New York, NY – October 15, 2020 – The HISTORY® channel sets the premiere date for its new non-fiction programming strand “History’s Greatest Mysteries,” hosted and narrated by Academy Award® nominee and Emmy Award® winner Laurence Fishburne, which investigates a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries that pervade each including the Titanic, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth and Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ice ship. Kicking off with “The Final Hunt for D.B. Cooper,” premiering Saturday, November 14th at 9 PM ET/PT, each title within the franchise will showcase fresh, new evidence and perspectives including never-before-released documents to the public, personal diaries, and DNA evidence to unearth new facts and information about these infamous and enigmatic chapters in history.
On November 24th, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded Northwest Orient Airlines flight #305 in Portland bound for Seattle, wearing a dark suit and a black tie. While in the air, he opened his briefcase showing a bomb to the flight attendant and hijacked the plane. The plane landed in Seattle where he demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and food for the crew before releasing all the passengers. With only three pilots and one flight attendant left on board, they took off from Seattle heading south. Shortly after takeoff, Cooper donned the parachute, tied the bank bag full of twenty-dollar bills to himself, lowered the rear stairs, and, somewhere north of Portland, jumped into the night, never to be seen again. Although the FBI followed thousands of leads, this case has never been solved. As we approach the 49th anniversary, the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of Cooper has captivated a nation and continued to remain a pop culture obsession – inspiring songs, movies, TV shows, and books. With over 7,500 hours investigating this mystery including analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses, reading 20,000+ pages of FBI case files, and exploring important locations, top D.B. Cooper expert, Eric Ulis, believes he’s found the true location where Cooper landed during his daring dive. In “The Final Hunt For D.B. Cooper,” he and his assembled team of specialists will head to the untouched Washington backcountry to hunt for missing evidence Cooper may have left behind. In addition, armed with new leads regarding the identity of Cooper, Eric works closely with a retired FBI agent as they set their sights on a living person of interest who could very well be the infamous D.B. Cooper.
Additional enigmas investigated as part of “History’s Greatest Mysteries” include a 108-year-old box filled with the investigative notes of Lord Mersey, the man tasked with leading the official inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic in “Titanic’s Lost Evidence” and in “Roswell: First Witness” a personal diary found in the belongings of Major Jesse Marcel, the first person to investigate the wreckage in Roswell, NM believed to contain coded clues to what really happened. Also, in “The Escape of John Wilkes Booth,” investigators now have access to 60 boxes of personal materials including marriage certificates and what is believed to be his will and, for the first time, will execute facial recognition as well as DNA testing to provide intel as to whether he died in a fire following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln or if he faked his death as many believed. Lastly, considered one of the most famous expeditions of the 20th century, Sir Ernest Shackleton and 27 men set sail on a disastrous mission to cross Antarctica in 1914 whereupon its arrival their ship sank under the ice. Led by maritime archeologist and shipwreck expert, Mensun Bound, the expedition chronicled in “Endurance: The Hunt For Shackleton’s Ice Ship” is the result of two years of planning and over $250 million spent in cutting edge technology to locate this holy grail of shipwrecks.
