REELZ ANNOUNCES FALL 2018 SLATE WITH NEW SERIES, NEW SPECIALS AND NEW EPISODES OF RETURNING SERIES AS THE NETWORK CLOSES IN ON ITS COMMITMENT TO AIRING 100% ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING
Geraldo Rivera Hosts New Series ‘Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera’
New Series ‘Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren’ and ‘Irreconcilable Differences’
Natalie Morales Hosts New ‘Behind Closed Doors’ Specials Spotlighting the Lives of John Ritter and Paul Walker
New Special ‘Casey Anthony’ Tells Her Twisted Story
New Episodes of Returning Series ‘The Price of Fame’, ‘Murder Made Me Famous’ and ‘World’s Most Evil Killers’
REELZ Stands Up To Cancer
(Albuquerque, NM) Thursday, July 26, 2018 – REELZ today announced its fall 2018 programming slate including new series, new specials, new episodes of returning series and the Stand Up To Cancer fundraising telecast airing for the first time on the network. In new series Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera host Geraldo Rivera dives deep into the darkest hours of a celebrity’s life when they lost a family member. New series Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren shows viewers the gritty real stories of notorious mobsters whose lives of crime have inspired movies and influenced pop culture while Irreconcilable Differences examines the real lives of celebrities whose breakups play out in public.
“Our new series and specials build on our commitment to becoming a network airing 100% original programming and fuels our viewers’ fascination with the real lives of real celebrities and people whose rise to fame was for all the wrong reasons,” said Steve Cheskin, SVP of Programming at REELZ. “We’re excited to welcome Geraldo Rivera to REELZ as he brings a tremendous wealth of reporting experience and is the perfect host to show our viewers the powerful real stories of celebrities beset by misfortune in Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera. And finally, REELZ is proud to join our colleagues in the television industry to air the star studded biennial Stand Up To Cancer telecast in support of their innovative and life-saving cancer research.”
Every so often a star leaves an everlasting mark on culture and entertainment creating household names with stories that enthrall the public. This is especially true with the stories of John Ritter and Paul Walker who are the focus of two new Behind Closed Doors specials hosted by Natalie Morales. Rounding out the new specials is Casey Anthony showing viewers her shocking tale as told through unprecedented access to Anthony’s inner circle and the law enforcement officials who worked the case. The Price of Fame returns with new episodes about the remarkable yet often devastating paths to fame lived by Angelina Jolie, Robert Downey Jr. and Princess Diana among others. Additional returning viewer favorites include Murder Made Me Famous with new sinister real stories about the ‘DC Snipers’, the ‘Ken and Barbie Killers’ and John Wayne Gacy among others while World’s Most Evil Killers returns with new episodes on Diane Downs, Robert Lee Yates and Gary Ridgeway.
Premiere dates and times:
Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren (new series)- Wednesday, August 29 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
Stand Up To Cancer (telecast)- Friday, September 7 at 8pm ET/PT 7pm CT
John Ritter: Behind Closed Doors (new special)- Saturday, September 8 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
World’s Most Evil Killers (new episodes)- Friday, September 14 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
Irreconcilable Differences (new series)- Thursday, October 5 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
Murder Made Me Famous (new episodes)- Saturday, November 3 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera (new series)- Saturday, November 3 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
Paul Walker: Behind Closed Doors (new special)- Sunday, November 25 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
Casey Anthony (new special)- Sunday, December 9 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
The Price of Fame (new episodes)- Saturday, December 15 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT
Below are descriptions for all new and returning programming listed alphabetically:
Behind Closed Doors (New John Ritter episode premieres Saturday, September 8 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- Behind Closed Doors original documentary specials hosted by Natalie Morales return with new episodes about the life and legacy of Three’s Company star John Ritter and an intimate look at The Fast and the Furious star Paul Walker’s life cut short by tragedy. Behind Closed Doors examines the lives of beloved celebrities utilizing the vast offerings of NBC News historical archives including rarely seen footage and revealing interviews with the celebrities themselves along with fresh interviews from those who knew or worked with them. Behind Closed Doors specials are produced by NBC News’ Peacock Productions.
