Investigation Discovery announced its 2011-2012 programming slate at its upfront presentation in New York yesterday afternoon. The announcements came just days before former CNN and Fox News anchor Paula Zahn premieres season four of her ID series “On the Case with Paula Zahn.”
“On the Case” debuts its new season Sunday, April 17 at 10 PM.
Zahn was at the after-party yesterday, joined by fellow ID personalities, including former boxer Butterbean, crime author Aphrodite Jones, NBC News anchor Lester Holt and ABC’s Dan Abrams.
Holt and Abrams anchor a pair of primetime newsmagazines for ID, made up of repurposed Dateline segments. ID also has “48 Hours on ID” and “60 Minutes on ID” from CBS News, “20/20 on ID” from ABC News.
New shows include “Real Crime/Reel Story,” which has host Erin Brockovich exploring the real stories behind popular films and “Hunting Justice with M. William Phelps,” which sees crime author Phelps piece together criminal profiles.
ID is also slating an investigative journalism series “ID Investigates,” as well a a documentary film label ID Films.
More info on other new series and specials from ID, after the jump.
INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY, AMERICA’S FASTEST-GROWING NETWORK, UNVEILS LARGEST-EVER SLATE OF NEW AND RETURNING SERIES AND SPECIALS FOR 2011-12 UPFRONT SEASON
— With Eight New Series and an Unprecedented 23 Returning Hits,
ID Poised to Continue Exceptional Growth —(New York, NY) – Entering the 2011-12 Upfront as the biggest success story in cable – topping the charts for audience growth, and distribution growth year over year – Investigation Discovery’s motto for the coming season is “So Successful … it’s Criminal.”
ID has now achieved 23 consecutive months of prime delivery gains for P2+, P25-54 and W25-54 and just recorded its best quarter ever in first quarter, up 57% in P2+, 61% in HH and 48% in P25-54.
ID’s successful launch strategy for original series resulted in double-digit delivery increases every night of the week (P25-54 gains over 1Q10 Mon, +50%; Tue, +18%; Wed, +39%; Thu, +79%; Fri, +43%; Sat, +58%; Sun, +60%), driven by the debuts of STOLEN VOICES, BURIED SECRETS; SINS & SECRETS; STALKED: SOMEONE’S WATCHING and returning series ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN; DISAPPEARED; and, 48 HOURS ON ID. In all, ID now has 16 series averaging more than 500k P2+ and eight series that have hit the all-important 1.0 HH mark or greater.
In all-important audience engagement measures, ID is #1 in ad-supported cable for prime and total day length of tune among P25-54 and in the first quarter of 2011, ranked #6 for total day C3 Delivery for HH and #7 for P25-54.
Currently in more than 73 million homes, ID has added 17 million subscribers in the last 13 months, making it the fastest growing network for distribution growth in television.
“For the second year in a row, ID enters the Upfront as the leader in audience growth, we’ve retained our critical #1 for length of tune and now we’re also the top network for distribution growth in television,” said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery. “Most importantly, we are reaching to become a Top Ten network by making the largest investment in original programming in the network’s history – adding new, personality-driven series to our incredibly strong foundation of 23 established hits.”
Leading into the Upfront season, ID debuts five new original series, including its first docu-soap, BIG LAW: DEPUTY BUTTERBEAN, featuring former super heavyweight boxer Eric Esch, who fought under the name Butterbean. The 400-lb. former fighter is taking his hard-earned, no-nonsense, tough-guy reputation to the streets of his hometown: he’s been deputized by the Walker Coutny Sheriff’s office in Alabama, and he’s on a one-man mission to bring back a sense of community safety.
ID also debuts ABC News’ 20/20 beginning in June, securing ID’s place as the unique television home for the very best in newsmagazines. 20/20 ON ID rounds out ID’s current slate of stellar, award-winning investigative reporting from all three major broadcast networks, joining CBS News’ 48 HOURS ON ID and 60 MINUTES ON ID, as well as NBC News’ DATELINE ON ID. These acclaimed franchises complement Investigation Discovery’s original newsmagazine, ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN, which is one of the highest-rated series in network history.
