In an unparalleled programming move, MSNBC brings viewers 16 brand-new documentaries to air in the December "Doc Block." The "Doc Block," which airs from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET/PT on weeknights, includes individual stand-alone documentaries, as well as several MSNBC series. Premiering in December are three feature documentaries, "Beyond Conviction," "For God and Country: A Marine Sniper′s Story," and "No Place for a Child," as well as new episodes of "Headliners & Legends" featuring Ted Kennedy and Nelson Mandela. Also new to MSNBC in December is the "Crime and Punishment" series, produced by "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf, and more episodes of "Dateline NBC′s" "To Catch a Predator" series. In addition, Morgan Spurlock′s "Super Size Me" debuts on MSNBC on New Year′s Eve.
"Beyond Conviction" premieres December 3 at 8 p.m.-9 p.m. ET:
If you were the victim of a vicious crime, would you ever again want to come face-to-face with the perpetrator? That′s exactly what Lyndy and Angela, the principals in the documentary "Beyond Conviction," chose to do. When Lyndy was 20 years old, her brother Tim, assaulted and raped her in their home. Tim got 20 years for the crime, but the sentence alone wasn′t enough to satisfy Lyndy. For more than a decade she struggled to move on. That was also the case with Angela who was only four years old when her mother was murdered by a boyfriend. Her killer′s life sentence may have gotten him off the streets, but the sentence alone didn′t provide her with the answer to the most vexing question: "Why?"
"Beyond Conviction," which was recently featured on "Oprah," shows what happens when these women are given an entire day to question the offenders. Their extraordinary meetings, which are meant to help the victims find healing and resolution, are filled with confrontations, raw emotion, and even a bit of tenderness."Beyond Conviction" has been an official selection at many film festivals including The Vienna Film Festival, The LA Film Festival, The Leeds International Film Festival, and The Woodstock Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.
"For God and Country: A Marine Sniper′s Story" premieres December 10, 2006, 8 p.m.-9 p.m. ET:
Nineteen and just out of high school, Matthew Orth is eager to fight for his country in Iraq. He joins the U.S. Marine Corps′ Scout Sniper Platoon and soon becomes an expert marksman, setting the record for a kill at the greatest distance - nearly of a mile. Day in and day out, Matt′s job is to identify key enemy targets, sometimes watching them for days - including seeing them interact with family and friends - and then, when the moment is right, to eliminate them. Although Matt receives plenty of physical training before being deployed, he says he never gets any formal psychological training.
In "For God and Country: A Marine Sniper′s Story," Matt tells and shows what it′s like to kill and how it feels to come home and be called an "assassin." Now, at 22 and a war veteran, Matt returns to the U.S. with deep emotional scars.
"No Place for a Child" premieres December 17, 2006, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. ET:
The child welfare system in America has been criticized as ′no place for a child,′ but in many cases, it′s the only place. Documented over seven years, MSNBC′s"No Place for a Child" tracks five children through the child welfare system to better understand its long-term effects on kids and their families. From the poignant courtroom dramas to the heart-wrenching placements in foster care and detention centers, our cameras follow these kids, searching for the answer to the vital question: has the child welfare system done what′s best?
"Crime and Punishment" series begins on December 4, at 10 p.m. ET:
From "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf comes the "Crime and Punishment" series beginning December 4th at 10 p.m. ET on MSNBC. "Crime and Punishment," which has been coined the ′real-life "Law & Order,"′ is an unscripted look inside the criminal justice system. Every episode features one or two real cases that the San Diego District Attorney′s Office prosecuted over the course of a year. The ten episodes airing in December include trials such as the rape of a young woman walking home from a bar, the abuse of a four-year-old girl, and a father′s murder of his infant son. "Crime and Punishment" premiered on NBC in June 2002.
"Lockup" series airs Mondays in December at 11 p.m. ET:
MSNBC presents four new episodes from the "Lockup" series beginning Monday, November 27th at 11 p.m. ET and continuing for the next three weeks in December. The "Lockup" series takes viewers inside America′s prisons where some of the most violent inmates are housed. The new series features Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex in Tennessee, Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, Indiana State Prison, and Spring Creek Correctional Center in Alaska.
"To Catch a Predator" series airing Fridays in December at 11 p.m. ET:
MSNBC airs the latest four episodes of the successful "Dateline NBC" series every Friday at 11 p.m. in December. "To Catch a Predator" is a hidden camera investigation into the national epidemic of grown men using the Internet to solicit underage teens for sex. Each episode brings the investigation to a different American city.
