane impacts at the World Trade Center.

9/11 Tribute in Light: Live From Lower Manhattan (ABC News)

ABC News will air a multiplatform live special on Friday, September 11, starting at 8/7c, on ABC, Disney+, Hulu, National Geographic, and more. It will feature coverage produced in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and will be coanchored by David Muir, Robin Roberts, and Diane Sawyer live from New York City. The special will include a display of the “Tribute in Light” installation that has been on display each year since 2001.

Ahead of the special, a one-hour edition of Prime will air from Ground Zero. Linsey Davis, Sade Baderinwa, and Mike Marza will headline.

“Today, 100 million Americans are too young to remember 9/11 themselves. This special will reach across generations to commemorate, educate, and inspire — and to uphold our promise to never forget,” Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said in a statement.

9/11: United We Stand – 25 Years Later (ABC News)

ABC News aired a primetime special hosted by Michael Strahan on Tuesday, September 1. The special explored how sports, music, Broadway, the media, and comedy helped a grieving nation begin to heal and rediscover joy in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It aired on ABC and is now available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

In a statement ahead of the special, Strahan reflected on his own memories of September 11 and how returning to football helped him understand the role sports could play in bringing people together.

“September 11 was one of the scariest moments of my life. I remember the shock, the heartbreak, and the feeling that nothing would ever be the same again,” Strahan said. “Football didn’t seem important. But when we returned to the field, I realized it was about more than the game. It gave people a chance to come together, support one another, and begin to heal.”

Alongside Strahan, the special featured Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart, and more.

102 Minutes Inside the Towers (History Channel)

The History Channel will air this special on September 11, at 8/7c. It’s sponsored by Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and “features the untold stories of key figures who were inside the buildings during the attack and escaped. From window washers and bankers to building security staff and first responders, these are the chilling first-hand accounts of what those who were inside the North and South Towers saw, heard, and experienced as the shocking events unfolded around them and they raced to survive.”

Born on 9/11: 25 Years with Harris Faulkner (Fox Nation)

Airing on September 8, Born on 9/11: 25 Years with Harris Faulkner looks at people who were born on September 11, 2001. The special explores their lives, the hope their births represented during the tragedy, and where they are now, 25 years later. FOX Nation will also livestream the official September 11 ceremonies from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City and the Pentagon.

Dateline 9/11 Special (NBC)

NBC will mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with a special edition of Dateline, airing Friday, September 11, at 10/9c. Anchored by Lester Holt, the documentary will draw from NBC News’ archives, including never-before-seen footage, to revisit New Yorkers whose experiences were captured by NBC cameras on September 11, 2001.

The special reunites with those individuals 25 years later as they reflect on what they witnessed and survived, as well as how the attacks changed their lives and the country.

NBC News will also provide special coverage throughout September 11, including Savannah Guthrie reporting from Ground Zero for Today and Tom Llamas anchoring NBC Nightly News.

Daughters of 9/11 (CBS)

CBS will air this two-hour special featuring Elizabeth Miller and Jessica Trant, daughters of 9/11 victims, on September 11 at 9/8c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

The description reads, “Twenty-five years after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, Elizabeth Miller, Jessica Trant and FBI special agent Frank Pellegrino confront whether the man accused of masterminding the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), will ever face justice.”

High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam (TNT)

This limited series is inspired by the memoir Debriefing the President by CIA analyst John Nixon. It stars Joel Kinnaman and runs for eight episodes, the first two of which premiere on Sunday, September 13, at 9/8c on TNT. The official description reads, “For the first time, High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam brings to television screens the story of John Nixon (Joel Kinnaman), the first CIA officer to interrogate Saddam Hussein (Waleed Zuaiter, The Girlfriend) following his capture in December 2003. Set against the backdrop of one of the most consequential military operations in recent history, the pulse-pounding series explores the high-stakes exchanges between Nixon and Hussein. As Nixon seeks answers from the former Iraqi leader in his search for weapons of mass destruction, he is forced to confront the far-reaching consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the ramifications that would reverberate around the world for decades to come.”

Paul Mauro’s Notes from Ground Zero (Fox Nation)

Premiering on September 4, Paul Mauro’s Notes from Ground Zero follows Fox News contributor and former NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro as he returns to Ground Zero for the first time in 25 years. Mauro, who was working on the morning of September 11, reunites with fellow officers and shares notes he wrote in the days after the attacks, along with never-before-seen photos and video.

Robin Roberts Presents Angel in the Rubble: The Genelee Guzman Story (Lifetime)

This Lifetime project premieres Saturday, September 12, at 8/7c. In it, “Sherri Shepherd stars as Genelle Guzman, a New York City transit employee who was the last survivor pulled from the debris at Ground Zero.  Dondré Whitfield portrays Genelle’s boyfriend, Roger McMillan, and the film is based on Guzman-McMillan’s memoir, Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor.”

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (Netflix)

Netflix’s documentary, released on September 2 on the streamer, explores the impact of the attacks and their aftermath on the generation that witnessed them during their formative years, including those whose own families were directly affected.

“Twenty-five years after 9/11, this documentary explores how a single day shaped the next generation. From children who lost their parents in the attacks to journalists who cut their teeth on the original War on Terror to young Afghans and Marines forced to deal with the fallout of America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan — their gripping stories reveal that the legacy of 9/11 is measured not only by history, but by the lives it continues to shape,” the description reads.