9/11 on TV: what documentaries and programmes are on to mark 20th anniversary of September 11 attacks?

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, a host of TV documentaries and programmes are airing to remember the worst terrorist attack in human history.

Airing across the BBC, Channel 4 and Netflix, each documentary focuses on specific aspects of the disaster to give a different perspective.

Here’s a breakdown of what documentaries are on to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

9/11 Documentaries on TV ahead of 20th Anniversary

Surviving 9/11 - BBC Two

Twenty years after the terror attacks, Surviving 9/11 brings together 13 ordinary people who were caught in an event they weren’t able to fully comprehend at the time - and which they are still working through.

Surviving 9/11 airs on BBC Two on 30 August at 9:00pm

9/11: Inside the President’s War Room - BBC Two

This new feature-length documentary will give a detailed minute-by-minute account of the presidency in the hours immediately following the 9/11 terror attacks. The documentary also features nearly 200 never previously published photographs, as photographers followed every move of Bush and Cheney that day. 

It contains new interviews with President George W. Bush; Vice President Dick Cheney; Condoleezza Rice (National Security Advisor) and Colin Powell (Secretary of State).

9/11: Inside the President’s War Room airs on BBC Two on 31 August at 8:30pm

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror - Netflix

Over the course of five 60-minute episodes, Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror explores how the modern history of America was defined by the events of 11 September 2001.

The series features a wide range of interviews including with officials from multiple administrations, former CIA members and U.S. military veterans as well as Afghanistan National Army soldiers, Taliban commanders, members of the Afghan government, Afghan warlords, and Afghan civilians – many who had never spoken on camera before. It also spotlights the voices of survivors of the attacks themselves.

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror is available to watch on Netflix from 1 September

Bin Laden: The Road to 9/11 - Channel 4

Channel 4’s new documentary follows the life of Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda. The first episode, of three, focuses on his childhood in Saudi Arabia, and reveals how as a young man in 1980, he travelled to Afghanistan to join resistance against the Soviet invasion.

Bin Laden: The Road to 9/11 begins on Channel 4 on 6 September at 10:00pm

Children of 9/11: Our Story

Marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this intimate film, which has aired on Channel 4, follows the life stories of six young people whose dads died in the attacks, before their kids ever got to know or even meet them

Children of 9/11: Our Story is available to watch on All4.

9/11: One Day In America - National Geographic UK

National Geographic’s new six-part limited series into the terror attacks aims to give a comprehensive look at the events in 2001. The docuseries was made in conjunction with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and features several survivors to tell the story.

9/11: One Day in America will air on National Geographic UK on 31 August. The series will be available to watch on NOW.

NYC Epicenters: 9/11 → 2021 ½ - HBO

From Academy Award-winner Spike Lee, NYC Epicenters captures the city’s history and evolution in the 20 years since 9/11 with interviews from the citizens who lived it.

Interviewees include Jon Stewart, Rosie Perez, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro; politicians Chuck Schumer, Bill De Blasio, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ron Kim, Mondaire Jones, Stacey Plaskett, Ritchie Torres, Muriel Bowser; medical professionals Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Ian Lipkin, Dr. Fritz Francois; NYFD members; machine operators from Ground Zero; engineers and architects; news anchors and reporters.

There is currently no air date in the UK revealed for NYC Epicenters