9/11: STATE OF EMERGENCY Premieres on HISTORY™
Thursday, September 9, at 9 p.m. ET

A Unique Insight into the Decisions and Challenges
Faced on September 11, 2001

Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers
are Among Those Interviewed

Los Angeles, CA – August 6, 2010 – On September 11, 2001 thousands faced the ultimate test of their judgment, courage and skill. From senior political leaders to ordinary men and women, 9/11: STATE OF EMERGENCY recounts the difficult split-second decisions people had to make on that day. The two-hour special premieres on Thursday, September 9, at 9 p.m. ET on HISTORY.

Through a minute-by-minute investigation of the day, 9/11: STATE OF EMERGENCY features some of the frankest and most detailed insider interviews ever filmed from former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Acting Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. The special emphasizes the challenges these high-level officials faced as they sought to remain calm and gain control of events in the middle of an unprecedented crisis.

In the most personal interview she has ever given about the events of 9/11, Condoleezza Rice reveals the shock, anger and frustration inside the White House bunker as internal governmental communications failed and rumors of new hijackings swamped air traffic control. Rice also exclusively reveals that in the chaotic aftermath of the first attacks, she had a heated telephone conversation with President Bush.

9/11: STATE OF EMERGENCY also includes a candid interview with Andrew Card as he explains the story behind one of the most iconic pieces of archive footage of 9/11 – the moment he broke into President Bush’s visit to the Emma E. Booker Elementary School

in Sarasota, Fla. to whisper the news that a second aircraft had hit the World Trade Center.

Donald Rumsfeld and Richard Myers recall the attack on the Pentagon, where Rumsfeld was present and assisted with casualties, and the struggle to readjust air force priorities and practices to cope with an attack from within the United States.

9/11 STATE OF EMERGENCY features interviews with air traffic controllers and F-16 pilots whose actions and decisions helped shape the day and also includes remarkable survival and rescue stories from inside the Towers and the Pentagon.

Additionally, the special features a conversation with Deena Burnett and Alice Hoglan, family members of passengers onboard Flight 93 who were able to speak to their loved ones and pass along information that helped passengers and crew decide to launch their fight-back, thus sparing Washington D.C. from a further attack.

911: STATE OF EMERGENCY is produced for HISTORY by Nutopia. David McKillop and Julian Hobbs are Executive Producers for HISTORY. Executive Producers for Nutopia are Phil Craig and Jane Root.

Press Contact:
Susan Ievoli/212-907-9447
Susan.ievoli@aetn.com

Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming

America The Story Of Us • Division • HISTORY • Produced by Nutopia for History
Dirk Nel, Director of Photography

Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming

America The Story Of Us • Division • HISTORY • Produced by Nutopia for History
Matt Lowe, Editor

Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or
Multi-Camera)

America The Story Of Us • Division • HISTORY • Produced by Nutopia for History
Phitz Hearne, Sound Supervisor

Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming
America The Story Of Us • Division • HISTORY • Produced by Nutopia for History
Jenny Ash, Writer
Ed Fields, Contributing Writer

Find the full list at http://www.emmys.com/nominations

26th April

FIRST NIGHT OF THE SPECIAL BECOMES THE NETWORK’S HIGHEST-RATED & MOST-WATCHED OF ALL TIME

New York, April 26, 2010 – The first night of AMERICA THE STORY OF US has become the highest rated, most watched special in network history, it was announced today by Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager, HISTORY™. The first night was watched by 5.7 million total viewers and drew a 4.0 household rating. Last night 8-11pm will go down as HISTORY’s best night ever across the board.

AMERICA, THE STORY OF US – 9-11PM
HH Rating: 4.0
Total Viewers: 5.7 million
A18-49: 2.6 million
A25-54: 2.7 million
M18-49: 1.6 million
M25-54: 1.6 million

“We’re thrilled by the launch of AMERICA THE STORY OF US,” said Ms. Dubuc. “The success personifies the hunger for information and the desire to re-connect with our past. Ultimately there’s no story more dramatic and gripping than the story of America itself. We’ve tried to present this incredibly diverse narrative in a way that is engaging for people today. We’re very pleased with the response and look forward to sharing the upcoming episodes with the American public.”

AMERICA THE STORY OF US is an epic six-night television event – new episodes premiere on HISTORY™ this Sunday, 5/2 at 9pm ET and with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9pm and culminating on Memorial Day 9pm ET.

This Sunday, May 2, 9-11pm ET, AMERICA THE STORY OF US follows westward expansion in WESTWARD (9pm Eastern) and as America experiences rapid change in trade, transport and manufacturing, quickly turning America into one of the wealthiest nations on Earth there is increasing animosity between North and South in DIVISION (10pm Eastern).

In conjunction with the broadcast, HISTORY has launched its largest ever educational outreach initiative and is for the first time offering a DVD of the entire 12-hour series to every single school and accredited college in America – free of charge. The series is being presented by Bank of America® and narrated by Liev Schreiber.

AMERICA THE STORY OF US tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented, looking at the moments where Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress— from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad, the internet of its day, to triumphing over vertical space through construction of steel structured buildings. The series is also a story of conflict – with Native American peoples, slavery, the revolutionary war that birthed the nation, the Civil War that divided it and the great world war that shaped its future. This is a look at the forces that have shaped our nation – the people, places and things that created this most astounding country. It’s a tough and thrilling adventure.