Featured programming in the 2011-12 Upfront includes:
NEW ORIGINAL SERIES
REAL CRIME/REEL STORY (wt)
America’s obsession with movies is unending, but its fascination with true stories is what makes ID the fastest growing cable network on television. REAL CRIME/REEL STORY uncovers the truth behind popular crime-and-justice movies that have become part of the fabric of pop culture. The first episode introduces show host and real-life legal crusader Erin Brockovich, who tells her story of the groundbreaking courtroom battle she won against West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas & Electric. Using scene reconstruction, interviews with the real people the characters were based on, subsequent episodes reveal what really inspired movies including Monster.HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA (wt)
A murder will change the life of a victim, their families, and the convicted killer, but what about the investigator whose days and nights are consumed by finding answers? In each episode of HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA, the 23-year veteran of Colorado’s homicide investigation unit –who has one of the highest case closure rates in the country – reveals chillingly vivid memories of murders that still haunt him today. Through personal interviews, and with the help of reenactments, Kenda recounts in detail the twists, turns, and emotional tribulations of trying to bring peace to each victim’s family.REAL STREETS MIAMI (wt)
Audiences know Miami for its beautiful people, tropical weather, and cultural crossroads, but what they’ll come to learn from REAL STREETS MIAMI is that the city’s reputation for being fast, loose and crazy applies to local criminals as well. In this series, viewers will enjoy a unique visual experience with the pace, look and feel of movie crime plots, though gone are the static talking heads and cheesy character interplay. Hear testimony from the perps themselves about drug deals gone bad, murders for hire, vendettas that reached their breaking point, and other high-stakes crimes sweeping the Sunshine State’s southern-most city.HOSTAGE: DO OR DIE (wt)
Step into the world of hijackings, kidnappings, and standoffs in HOSTAGE: DO OR DIE, a collection of harrowing stories told from the perspective of the hostage negotiators, victims, witnesses, and sometimes the criminals themselves. With narration from Detective Dominick Misino, an NYPD veteran with expertise in special operations, each episode breaks down a case minute-by-minute to see for the first time what it took to rescue the hostages or, in some instances, what went wrong. Stunning graphics and animation bring to life high-energy recreations, taking viewers where cameras could never go: straight into the tense crossfire of hostage negotiation.HUNTING JUSTICE WITH M. WILLIAM PHELPS (wt)
Retrace unsolved slayings through the eyes of two obsessive investigators, “True Crime” author M. William Phelps and psychologist/criminal profiler John Kelly, who attempt to piece together a killer’s profile by reconstructing their crime and exposing its key elements. Phelps does most of the legwork like a gumshoe cop, while Kelly is the brains, the elder and the guru. Played out in dramatic reenactments, the duo attempts to create the most accurate depictions to-date of the crime, the victim, and the suspect as their final murder theory and killer profile come to life.CRIMES OF PASSION (wt)
These are true stories of the ultimate betrayal: when lovers become predators and seducers aim to destroy. With penetrating insight from experts, including lead investigators and forensic psychologists, CRIMES OF PASSION delves into the twisted minds of sociopaths and manipulators who lay on the charm while they masquerade as harmless love interests. Learn about the puzzling and contradictory clues that baffled investigators, as they recreate the scenarios that tested their suspicions.DEADLY SINS
Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride – These are the true stories of everyday individuals who are pushed beyond the limits of the law by seven deadly sins. Each episode of DEADLY SINS navigates the twists and turns of three similarly sinful cases, piecing together their chilling conclusions along the way. Cinematic reenactments and strong storytelling build suspense and mystery throughout each tale, taking on the elements of ID’s most successful programming and creating a show that feeds viewers’ insatiable appetite for these dreadful guilty pleasures.UNRAVELED: COUNTDOWN TO A KILL
A suspenseful new series, UNRAVELED: COUNTDOWN TO A KILL recounts the fateful relationship between killer and victim as their paths intertwine. Chance meetings, random acts of violence, and mysterious encounters send ordinary people down a deadly collision course toward their own mortality. As an on-screen clock counts down the victim’s final hours, days, or even years, viewers track the decisions and actions that bring the victim closer to their killer’s fatal trap.RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES
STOLEN VOICES, BURIED SECRETS
As ID’s highest-performing series, STOLEN VOICES, BURIED SECRETS shares the unique perspective of the victim through fictionalized, first-person narration based on the facts of each case. While the all-seeing narrator knows who was responsible, the series creatively allows viewers to piece together who is the culprit based on clues from investigators, family and friends as each story unfolds.DISAPPEARED
