Reelz Announces January 2020 Programming Schedule

REELZ ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAMMING FOR JANUARY 2020

New Three-Part Original Documentary ‘Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields’ Presents Never-Before-Seen Evidence in the Infamous Case of the NFL Star Turned Murderer

New Four-Part Original Documentary ‘How to Survive a Murder’ Chronicles the Twisted True Story of a Murder and the Cover Up to Protect an Influential Family

REELZ Premiere of Special ‘Alex Trebek’s Game Changers’ Hosted by Alex Trebek Celebrating the Cultural Impact and Phenomenon of TV Game Shows

REELZ Premiere of ‘Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer’ Series Examines the Methods that Make a Murderer

(Albuquerque, NM) Friday, December 20, 2019 – REELZ today announced new programming for January 2020 including two new multi-part original documentaries along with a series and special making their REELZ premieres. New three-part documentary Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields reveals never-before-seen evidence in the case of the ex-NFL star turned convicted murderer while the new four-part documentary How to Survive a Murder exposes the nefarious attempts to cover up a murder and protect an influential family. The two REELZ premieres include special Alex Trebek’s Game Changers hosted by Alex Trebek exploring the enduring appeal of TV game shows followed by series Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer examining the methods and life-changing moments that make serial killers. The network also confirmed the air time for the previously announced new original two-part documentary The Lost Unabomber Tapes which makes its world premiere on Sunday, January 26 with part one “Campaign of Terror” at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT and part two “Capture and Conviction” premiering the following night on Monday, January 27 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT.

“We’re thrilled to have Alex Trebek on REELZ showing us why game shows have spanned generations of viewers and become a television staple,” said Steve Cheskin, SVP of Programming at REELZ. “We also look forward to our powerful and revelatory documentaries that offer new insights never before seen or heard in the stories of the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and the once celebrated NFL star Aaron Hernandez.”

Kicking off January is Alex Trebek’s Game Changers hosted by Alex Trebek which makes its REELZ premiere on Sunday, January 5 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Alex Trebek’s Game Changers gives viewers an insightful look at the phenomenon of TV game shows, memorable contestant moments and the hosts we played along with throughout the years including Pat Sajak, Regis Philbin, Howie Mandel, Wink Martindale, Bob Eubanks and Drew Carey. Then on Friday, January 10 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT it’s the premiere of the four-part original documentary How to Survive a Murder uncovering a web of lies and deceit spun by a community to protect an influential family after a gruesome and random murder shakes the Massachusetts coastal town of Plymouth.

Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields premieres Sunday, January 12 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT and presents never-before-seen evidence in the case of the ex-New England Patriots NFL star convicted of murderer along with a revealing interview with Kyle Kennedy who befriended Hernandez in prison and claims they were lovers and that Hernandez confessed to a murder for which he was never connected. On Thursday, January 23 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT it’s the REELZ premiere of series Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer with chilling profiles of serial killer behavior using expert analysis from criminologists, law enforcement officials and journalists along with the first-person accounts from people impacted by the crimes.

Below are descriptions for January 2020 programming listed in order of premiere date and time:

Alex Trebek’s Game Changers – Special makes its REELZ premiere Sunday, January 5 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. The cultural footprint of TV game shows is undeniable with generations of viewers inviting them and their hosts into their homes to watch contestants risk it all on a single spin or a single question. Legendary Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek explores how the phenomenon of game shows with their iconic hosts, memorable contestants, triumphs and controversies shaped the evolution of what is one of the most beloved, unique and enduring genres in the global television landscape. From the golden age of game shows to their future in a multi-platform world viewers will learn the secret to game show success and go behind the scenes through Trebek’s personal conversations with Howie Mandel, Regis Philbin, Pat Sajak, Drew Carey, Wink Martindale and Bob Eubanks. Alex Trebek’s Game Changers is produced by Ballinran Entertainment in association with Monkey Time Media.

