As the Cable Destination for Real Life Mysteries and True Crime Stories, Investigation Discovery Announces Fall Programming Slate Including the Return of Eight Fan Favorites

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its unveiling in January 2008, Investigation Discovery has become the sole cable network devoted to airing true crime content 24/7. This fall, the fastest-growing network in television rolls out a robust programming slate featuring the return of eight fan-favorite series built around mystery and mayhem. ID's schedule is stacked with captivating content, from the season five premiere of original newsmagazine ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN to a slew of successful returning series that explore the darkest of human deeds in TWISTED, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW and FACING EVIL. Anchoring the fall lineup is the world premiere of ID's newest original series, HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA, making its debut on Tuesday, October 25 at 10 PM (ET). This six-part series chronicles retired detective Lt. Joe Kenda as he revisits cases that have rattled him to his core and talks candidly about the emotional and psychological effects that cases have on law enforcement officers.  

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101103/PH94271LOGO )

"With one of the most highly engaged audiences in television, Investigation Discovery capitalizes on phenomenal storytelling to keep our viewers coming back for more," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery. "This fall season, we're excited to bring our programming back to the heart of what our fans love the most: true crime stories that give them a glimpse into the criminal mind, compelling mysteries that challenge them to solve the puzzle, and suspense stories that keep them on the edge of their seats."

Investigation Discovery's fall programming slate includes:

NEW SERIES AND SPECIALS

HOMICIDE HUNTER: LT. JOE KENDA

Brand New Series Premieres Tuesday, October 25 at 10 PM ET

HOMICIDE HUNTER is a new investigative series of murder cases told through the personal experience of retired detective, Lieutenant Joe Kenda. With his personal interviews and compelling storytelling style, Kenda captivates with the details of a different investigation each week – from the racing adrenaline he felt when receiving an initial homicide call to the satisfaction of closing the case file. Making it unique, this series delivers the emotional and psychological effects of murder on the investigator himself.

ID INVESTIGATES: 9/11 CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS

One-Hour Special Premieres Sunday, September 4 at 9 PM ET

ID INVESTIGATES: 9/11 CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS profiles the NYPD's elite Crime Scene Unit and its search for evidence and survivors in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Led by Detective Sergeant Joe Blozis, the Crime Scene Unit was tasked with a search of epic magnitude on the biggest crime scene investigation in history. While America absorbed the shock of the tragedy, Blozis and his officers hunted down clues to reveal crucial final moments of the hijacked planes and identify thousands of victims as well as the terrorists themselves. This one-hour documentary spotlights the brave investigators who risked their lives and endangered their health to dig, sift, and uncover the dangerous remains of Ground Zero.  

I (ALMOST) GOT AWAY WITH IT: LOVE ON THE RUN

One-Hour Special Premieres Thursday, October 6 at 9 PM ET

Love is blind, and some people are so in love they'll even turn a blind eye to justice. This special edition of  I (ALMOST) GOT AWAY WITH IT highlights three true stories of fugitives who found romance while under constant and intense pressure to evade law enforcement. The stories of love on the lam include: Steve Lamb, a notorious drug czar who fell in love while hiding out in Venezuela; Courtney Savage, who reunited with an old high school flame while running from murder charges; and Michael Brown, a teenage killer who married his prison pen pal and then escaped with his new bride.  

THE WILL: OUTRAGEOUS FINAL WISHES

One-Hour Special Premieres Wednesday, October 19 at 8 PM ET

When most people die they choose to go the same way: a traditional funeral and burial. But for some, what happens to their body after they die is their last chance to make a memorable statement about their life. OUTRAGEOUS FINAL WISHES takes a look at those thinking outside the box and are pushing the limits of what they want done to their bodies and possessions. Some go out with a literal bang, others pay tribute to the life's work, and still others have less noble plans and use their wills to hatch bizarre revenge schemes from the grave.

RETURNING SERIES

TWISTED

Season 3 Premieres Friday, September 23 at 10 PM ET

This series takes an in-depth look at some of the world's most prolific serial killers and interviews those who were closest to them before learning about their secret, dark lives. Attempting to uncover the psychology of each killer, TWISTED tries to get an understanding of what drove these serial killers down the path of murder. Was it nature or nurture?  Through first-hand accounts and testimonies of the people who knew them best, this series provides fascinating insight into the characters of some of the most infamous icons of evil.

I (ALMOST) GOT AWAY WITH IT

Season 4 Premieres Thursday, October 6 at 10 PM ET

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 criminals 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.

COLD BLOOD

Season 3 Premieres Tuesday, October 11 at 9 PM ET

COLD BLOOD returns to the crime scene so that viewers can examine all the evidence for themselves. Combining the thrill of mystery with the visceral experience of true crime drama, this series presents competing versions of what may have happened, and re-enacts the events from different perspectives as new evidence comes to light. Each episode tells the story of one homicide investigation that revolves around the forensic investigation of the crime scene, and follows the clues wherever they may lead.

THE WILL: FAMILY SECRETS REVEALED

Season 2 Premieres Wednesday, October 19 at 9 PM ET

Investigation Discovery 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. 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, greed, tension and turmoil. When someone dies, they can no longer cover up the secrets that they hid during their lifetime – from the truth of the value of their assets or their surprising debt to revelations of passionate affairs, long forgotten.

DEVIL YOU KNOW

Season 2 Premieres Wednesday, October 19 at 10 PM ET

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 witnesses wrestle with the demons and devils they have come to know all too well.

ON THE CASE WITH PAULA ZAHN

Season 5 Premieres Sunday, October 23 at 10 PM ET

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.  

DISAPPEARED

Season 4 Premieres Monday, October 24 at 10 PM ET

When someone goes missing, every moment is an emotional roller coaster for the loved ones left behind, and every second and every single clue counts in the search for the missing. Each episode of DISAPPEARED begins at the time immediately before the individual vanished, and chronicles the search for clues hidden beneath seemingly everyday behavior that may indicate what happened to the individual. While some of the resolutions are heart-warming and others tragic, many cases remain open to this day and continue to be a source of unbearable frustration for family members and friends. For the open cases that have gone cold, DISAPPEARED asks viewers to share any fresh leads in hopes of deciphering what truly happened to the missing and whether foul play may have been involved, or if the person simply chose to leave on their own.  

FACING EVIL

Season 2 Premieres Friday, November 25 at 10 PM ET

Investigation Discovery celebrates Thanksgiving in its own unique way with programming highlighting women who kill for thrills with BLACK WIDOWS WEEK, anchored by the premiere of FACING EVIL WITH CANDICE DELONG. FACING EVIL is a six-part miniseries featuring former F.B.I. criminal profiler, Candice DeLong, who is said to be the real life Clarice Starling, the character played by Jodie Foster in "Silence of the Lambs."  DeLong sits face to face, behind prison walls, with the actual perpetrators who appear in ID's hit series, Deadly Women, and provides her expert insight of the minds of these female killers.

ABOUT INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY:

Investigation Discovery (ID) is America's leading investigation network and the fastest-growing network in television. As the source for fact-based analytical content and compelling human stories, ID probes factors that challenge our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 77 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with Paula Zahn, Disappeared, Unusual Suspects and Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID.  Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories.

SOURCE Investigation Discovery