John Ritter: Behind Closed Doors premieres Saturday, September 8 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. As Jack Tripper on Three’s Company, John Ritter established himself as one of the most gifted comedians of a generation, launching a prolific career in television and movies that would make him one of America’s most beloved stars. But for a man so brilliant in comedy it was the tragedy of an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm that would cut his life short at just 54 years old. Through personal stories told by his closest friends and co-stars including Suzanne Somers, Joyce DeWitt, Henry Winkler, Peter Bogdanovich, Jimmy Kimmel and Kaley Cuoco, John Ritter: Behind Closed Doors reveals the generous spirit behind Ritter’s undeniable talent, his legacy of laughter and his family’s determination to save lives by raising awareness of the condition that caused his death.
Paul Walker: Behind Closed Doors premieres Sunday, November 25 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. In the fall of 2013 Paul Walker appeared to have it all. The 40-year old actor was in production on the seventh installment of his mega franchise The Fast and the Furious. He was running a nonprofit providing relief to disaster victims and he was a full-time dad to his 15-year-old daughter. But on November 30, 2013 it would all come to a shocking halt when the Porsche Walker was riding in crashed into a light pole killing the actor instantly. Through personal stories told by his family, colleagues and those who’ve followed his career, this two-hour documentary special gives an in-depth look at his life, on and off screen. From his life-saving charity work, to his adrenaline-pumping hobbies and close ties to his only daughter, viewers will learn of his impact on Hollywood and the world at large.
Casey Anthony (New documentary special premieres Sunday, December 9 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- No one knows you better than your best friends. You have ups and downs, share the day-to-day triumphs and failures in life and you keep each other’s darkest secrets. But what if your closest friend was a killer? Casey Anthony is a documentary special that offers unprecedented access to Anthony’s inner circle. Through intimate interviews and an exclusive reunion Anthony’s friends come together to reminisce about the good times, chronicle the downfall of one of their closest confidantes and face their worst fears as a group giving viewers a front row seat to what really happened behind the scenes and witness a tight-knit group of friends finally find closure together. Some friends are like family – others are killers. Casey Anthony is produced by Kinetic Content.
Irreconcilable Differences (New series premieres Thursday, October 5 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- Breaking up is hard to do for any couple but for Hollywood’s biggest stars there is more at stake than just a broken heart. The end of a relationship for celebrities can mean huge scandals, vicious custody battles, libelous accusations that can tarnish a career and financial ruin. Irreconcilable Differences covers the contentious splits between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Bruce Jenner and Kris Kardashian, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, Hulk and Linda Hogan, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Madonna and Sean Penn, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Roseanne and Tom Arnold. With insightful commentary from legal, relationship, crisis management and entertainment experts, each hour-long episode chronicles the affairs, abuse and addictions that poisoned the headline-grabbing marriages and will uncover every step of each ugly uncoupling as family, friends and fans are forced to take sides. Irreconcilable Differences is produced by Buck Productions.
Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren (New series premieres Wednesday, August 29 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- Internationally renowned detective Colin McLaren examines notorious mobsters who played the deadly game and won…for a while. McLaren shares his many years undercover inside organized crime families to give viewers chilling first-hand details about how mafia families operate and why their ruthlessness was often their downfall. In hour-long episodes see the crews behind the bosses and the motivations and weaknesses of notorious mobsters John ‘Teflon Don’ Gotti, Henry Hill, Sammy ‘The Bull’ Gravano and Vincent ‘Chin’ Gigante. McLaren traces the rise of each mobster showing viewers the exact locations where they clawed their way out of poverty and climbed the treacherous ladder to wealth and power only to pay a steep price for a life of crime. Hear from people who ran in their inner circles, the law enforcement officials who hunted them and other specialist commentators. Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren is produced by Bedlam Productions.