In addition, back-to-back premieres of PAWN STARS in the 8pm hour averaged a 3.6 HH rating and 5.0 million total viewers, up 24% and 28%, respectively, from the Season 2 to-date average.

AMERICA THE STORY OF US is produced for HISTORY by Nutopia, a new production company started by Jane Root, former President of Discovery Channel. Prior to that Jane ran BBC2, and was a founder of the production company Wall to Wall Television. Jane Root is Executive Producer, Michael Jackson is co-Executive Producer and Ben Goold is Series Showrunner. For HISTORY, Nancy Dubuc, David McKillop and Julian P. Hobbs are Executive Producers.

Sun 25th April

America: The Story of Us serves notice from its very first scene that it’s no ordinary documentary. It begins not with the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the first shots fired at Lexington or even the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World. Instead, it marks the seminal moment in American history as the 1610 arrival of Virginia colonist James Rolfe with “a cargo that will change America forever” — tobacco seed……..
…………..If America: The Story of Us has a flaw, it’s a lack of self-confidence. Root and her team of producers, apparently worried that the show needed to be juiced with celebrity, regularly insert interview snippets from political commentators, newsmen and the usual gang of Hollywood suspects. The insights of Bill Maher and Sheryl Crow into the institution of slavery, unsurprisingly, turn out to be anything but keen. Though I have to admit that listening to Martha Stewart’s rhapsodic defense of 19th century sweatshops made the whole thing worth it.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/25/v-print/1594602/drama-surprise-bring-american.html#ixzz0mDdwdES5

Glenn Garvin – Miami Herald

“America: The Story of Us” is being produced by Jane Root, a veteran British television executive who knows how to do epic television: She oversaw the launch of Discovery Channel’s “Planet Earth” when she ran that network. History is casting the project, inspired by the sense of momentousness that followed President Obama’s election, as the first comprehensive television history of the country since Alistair Cooke’s 1972 series “America: A Personal History of the United States.”

“I think it’s a sign of amazing confidence in themselves and the audience,” said Root, now an independent producer.

The project aims to explore the various tipping points that shaped the country’s trajectory, with each hour covering five events. Along with the usual interviews with historians, the series is making heavy use of CGI technology to re-create events such as the construction of the Statue of Liberty and the expansion of the railroad across the Rockies. “We want to tell it in a way that draws people in the way a movie would,” Dubuc said. “It’s OK to be entertaining.”

Read full article at:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-tv-history3-2010jan03,0,7729958.story

Streep, Douglas will tell story of ‘America’

History has lined up Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Colin Powell, Brian Williams and other notables to participate in the docu series that the cabler is calling the most ambitious original programming initiative in its own history.

Set to bow next year, the 12-part “America The Story of Us” series will cover a 400-year sweep of the nation’s history and pre-history. The cabler is prepping elaborate educational materials to distribute to schools in tandem with the series.

“America” is exec produced by Jane Root, former prexy of Discovery Channel and BBC2, through her Nutopia production banner. Series will focus on the elements that distinguish American democracy, the conflicts that shaped it and the myriad social and industrial innovations that have fueled the country’s prosperity. On-camera commentators — also set to include Buzz Aldrin, Gen. Tommy Franks, Donald Trump, John Lasseter and Stevie Wonder — will share their thoughts on the “building” of the nation, according to History.

“What distinguishes American history from that of any other country is how everyday people built this nation from the ground up,” said History prexy-general manager Nancy Dubuc. “American history truly belongs to the people and causes us to reflect on who we are, and how we will shape the future of the country.”

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

Variety 2009

Former BBC2 controller Jane Root’s fledgling factual prodco Nutopia has signed a long-term first-look distribution agreement with BBC Worldwide (BBCWW), in return for investment in programming.

The move binds the two together for two-years, during which BBCWW will handle UK and international distribution of all Nutopia programmes.

BBCWW said it was looking forward to working with the indie, which was set up in 2008 by Root, and predicted it would become an internationally renowned producer.

Nutopia CEO Root said: “This is a really dynamic time for Nutopia, and we are already developing some really ambitious and innovative programming for broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic. We are very excited to be working with BBCWW going forward. As a top distributor to territories across the globe, it is the perfect partner for our titles.”

The start-up surfaced in October 2008, with Root at the helm. Much speculation had surrounded her future after she left her role as controller of Discovery Channel in the US, with many predicting she would take up the reigns as controller of BBC1 or HBO.

Jesse Whittock
2 Dec 2009
© C21 Media 2009

History Channel have aired the trailer for the series which is debuting in April 2010 and the excitement is mounting!

We complete drama principal photography in time for Christmas 2009. Lots of exciting footage from the Pilgrim fathers to Prohibition currently being shot. It’s going brilliantly and the sun is shining brightly despite a couple of freak thunderstorms earlier in the month.

Meanwhile we are crossing America from New York to New Mexico interviewing leading American figures. So far in the can is General David Petraeus, Donald Trump, General Colin Powell, Melissa Etheridge and Buzz Aldrin. Elsewhere in America (South Dakota to be exact) another filming unit has been tracking wild bison as they roam across the great plains and staging some old-fashioned Cowboys and Indians action.

Back in London we’re into the edit of the first batch of shows and into our sixth coffee of the day..

Watch this space.