How to Survive a Murder – New four-part documentary premieres Friday, January 10 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT with the first two parts airing back to back. The final two parts premiere the following Friday, January 17 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. Just days after the shocking and brutal stabbing death of his mother-in-law, Vibeke Rasmussen, movie maker John MacGibbon picks up his camera and begins a harrowing search for truth. How to Survive a Murder is a remarkable look at a gut-wrenching tale of a tragic crime that never should have occurred. MacGibbon and his family are desperate to find out what led to Rasmussen being slashed and stabbed more than 35 times late one night in her apartment in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. Police would reveal only that they suspected a 24- year-old man with a violent past. Frustrated by the puzzling hostility and evasive behavior of state and local authorities, MacGibbon launches his own investigation and uncovers a web of lies and deceit spun to protect an influential Plymouth family including police cover-ups, lenient judges and prosecutors and the dark family secrets that turned a privileged, charming and deeply disturbed young man into a killer. How to Survive a Murder is produced by Lura Pictures in association with Intuitive Content.

Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields – New three-part documentary premieres Sunday, January 12 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT with all three parts airing back to back. Aaron Hernandez was an NFL star who played for the fabled the New England Patriots and made it all the way to the Super Bowl. He was on the verge of signing a $40 million deal with the Patriots before it all unraveled after he became embroiled in the most high-profile celebrity murder case since O.J. Simpson. Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields reveals the true story behind his shocking and short life with a team of professional investigators uncovering startling new evidence as they attempt to answer why a millionaire NFL superstar with a fiancé and a baby could become a convicted cold-blooded killer. Homicide detective Michele Wood, undercover investigator Don Jackson and veteran NYC police detective with more than 30 years of experience Bo Dietl come together to uncover the hidden truths in Hernandez’s story. Also interviewed is Hernandez’s childhood friend Dennis Sansoucie along with gang members and drug dealers who paint a picture of who Hernandez really was and why he chose a life of crime. Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields is produced by AM Studios.

Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer – Series makes its REELZ premiere on Thursday, January 23 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Serial killers blend in. They appear normal. But lurking deep within their psyche are the triggers that kick-start their psychopathic behavior. Abusive childhood experiences, trauma as an adult, detectable mental frailty, narcissism and an absence of empathy combine to build up a body of evidence which rings alarm bells for psychologists. By forensically researching the lives of those killers who can’t stop killing Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer reveals why they do what they do and how they could have been spotted before committing their awful crimes. With dramatic reconstructions alongside actual footage and interviews with criminologists, journalists, detectives and people intimately involved in the story each episode examines the chilling behavior profiles of serial killers. Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer is produced by FirstLookTV.

The Lost Unabomber Tapes (Previously announced) – World premiere of two-part documentary with part one “Campaign of Terror” on Sunday, January 26 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT and part two “Capture and Conviction” premiering the following night on Monday, January 27 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. Ted Kaczynski gave up a promising academic career to carry out mail bombings to express his belief that technology was the true evil of society. The nationwide manhunt for him spanned 17 years from 1978-1995 making it one of the longest and most expensive criminal investigations in FBI history. The tip that led investigators to Kaczynski ultimately came from his younger brother David Kaczynski and David’s wife Linda Patrik. Now in a never-before-heard prison interview conducted in 1999 just three months into serving multiple life sentences for killing three people and wounding 23 others, Ted Kaczynski describes in chilling detail the origins and execution of his personal war against society, his disdain for the FBI investigators who tracked him and his hope for modern terrorism. Also being made public for the first time are audio interviews of a then 16 year old Ted Kaczynski, a freshman at Harvard University, participating in a psychological study that experts say was part of a series of controversial experiments financed by the CIA. The Lost Unabomber Tapes also examines Ted Kaczynski’s early family life through the eyes of David Kaczynski who relives the heart wrenching dilemma of identifying his brother to authorities and the hope he found in the aftermath by forging a bond with bomb survivor Gary Wright. Sharing their first-hand experiences are retired UNABOM Task Force members FBI Special Agent Joel Moss and FBI Agent Greg Stejskal, San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan who covered the story as it unfolded, academic Theresa Kintz, whose interview with Ted Kaczynski from inside the Supermax prison is heard throughout The Lost Unabomber Tapes and many more*. The Lost Unabomber Tapes is produced by Yap Films.