Television’s surge of New York-themed specials will get an early start.
CNN has just added a live, New York City concert, with Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and many more. It will focus on the city’s comeback from the pandemic and will honor front-liners.
That will be 5 p.m. ET Saturday (Aug. 21), one day before HBO launches Spike Lee’s documentary (8 p.m. Sunday) about New York in the 20 years since the World Trade Center was attacked. Many other New York-temed specials will be closer to Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the attack.
The History Channel says it has seven hours coming … On Aug. 29, National Geographic starts a stunning mini-series, mixing past footage with fresh interviews … That concludes Aug. 31, the same night PBS debuts “Generation 9/11,” an involving look at seven of the 105 people who were born after their fathers were killed by the attack and its aftermath.
There will be more, but first is “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” which CNN will air live in the U.S. and abroad.
That will be in Central Park, with a vaccinated audience. In addition to Springsteen, Simon, Santana and such, it will include people from country (Kane Brown), jazz (Jon Batiste), classical (Andrea Bocelli, New York Philharmonic) and more – Wyclef Jean, Cynthia Erivo, “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry Manilow, LL Cool J, Patti Smith, Rob Thomas, Journey, The Killers, Earth, Wind & Fire and J.P. Saxe and Julia Michaels.