Mafia Killers with Colin McLaren is McLaren’s third show with REELZ. The first was the documentary JFK: The Smoking Gun in which McLaren’s expertise led him to solving the holy grail of all unsolved crimes in JFK’s assassination case. He also answered the long-standing questions surrounding the Princess Diana car accident in the REELZ documentary Princess Diana’s Death: Mystery Solved.
Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera (New series premieres Saturday, November 3 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- Geraldo Rivera dives deep into some of the darkest hours in a celebrity’s life when they lose a family member to murder or had a family member commit the ultimate crime. Most people gaze upon a celebrity and see talent, privilege and material success but the real lives of celebrities are often complicated with heartbreaking misfortunes lurking in the shadows. Hour-long episodes show the real stories behind the tragedies that befell Jennifer Hudson, Dylan McDermott, Kelsey Grammer, Donatella Versace, Woody Harrelson and Dave Navarro with a look at the shocking crime, the investigation, the trials and the aftermath that resulted from the life changing loss. Murder in the Family with Geraldo Rivera is produced by Treadmill Productions in association with EarthTouch, USA.
Murder Made Me Famous (New episodes premiere Saturday, November 3 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT)- The unnerving psychology behind murder has long been source material for television, books and movies but why do certain killers capture the attention of millions and their stories generate so much interest? In new hour-long episodes see the stories of the ‘DC Snipers’ John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, John Wayne Gacy, ‘BTK’ Killer Dennis Rader, ‘Ken and Barbie Killers’ Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Aileen Wournos and the ‘Gainsville Ripper’ Danny Rolling. Murder Made Me Famous presents dramatic recreations of well-known crimes using archival material and insightful commentary from those connected to the case to help unravel the twisted personalities behind the grisly crimes. Featured commentator for every episode is author and PEOPLE crime reporter, Steve Helling, who has covered several high-profile crime stories including the Natalee Holloway and Laci Peterson disappearances. Murder Made Me Famous is produced by AMS Pictures.
Stand Up To Cancer (Telecast event premieres Friday, September 7 at 8pm ET/PT / 7pm CT)- The entertainment community is coming together for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and its sixth biennial roadblock televised fundraising special, supporting urgently needed research and new treatments for cancer. With a dazzling array of top talent, the show marks 10 years since the first telecast and 10 years of lifesaving research achievements by SU2C. Bradley Cooper, Academy Award(R)-nominated actor, will return as co-executive producer along with the renowned live-event producing team Done + Dusted, working again with the Stand Up To Cancer production team, after a successful partnership for the 2016 telecast. Viewers will also be able to donate at StandUpToCancer.org/Show. One hundred percent of donations received from the public support Stand Up To Cancer’s collaborative cancer research programs.
The Price of Fame (New episodes premiere Saturday, December 15 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)- The road to stardom is often paved with amazing and devastating public and private events. In new hour-long episodes of The Price of Fame see the heartfelt stories of Angelina Jolie, Robert Downey Jr., Mackenzie Phillips and the cast of Diff’rent Strokes. Whether it’s turbulent family drama, harrowing substance abuse, outlandish spending habits or a combination of those and more, these celebrities all paid a hefty price for their fame. Giving viewers an intimate perspective on each story are personal accounts from the celebrity’s family members and friends in addition to entertainment journalists who covered the rise, fall and sometimes rise again of the stars. The Price of Fame is produced by AMS Pictures.
World’s Most Evil Killers (New episodes premiere Friday, September 14 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT)- This documentary series delves into the gripping real-life stories of the world’s most terrifying and sinister celebrities of the crime world with new hour-long episode focused on Diane Downs, Robert Lee Yates, Gary Ridgeway and Robert Andrew Berdella among others. World’s Most Evil Killers gives viewers first-hand accounts as told by detectives involved with the case, journalists who reported on the stories, relatives and survivors. The series examines the triggers that drove the most evil to kill delving into their insatiable appetites for murder and their now chilling legacies. World’s Most Evil Killers is produced by Keshet International. (Reelz | JD)
Leave a Reply