The full “History’s Greatest Mysteries” programming lineup includes:
- “The Final Hunt For D.B. Cooper”
Premieres Saturday, November 14 at 9 PM ET/PT
With over 7,500 hours investigating the D.B. Cooper mystery including analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses, reading 20,000+ pages of FBI case files, and exploring important locations, top D.B. Cooper expert, Eric Ulis, believes that he’s found the true location where Cooper landed during his daring dive. Ulis has also assembled a team of specialists to explore the untouched Washington backcountry, federally restricted (wildlife refuge) land, to hunt for the missing evidence Cooper left behind. In addition, armed with new leads regarding the identity of Cooper, Eric works closely with a retired FBI agent as they set their sights on a living person of interest who could very well be the infamous D.B. Cooper as they attempt to solve the only unsolved skyjacking in United States history. - “Titanic’s Lost Evidence”
Premieres Saturday, November 21 at 9 PM ET/PT
For 108 years, a dust-covered box has remained hidden in a British manor house and may contain evidence that will rewrite the most famous maritime disaster in history. This box contains the personal notes of Lord Mersey, the respected British jurist and politician charged with investigating the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The HISTORY® channel has secured permission to open it – a first in history. The box contains information about the Titanic’s voyage including new context on fatal mistakes allegedly made by the captain and crew. - “Endurance: The Hunt For Shackleton’s Ice Ship”
Premieres Saturday, November 28 at 9 PM ET/PT
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to Antarctica but soon after arrival, Shackleton’s ship – The Endurance – was destroyed by shifting glaciers, and he was tasked with leading his 27 men across the tundra, on an epic struggle for survival. Shackleton’s battle against the odds and his unfailing commitment to bring all his men out alive turned him into a legend that still inspires today. The Endurance is as illustrious as the Titanic, yet it has remained lost for over a hundred years. Its final resting ground remains as one of the greatest polar mysteries. Now, the HISTORY® channel follows a new ground-breaking expedition heading back into the frozen seas to hunt down the last piece of the story: Shackleton’s lost ship. Led by maritime archeologist and shipwreck expert, Mensun Bound, this expedition is the result of two years of planning and over $250 million spent in cutting edge technology as they set out to break through the ice and locate this holy grail of shipwrecks. - “The Escape of John Wilkes Booth”
Premieres Saturday, December 5 at 9 PM ET/PT
Twelve days after the assassination of President Lincoln, history records that Booth suffered a fatal gunshot wound while resisting arrest. Today, the Booth family believes this to be untrue. The family believes he faked his death, reunited with his wife, going on to marry again under an assumed name, eventually revealing his true identity in a series of clues. Investigators now have access to 60 boxes of materials at Harvard University, marriage certificates, what is believed to be the will of John Wilkes Booth, and other rare documents that could speak to the mystery, and for the first time, use DNA to prove or disprove that Booth escaped his death. - “Roswell: First Witness” (Three-part series)
Episode 1 Premieres Saturday, December 12 at 9 PM ET/PT
Episode 2 Premieres Saturday, December 19 at 9 PM ET/PT
Episode 3 Premieres Saturday, December 26 at 9 PM ET/PT
The HISTORY® channel will investigate new evidence, using new advanced technologies, behind the mysterious 1947 Roswell, NM crash. The series follows the grandchildren of Major Jesse Marcel, the first person to investigate the wreckage. The investigation is being led by Ben Smith, a former CIA operative. The family believes Major Marcel was forced by the U.S. government to deny he ever saw a UFO. The family possesses a diary found in the belongings of Major Marcel, which may contain coded clues to the truth of what happened at Roswell. The investigation follows a compelling trail of evidence that leads from the Roswell crash site to new revelations that key U.S. Army officers believed it was truly a UFO incident. We will also attempt to decode the diary for the first time.
“The Final Hunt for D.B. Cooper” is produced for the HISTORY® channel by Lost Arts Pictures in association with 3BMG. Grant Cross, Ross Weintraub, Myles Reiff, and Eric Ulis serve as executive producers. Max Micallef serves as executive producer for the HISTORY® channel.
“Endurance: The Hunt For Shackleton’s Ice Ship” is produced for the HISTORY® channel by Atlantic Productions. Siobhan Mulholland serves as executive producer and Anthony Geffen serves as producer for Atlantic Productions. Oli Twinch serves as director. Zachary Behr serves as executive producer for the HISTORY® channel.
“Titanic’s Lost Evidence” is produced for the HISTORY® channel by Texas Crew Productions and TH Entertainment. David Karabinas, Mark Anstendig, and Brad Bernstein serve as executive producers for Texas Crew Productions and Gregory Hall and Peter C. Leeds serve as executive producers for TH Entertainment. Mike Stiller serves as executive producer for the HISTORY® channel.
“The Escape of John Wilkes Booth” is produced for the HISTORY® channel by Big City TV and The Content Group. Lori Rothschild Ansaldi and Paul Barrosse serve as executive producers for Big City TV and Steve Michaels and Jodi Flynn serve as executive producers for The Content Group. Mike Stiller serves as executive producer for the HISTORY® channel.
“Roswell: First Witness” is produced for the HISTORY® channel by Bungalow Entertainment and Blumhouse Television. Robert Friedman serves as executive producer for Bungalow Entertainment. Mike Stiller serves as executive producer for the HISTORY® channel.
A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for all the above programs.
