This just in: Corporations cash in on tragedy...

[ROC]

Credit: AP/Yahoo

'9/11 Commission Report' Sparks Two TV Miniseries

Thursday October 28 4:49 PM ET

ABC and NBC are planning to turn the best-selling "9/11 Commission Report" into miniseries dramatizing the suicide hijackings that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and prompted the U.S. global war against terrorism.

NBC said on Wednesday it has teamed up with Graham Yost, the writer-producer behind the acclaimed HBO war series "Band of Brothers," to develop a miniseries about the circumstances leading up to and including the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

Meanwhile, entertainment trade papers Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said on Thursday that ABC has a similar project, also using the "9/11 Commission Report" as source material. The Walt Disney Co.-owned network declined immediate comment.

The Hollywood Reporter cited network sources as suggesting the timing of NBC's announcement was motivated in part by the desire to beat ABC to the punch.

NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said he envisioned the concept as a "seminal event for television," comparing its scope to that of the landmark ABC miniseries "Roots," about the experience of American slaves.

"The fact that the 9/11 report is a bestseller is indicative of not only its importance but also the way in which the story of the events is laid out in a clean narrative fashion," Reilly said in a statement. "And that is what we expect to do with this miniseries."

NBC, a unit of General Electric Co., said the series would showcase the heroes of the tragedy. No casting decisions have been made.

In the weeks immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, networks steered clear of themes seen as too evocative of the attacks.

The Fox network edited out scenes from its espionage thriller "24" depicting an exploding airplane. CBS canceled plans to broadcast an episode of its CIA drama "The Agency" that involved a potential anthrax attack. And producers of NBC's "UC: Undercover" nixed a script with a terrorist plot.

[FunkAsPuck]

This was over here in England a drama entitled "The Hamburg Cell" which told the story of the hijackers and the build up to 9/11 from their point of view.

However, the hijackers were potrayed as real people. They were intelligent, organised and the drama potrayed them as being devout believers who thought their cause for was a greater good.

So obviously, it would never work in America.

[ROC]

This was over here in England a drama entitled "The Hamburg Cell" which told the story of the hijackers and the build up to 9/11 from their point of view.

However, the hijackers were potrayed as real people. They were intelligent, organised and the drama potrayed them as being devout believers who thought their cause for was a greater good.

So obviously, it would never work in America.

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[VinceMcMahonForPresident]

You see NBC is financed buy corporations. And the corporations sit there in their corporation bulidings, acting all corporationy, and they make money. See

[sahyder1]

You see NBC is financed buy corporations.  And the corporations sit there in their corporation bulidings, acting all corporationy, and they make money.  See

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[K]

We've had dozens of mini series, and one off dramas about 9/11, and terrorism directly after 9/11 and things like that.

You're telling me America has had absolutely none :|

[sahyder1]

We've had dozens of mini series, and one off dramas about 9/11, and terrorism directly after 9/11 and things like that.

You're telling me America has had absolutely none :|

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[Mick]

I have a feeling that these new 9/11 miniseries/TV Movies will possibly be remeberd as "The Day After" for our generation.

[Lowerdeck]

Eh, we've already seen enough with 9/11. And we're just talking about documentaries and the likes.

I have no idea how they'd make this any different.

[VinceMcMahonForPresident]

You see NBC is financed buy corporations.  And the corporations sit there in their corporation bulidings, acting all corporationy, and they make money.  See

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huh?

I'll be really surprised if this does air on Network Television. I'd believe it if it was HBO or something. Government pressure will censor it.

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[Guest Downloading_Man]

I know of at least one American scripted/produced version of 9/11...it went out live just over 3 years ago.

Check out:

http://www.serendipity.li/wtc.htm

There is a lot of reading there, but go into it with a totaly open mind, just as you did when you were being bombarded with "It was Muslim extremists" for days/weeks after 9/11.

I'm not saying it is perfect, but it has a lot less holes in it than the 'truth'.

[Xenimus]

This was over here in England a drama entitled "The Hamburg Cell" which told the story of the hijackers and the build up to 9/11 from their point of view.

However, the hijackers were potrayed as real people. They were intelligent, organised and the drama potrayed them as being devout believers who thought their cause for was a greater good.

So obviously, it would never work in America.

Edited November 3, 2004 by Xenimus