A&E'S HIT REAL-LIFE CRIME AND JUSTICE SERIES "BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT" AND "THE FIRST 48" RETURN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3

'BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT' RETURNS FOR SEASON 5 AT 10PM ET/PT FOLLOWING NEW EPISODES OF 'THE FIRST 48' AT 9PM ET/PT

New York, NY, September 24, 2013 - A&E's industry-leading real-life crime and justice series return Thursday, October 3. New episodes of the critically acclaimed series "The First 48" return at 9PM ET/PT followed by the season 5 premiere of the Emmy-nominated "Beyond Scared Straight" at 10PM ET/PT.

Inspired by "Scared Straight!," the Academy Award and multiple Emmy-winning documentary film by Arnold Shapiro, "Beyond Scared Straight" follows at-risk teens who have been in trouble for everything from fighting, theft, and drugs to promiscuity, gambling and gang affiliations. They are forced to spend a day (and sometimes a night) in jail, interact with convicted felons and experience the harsh reality of life behind bars.

In the season premiere, inmates taunt four Albuquerque teens including a 17-year-old stoner and high school dropout, two brothers with a history of drugs and gang membership and a self-proclaimed "chick magnet" who is mocked for his close resemblance to teen idol Justin Bieber. This season will also follow a 17-year-old football star with dreams of joining the SWAT team, but his fighting and marijuana use threaten to land him in jail; Deputy Lyle returns to confront a 12-year-old pyromaniac; and for the first time ever, a teen featured in a previous episode of "Beyond Scared Straight" is now an inmate trying to put a new group of teens on the right path.

"The First 48" follows real-life homicide detectives in the crucial first 48 hours of their investigations. The series gives viewers unprecedented access to crime scenes, interrogations and forensic processing.

In the premiere episode at 9PM, it's every parent's worst nightmare when an honor student is shot dead, but a note she left behind may point detectives to her killer. Later this season, when a missing woman is found dead in an abandoned house in her own neighborhood, detectives find that their prime suspect has an unshakable alibi. In Cleveland, detectives race against the clock to break a cycle of murder and reprisal before an all-out bloodbath erupts.

"Beyond Scared Straight" is produced by Arnold Shapiro Productions for A&E Network. Executive Producers are Arnold Shapiro and Paul J. Coyne. A&E Executive Producer for A&E is Laura Fleury.

"The First 48" is produced by ITV Studios America for A&E Network. John X. Kim is Senior Executive Producer and Alexis Robie is Executive Producer. Executive producers for A&E are Laura Fleury and Peter Tarshis.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series, including "Longmire" and "Bates Motel," to signature non-fiction franchises, including "Duck Dynasty," "Beyond Scared Straight" and "Storage Wars," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com.