DISAPPEARED follows the unpredictable twists of missing person cases, tracking investigations aimed at solving how and why people simply vanish. While some of the resolutions are heartwarming and others tragic, many cases remain open to this day and continue to be a source of unbearable frustration for family members and friends. Each episode of DISAPPEARED begins from the time immediately before the individual vanished, searching for clues hidden beneath seemingly everyday behavior that may indicate whether or not the person left voluntarily. For the open cases that have gone cold, DISAPPEARED asks viewers to share fresh leads in hope of deciphering what truly happened to the missing and whether foul play may have been involved.ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN
Profiling fascinating true stories and featuring gripping interviews conducted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Paula Zahn, ON THE CASE is a shining example of ID’s core brand mission to investigate life’s mysteries through riveting storytelling. Zahn’s journalistic expertise and passion for the truth resonate as ON THE CASE unravels shocking investigations that have dominated headlines, and intriguing original stories uncovered exclusively for ID’s audience.STALKED: SOMEONE’S WATCHING
With more than three million people falling victim to stalking in the United States each year, this widely misunderstood crime reaches far beyond celebrities and people in the public eye. STALKED: SOMEONE’S WATCHING profiles emotional stories of stalking victims and explores the twisted psychology of the people who relentlessly pursued them. Leading viewers through these tales of obsession is Michelle Ward, Ph.D., a criminal psychologist who has an expertise in neuroscience and personal experience as a stalking victim. Throughout each episode, Dr. Ward provides insight into the possible thoughts and motivations of the stalker and offers viewers important information they can use to protect themselves.WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY?
Pulling back the curtain on bizarre double lives, WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY? examines stories of couples in which one spouse has hidden a shocking secret. From bank robbers to bigamists and international spies, these sometimes shocking characters will have viewers shaking their heads in disbelief and wondering how the truths behind these scandalous spouses were kept hidden for so long.I (ALMOST) GOT AWAY WITH IT
For these perpetrators, the stories may be different, but the motives are always the same – to stay out of prison and live life on the lam. The people profiled in I (ALMOST) GOT AWAY WITH IT evaded justice for years, sometimes decades, by using their families, fake identification and even violence to avoid capture. Viewers learn how law enforcement uses all means necessary to capture these fugitives. Additionally, each episode features an interview from prison with these slick culprits, who spill where they found shelter, how they changed their identities and how they almost got away with it.NOTHING PERSONAL
The motive in murder-for-hire plots may vary from case to case, but for the hired hit man it’s always business as usual. Plunge into the sinister undertaking of contract killings in NOTHING PERSONAL, ID’s series about mafia disloyalties, romantic infidelities, stale friendships and the trio of characters at their center: the conniving “client,” the professional murderer, and the victim who never saw it coming. Each one-hour episode of NOTHING PERSONAL is hosted by true crime aficionado Steve Schirripa, whose mobster character Bobby Baccalieri was famously whacked on The Sopranos.SINS & SECRETS
Featuring cities full of character and colorful personalities, SINS & SECRETS exposes crimes that have ripped at the fabric of affluent communities. With ordinary and extraordinary citizens alike, these towns aren’t just vacation destinations, but places where select individuals have distinguished themselves for all the wrong reasons. Once revealing how justice was served, SINS & SECRETS reflects on the many ways in which the city and its people will never be the same again.THE WILL: FAMILY SECRETS REVEALED
ID invites viewers on an emotional journey of family members dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s final wishes in THE WILL: FAMILY SECRETS REVEALED. Hotly contested and sometimes surprising, a person’s last will is often a very telling sign of how they perceived their loved ones – a single document outlining the distribution of every penny, asset and heirloom formerly in their possession. Each hour-long episode of THE WILL presents the most curious and contentious real-life stories of family inheritance, capturing personal drama filled with conspiracies, tension and turmoil.TRUE CRIME WITH APHRODITE JONES
A true crime series for tabloid aficionados, each episode follows best-selling author and crime expert Aphrodite Jones as she conducts her own investigations into some of the most headline-making crime stories of our time. Jones lands pivotal interviews and gains insider access to those connected to the case, revealing new evidence or unraveling new theories with exclusive interviews, photos, or never-before-seen footage about crimes you thought you knew.BEHIND MANSION WALLS
BEHIND MANSION WALLS tells the stories of crime, mystery, and murder that unfold behind the veil of wealth and privilege. Secret affairs, hidden accounts, and false identities are just the tip of the iceberg in a web clouded by money that could lead to murder. Using expert testimony, stylized recreations, and narration from the victim’s first-person perspective, this series escorts viewers behind picture perfect facades, where greed leads to murder and no one is above the law.I MARRIED A MOBSTER
You see their lives portrayed in movies like Married to the Mob and Goodfellas, but rarely, if ever, do you hear them speak or get a glimpse into their lives. I MARRIED A MOBSTER presents stories of the mob from a new perspective: the women who had unprecedented access into this secretive world, where breaking vows could literally get you killed. With reenactments, archival photos and interviews, each episode tells the back-story of one family’s rise and fall from the first person point-of-view of the Mrs.CUFF ME IF YOU CAN
