or


[07/18/19 - 10:01 AM]
Documentary "Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist," Debuts July 31 on HBO
The revealing documentary examines what propelled Mohammed Emwazi's journey down a violent path despite US and British authorities being aware of his extremism.

[via press release from HBO]

DOCUMENTARY "UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST," DEBUTS JULY 31 ON HBO

An Inside Account Of The Origin, Evolution And Capture Of One Of The Most Brutal Terrorists In Recent Years

Mohammed Emwazi was a grade school student in London with a promising future ahead of him in 1995. By 2014, he had become known as "Jihadi John," a masked ISIS terrorist in Syria who internationalized his notoriety by broadcasting his beheadings of Western hostages on the internet.

From Oscar(R)-nominated, BAFTA and Emmy(R)-winning director Anthony Wonke (HBO's "The Battle for Marjah"), and BAFTA-winning producer and investigative journalist Richard Kerbaj, UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST debuts WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 (8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners' streaming platforms.

The revealing documentary examines what propelled Emwazi's journey down a violent path despite US and British authorities being aware of his extremism. It also highlights the self-declared operational failures by counter-terrorism officials as Emwazi became ISIS's chief executioner and propagandist.

Emwazi's brutality is illustrated through harrowing, first-hand accounts from his surviving hostages, and the collaboration between the world's leading intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Britain's intelligence agents, who ultimately tracked him down and ended his life.

UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST includes rare footage of Emwazi as a young boy in London and interviews with his schoolteachers who reveal that he lived a relatively comfortable and normal childhood. His behavior grew more disconcerting in his teenage years. Vulnerable, malleable, and influenced by members of local gangs, his increasingly extremist views landed him on a terrorism watchlist. After a series of run-ins with British intelligence agents who tried to recruit him as an informant, Emwazi fled for Syria and went on to join ISIS; the film uses original audio recordings of Emwazi himself complaining about his interactions with the British security services. It also illustrates accounts of actual events with recreation, archive footage and video filmed by the Islamic State.

He was quickly elevated through the terrorist group's ranks and generated international attention through his brutal behavior and canny use of social media. His stylized ransom messages and horrific beheading videos shocked the world when they were posted on YouTube and Twitter, and subsequently reported on by international media.

Featuring extraordinary first-hand accounts from surviving hostages Nicolas Henin and Federico Motka, as well as interviews with family members of executed hostages James Foley and David Haines, the film examines the torturous treatment of those held in captivity by Emwazi, the desperate attempts by their loved ones to have them released, and the heartbreaking and psychological turmoil they endured.

The documentary features interviews with CIA, Pentagon, and British intelligence officials who have never spoken publicly about the operation until now, including General David Petraeus (Head of US Central Command / CIA Director), Douglas H. Wise (CIA, Middle East Operations), and Colonel Steve Warren (Pentagon Spokesperson, Coalition Forces), who provide a detailed account of the hunt for Emwazi. They also reflect on the origins of ISIS, the rise to power of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi out of the chaos of the Iraq war, and the lessons learned - as well as the questions that remain - from their interactions with Emwazi.

UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST is a Nutopia production in association with HBO, Channel Four and Livedrop Media. It is directed by Anthony Wonke and written and produced by Richard Kerbaj. Executive producers for Nutopia: Jane Root, Lynne Kirby, Mike Lerner, Peter Lovering; director of photography, Kevin White; editor, Paul Monaghan. For HBO: executive producer, Nancy Abraham; senior producer, Sara Rodriguez.





  [july 2019]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[07/15/25 - 02:06 PM]
Viewership for 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby Exclusively on ESPN Platforms Up Five Percent From Last Year
An average audience of 5,729,000 viewers watched the event, compared to 5,451,000 viewers in 2024.

[07/15/25 - 01:04 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" for 2nd Consecutive Week
"Nightline" posted Total Viewer gains both week to week and year to year.

[07/15/25 - 12:31 PM]
ESPN and ABC Present AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025, July 18-19
Saturday's All-Star Game will feature many of the league's biggest stars, including Captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier as well as Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Mitchell, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson.

[07/15/25 - 12:05 PM]
The Walt Disney Company Earns 137 Emmy Award Nominations
Disney's FX garnered 35 nominations, of which five are for Outstanding Program - Comedy Series (two), Limited Series, Documentary Series and Unstructured Reality Series.

[07/15/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of July 7: "KPop Demon Hunters" Spends Another Golden Week at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"The Sandman's" second season entered the Top 10 in 89 countries last week, while claiming the No. 1 spot in English TV with 5.9 million views.

[07/15/25 - 11:46 AM]
NBCUniversal Receives 72 Emmy Award Nominations, Including a Record-Setting 31 Nominations for the "Saturday Night Live" Franchise As It Extends Its Lead As Most Nominated Show Ever
Universal Studio Group (USG) garnered 56 nominations, including 15 for the critically acclaimed "Hacks," which earned noms for Outstanding Comedy Series and Jean Smart for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

[07/15/25 - 11:35 AM]
The Search for America's Ultimate Physique Is on with "Physical 100 USA"
In the original Korean series, elite athletes, bodybuilders, and military professionals face off in grueling quests that test raw strength and endurance.

[07/15/25 - 11:00 AM]
Video: We TV and ALLBLK Release Trailer and Key Art for the Hit Music Competition Series "Deb's House"
The series is set to premiere Friday, August 22 at 9:30pm ET exclusively on We TV and streaming on ALLBLK and AMC+.

[07/15/25 - 10:29 AM]
Lionsgate Scores Record 23 Emmy Nominations for the Acclaimed Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg Comedy Series "The Studio" on Apple TV+
Lionsgate's hit series "The Rookie" on ABC also earned two Emmy nominations, bringing the Company's total to 25 Emmy nominations.

[07/15/25 - 10:14 AM]
Warner Bros. TV Group Tops All Studios with 60 Emmy Nominations
This includes an Outstanding Drama Series nomination for Warner Bros. Television's "The Pitt," Comedy Series nods for WBTV's "Abbott Elementary" and "Shrinking," and Limited/Anthology Series honors for WBTV's "The Penguin."

[07/15/25 - 09:38 AM]
HBO Max Receives the Most Emmy Nominations with 142 Nods, Setting a New Record for the Platform
"These Emmy nominations highlight the exceptional craftsmanship and storytelling that define HBO Max," said Casey Bloys, Chairman & CEO, HBO & HBO Max Content.

[07/15/25 - 09:04 AM]
ABC Airs Another of Its Most-Watched WNBA Games Ever: Dallas Wings vs Indiana Fever Averaged 2.1 Million Viewers, Up 69% from Last Year's ABC Average
Said audience peaked with 2.5 million viewers.

[07/15/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Red Eye" - Season 1 Official Trailer - Hulu
A red eye flight from London to Beijing becomes a thrilling journey after Dr. Matthew Nolan (Richard Armitage) is arrested and accused of murdering a woman.

[07/15/25 - 09:00 AM]
77th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List
"Andor," "The Diplomat," "The Last of Us," "Paradise," "The Pitt," "Severance," "Slow Horses," and "The White Lotus" will compete for Outstanding Drama Series.

[07/15/25 - 07:15 AM]
Video: Official Trailer Released for New Adult Swim Stop-Motion Series "Women Wearing Shoulder Pads"
Created by Gonzalo Cordova and produced in partnership with Mexico City-based studio Cinema Fantasma, the stop-motion series follows Marioneta, a proud wealthy Spaniard living in 1980s Quito, Ecuador.