9/11 Week

Nat Geo HD

Monday 5 September, 21.00

Marking the tenth anniversary of the terror attacks in the USA, 9/11 Week, premiering from 5-9 September, will include eight hours of brand new and exclusive programming. The channel has the world exclusive premiere of George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview (6 September, 21.00), in which the former President gives exclusive, first-person insight into his personal experiences on the grueling hours and pressure-packed days following the attacks. Seconds From Disaster (5 September, 21.00) returns with a 9/11 special that focuses on the critical minutes as air traffic controllers and the US air force reacted to the hijackings and then the suicidal attacks into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Washington Under Attack (5 September, 22.00) tells the stories of the people of Washington DC, the other 9/11 city where a passenger jet was crashed into the Pentagon, while the acclaimed 9/11: Ten Years Later (7 September, 21.00) was filmed partly inside the Twin Towers by two French film makers in the chaos after the attacks. The brothers were filming the lives of New York firefighters and found themselves at the heart of the nightmarish drama they were all caught up in. The film has been updated ten years on to tell what happened to some of the surviving firemen featured in the original film. 9/11: The World's Fallen (8 September, 21.00) looks at the lives of those who were making a new life in America when they found themselves in the Twin Towers; and finally What Happened Next (9 September, 21.00) is the the story of what occurred after the attacks, also America's fight against terrorism, the invasion of Afghanistan and the secret operations to take out major Al Qaeda players.

Gettysburg / Lee & Grant

Military History

Saturday 24 September, 20.00

Military History looks at the American Civil War with a weekend of documentaries looking at the conflict's two key leaders and one of its most significant battles. On Saturday, Lee & Grant compares the lives of revered opposing generals Robert E Lee and Ulysses S Grant, from their backgrounds - Grant was from a humble clan while Lee was part of the first family of Virginia - to their military tactics, examining their armed forces careers and the Civil War skirmishes during which they acquired their leadership skills or made public mistakes. Battlefield maps and detailed descriptions take us through each key altercation, showing how decisions made by Grant and Lee were not always popular, or even successful. But 4 July 1863 saw both Grant's greatest victory (at Vicksburg) and Lee's greatest defeat (Gettysburg), which together changed the course of American history. Gettysburg is the focus of Sunday night's actionpacked documentary (executive-produced by Ridley and Tony Scott), which follows the Pennsylvanian battle from the point of view of those on the front lines - from soldiers who fought tooth and nail to housewives who took in the wounded - rather than the commanders. High-octane battle sequences do not flinch from presenting the harsh realities of war (including a slowmotion CGI recreation of the passage of a bullet into a soldier's leg), while swooping computer-generated aerial shots give us an overview of the terrain, and academic and military experts provide the background facts.

Secrets of Seal Team 6

Discovery HD

Wednesday 14 September, 21.00

For three decades, the elite government operatives of Seal Team VI have existed under the radar, carrying out secret missions and combatting threats to national security. But now, with the highly publicised success of Operation Neptune Spear and the death of Osama Bin Laden, the team's cover has been blown. While their missions are shrouded in mystery, this special will reveal details about the elusive unit, their advanced weapons training and the specialised technology they use to infiltrate some of the most secure places on earth. We'll uncover the classified information the government doesn't want you to know and discover the Secrets of Seal Team 6.

The Bionic Vet

Animal Planet

Starts Thursday 29 September, 20.00 & 20.30

This series takes a look at the work of ‘bionic vet' Noel Fitzpatrick. At his multimillion pound state of the art centre in Surrey, Noel is pioneering revolutionary new surgical techniques to save and improve the lives of thousands of pets from all over the country. He is a medical engineer, rebuilding animals using a whole range of metal structures, nuts, bolts, implants and ground-breaking procedures. For many of the animals referred to him, he's their last hope.