CBS NEWS PRESENTS "LIVE TO TELL" A SPECIAL LIMITED-RUN SERIES FROM THE PRODUCERS OF "48 HOURS," BEGINNING SATURDAY, FEB 14, 2009
A SERIES OF THREE EPISODES FEATURING FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS FROM PEOPLE WHO LOOKED DEATH IN THE EYE AND REFUSED TO GIVE IN
Beginning Saturday, Feb. 14 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), CBS News will kick off a special limited-run, three-episode series, LIVE TO TELL, from the producers of "48 Hours Mystery." Each broadcast in the series delivers an unfiltered, first-hand account from extraordinary individuals who came face-to-face with death and, in their darkest hours, found the strength, grit and resourcefulness to persevere.
"These are emotional, gripping stories of people who should be dead, but refused to give in," says executive producer Susan Zirinsky. "Told in their own words, the series is different from what '48 Hours' viewers may be used to, but remains loyal to the style of experiential journalism that our broadcast has become known for."
LIVE TO TELL represents another facet of the "48 Hours'" brand, which has expanded to include various primetime specials and unique collaborations with independent filmmakers, such as the award-winning "9/11," "In God's Name" and "Flashpoint," among many others.
In the series' first broadcast, "The Year We Disappeared" (14), Cylin Busby recalls the dreadful night in 1979 when her father, a police officer, was ambushed and shot point blank in his car. Immediately the children went and hid in the attic, convinced that they were next, until a team of police officers stormed the house and kept guard.
John Busby was convinced that a local thug, Melvin Reine, was behind the attempt on his life and that the would-be killer would not stop until Busby and his family were all dead. Determined to exact his revenge and protect his wife and children, Busby overcame harrowing odds and survived the shooting.
Reine struck fear in the residents and police of Cape Cod long before the shooting. A convicted arsonist, Reine was suspected of murdering three people, but continued to walk free. As time went on, the Busbys realized that Reine's power over the town would never cease and that he would never be brought to justice.
Practically forced to leave the town, the Busbys went on the run, living in fear, changing their appearance and never divulging their past. Over the years, the family moved six times until, in 2003, the unexpected happened. It is a story of a horrific crime and the long-awaited justice that no one could predict.
The following week (21), LIVE TO TELL features the story of two college students who were on a peaceful date when they were stalked, kidnapped, brutalized, pushed to the edge of a river and shot in the face. But these teens outsmarted their would-be killer, playing dead to stay alive and tell their story.
The final story in the series (28) will focus on a family whose decision to sail the world takes a life threatening turn when they hit a reef. With her husband pinned under a fallen mast, a mother must choose between saving her husband or four children. It is an unbelievable yet true tale of physical and emotional rescue.
The series was created by Judy Tygard and Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer. Chuck Stevenson, Liza Finley, Katherine Davis and Chris Young are the producers. Richard Barber, Gary Winter, Michael McHugh, Alan Miller, Gregory F. McLaughlin, Doreen Schechter and Joan Adelman are the producer editors. Elena DiFiore, Kevin Hayes and Pete Shaw are the associate producers.
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