After committing a crime, some perpetrators are willing to go to great lengths to escape their destiny behind bars. CUFF ME IF YOU CAN recounts true stories of cunning, determined and resourceful criminals who try to live their lives running from the law by escaping the country, changing their identity and even altering their appearance. This series interviews the criminals’ real family members and loved ones, some of whom have aided these individuals trying to avoid capture, as well as the actual police and detectives who have worked tirelessly to track and capture the fleeing offenders.FACING EVIL
Retired FBI criminal profiler Candice DeLong goes behind prison walls to sit down with the actual femmes fatales who appeared on ID’s DEADLY WOMEN. Having been described as the real-life Clarice Starling, the FBI agent at the center of Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, DeLong interprets these intimate interviews for audiences with help from an impressive repertoire of sleuthing skills that include trailing terrorists, going undercover within gangs and hunting for the infamous Unabomber.COPS & COYOTES
Every year, billions of dollars-worth of narcotics is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by drug mules, and millions of Mexican immigrants enter the United States illegally in search of a better life. In towns all along the border, law enforcement lives and works within the communities they have vowed to protect from the explosive increase in criminal activity. ID’s COPS & COYOTES features a multiple-character law enforcement team battling to protect their town against a Mexican crime wave flooding across the fragile border.FBI: CRIMINAL PURSUIT
FBI: CRIMINAL PURSUIT profiles the modern Federal Bureau of Investigation and explores the determination required to solve some of the most mystifying cases of the 21st Century. The challenges range from combating arsonists to tracking down terrorists, and the goal is always to bring the culprits to justice. This series not only showcases the heroes behind high-profile investigations, but the role high-tech investigative techniques play in solving these extraordinary cases.NIGHTMARE NEXT DOOR
How well do you know your neighbors? NIGHTMARE NEXT DOOR tells the tales of murders behind white picket fences that rocked Middle America. Each hour brings a new murder mystery and a new look into the evil that can lurk in the heart and soul of a tight-knit community. Interviews with investigators, prosecutors, family members and/or neighbors piece together the twisting tale of a classic whodunit, and forensic experiments lead viewers into the heart of the investigation.I ESCAPED: REAL PRISON BREAKS
I ESCAPED: REAL PRISON BREAKS revisits the incredible true stories of some of the greatest escapes in history. Meet the inmates who refused to surrender to incarceration as the series introduces some of the most elaborate and unimaginable prison breaks, featuring dramatic reconstructions and interviews with those involved.DEADLY WOMEN
DEADLY WOMEN takes viewers on a journey into the bizarre world of women who kill for thrills. While male murderers are often driven by anger, impulse and destruction, women usually have more complex, long-term motives. Featuring Candice DeLong, a former FBI agent and criminal profiler, this series explores the psyche of female killers, showing what turns love affairs into fatal attractions or how twisted minds and dark secrets can send women on lethal rampages.WICKED ATTRACTION
WICKED ATTRACTION examines what happens in the mind of the “average” person when they fall under the spell of a sadistic predator. Forensic psychologists and criminal profilers uncover horrifying clues and reveal the true stories of people driven to commit murder together. This series investigates some of the most terrifying crimes in recent history and steps inside the criminal mind to explore the psychological motivations behind deadly duos.DEVIL YOU KNOW
DEVIL YOU KNOW delves into the secret lives of men and women who masquerade as law-abiding citizens but, behind the charade, are hiding deadly intentions from their loved ones. As each story unfolds, family and friends give first-hand accounts of the unimaginable betrayal that left them in the dark. These harrowing personal testimonials take viewers on a twisted journey as our witnesses wrestle with the demons and devils they have come to know all too well.BROADCAST NEWS MAGAZINES
FROM CBS:
· 48 HOURS ON ID: 48 HOURS ON ID investigates shocking crimes and compelling real-life dramas with journalistic integrity and cutting-edge style that defines the weekly cinema verité style that is the standard for many television newsmagazines today. Viewers become part of the investigation – from the psychological profiling to exploring new scientific methods that are part of today’s forensic toolbox. Bite marks, blood velocity, reading DNA on a victim’s clothes after 20 years – all of it is part of the drive to help solve these cases. This in-depth approach has earned 48 HOURS numerous awards including three Peabody Awards, 17 Emmys and four RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Awards.· 60 MINUTES ON ID: Anchored by correspondent Scott Pelley, 60 MINUTES ON ID expands ID’s depth and breadth by featuring some of the most compelling stories from the popular CBS News series. Through 60 Minutes’ trademark in-depth interviews, viewers get the inside story behind each investigation from the people who lived it firsthand. 60 MINUTES takes the stories and brand from the CBS magazine show and presents the material to ID’s audience in a 30-minute format – providing new information along with the best hard-hitting interviews and timely investigations.
FROM NBC
· DATELINE ON ID : What makes average people cross the line to commit murder? Sometimes the answer is simple, while other times the answers are never found. DATELINE ON ID goes behind the headlines to investigate baffling crimes and compelling real-life dramas with NBC host Lester Holt.FROM ABC
· 20/20 ON ID: Love, jealousy, fear, and murder are at the heart of stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Hosted by ABC News chief law and justice correspondent Chris Cuomo and the correspondents of ABC News’ acclaimed show 20/20 dig beneath the headlines to reveal stories of victims, their families, and the search for truth and justice.NEW LIMITED SERIES AND SPECIALS
ID INVESTIGATES
ID INVESTIGATES features documentaries that shine a light on contemporary issues in the public eye. These investigative specials exemplify ID’s commitment to pursuing a fascinating spectrum of stories focused on the quest for justice and providing context to the stories dominating today’s headlines. From the intersection of sex and politics to the war on terrorism, ID INVESTIGATES takes an in-depth look at important stories through these high-quality specials. Recent examples include The Madoff Mystery, The Trials of Amanda Knox, Why Is Bin Laden Alive? and For The Love of Money.ID FILMS
ID provides a new outlet for independent documentary filmmakers seeking a television home for projects that shine a light on important, overlooked aspects of our justice system and showcase compelling stories of mystery, intrigue and determination. Recent titles include Cropsey: The Urban Legend, Cocaine Cowboys and Final Judgment.THE INJUSTICE FILES
ID proudly presents a search for justice in some of the most senseless crimes of the Civil Rights era. In February 2007, the FBI officially launched a new investigative effort called the Civil Rights-Era Cold Case Initiative, tasked with taking a fresh look at investigations of racially-motivated homicides that occurred prior to 1970. Since then, more than 100 cold cases have been identified for this initiative. Teaming filmmaker Keith Beauchamp (The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till) and special agent Cynthia Deitle, the FBI’s Civil Rights Unit Chief, each episode reopens a cold case from our country’s past in an effort to bring attention to these important investigations and bring justice to the victims’ families.ID INSIDE PRISONS
ID INSIDE PRISONS is an anthology of specials that examines some of America’s most unique prison systems. In each episode, viewers explore a different complex and meet the inmates who call it home as well as the correctional officers, medical doctors, psychiatrists, and death row priests who work tirelessly to maintain order and keep the peace.HOLIDAY STUNTS
BLACK WIDOWS WEEK
The third annual BLACK WIDOWS WEEK on ID celebrates Thanksgiving with a week of programming that takes a closer look at the motives behind infamous Black Widow murderers. Hit programming featured throughout the week includes staples such as DEADly WOMEN, WICKED ATTRACTION, and new hit series FACING EVIL WIT CANDICE DELONG, featuring the famed FBI profiler as she sits down with real-life deadly women to reveal the motivation behind their crimes.Valentine’s Day
A Valentine’s Day celebration with an ironic ID twist, this stunt focuses on hit series like WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY? and WICKED ATTRACTION, featuring relationship issues that are no match for couples counseling.MARCH BADNESS
Turn to ID for a marathon match-up of March Badness … where DEADLY WOMEN jump through hoops to get what they want and where fugitives take a shot at freedom in the slam dunk hit CUFF ME IF YOU CAN.About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID), a division of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISB, DISK) is America’s leading investigation network and the fastest-growing network in television. ID is the source for fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition. Providing the highest quality investigative programming focused on fascinating stories of human nature from the past to the present to over 73 million U.S. households, Investigation Discovery’s in-depth documentaries and series challenge viewers on important issues shaping our culture and defining our world. For more information, please visit investigationdiscovery.com