THE BIGGEST BAND BREAKUPS, ICONS OF POP MUSIC, CELEBRITY TRUE CRIME MYSTERIES AND A SPY THRILLER HIGHLIGHT A FEBRUARY 2021 LINEUP WITH ALL NEW ORIGINAL STORIES

'Breaking the Band' is Back with the Most Candid Band Split Story Ever as Frontman Dee Snider Details the Collapse of Twisted Sister

'Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family' Returns with the Stories of Aretha Franklin, Bill Cosby and Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs Losing a Family Member to Murder

Career Defining Songs From Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna and Rod Stewart Take Center Stage in New 'Story of the Songs'

'A Spy in the FBI' Reveals the Shocking Real Story of the Most Damaging Spy in American History and the Massive Hunt to Capture Him

'Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside' Presents the Untold Story of the Former NFL Star and Convicted Murderer Befriending His Jailer and their Unlikely Relationship Behind Bars

'Bigfoot: I Saw It!' Explores the Story of Two Grizzled Cowboys on a Mission to Find the Mysterious Creature and The Footage that Shocked the World

'World's Most Evil Killers' Returns with a New Story Every Tuesday in February

(Albuquerque, NM) Tuesday, January 19, 2021 - REELZ today announced its February 2021 lineup with all new original stories premiering every week including new episodes of Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family, Breaking the Band, Story of the Songs and World's Most Evil Killers along with new specials about an infamous spy, the hunt for bigfoot and the surprising bond between a jailer and a former NFL star turned killer. February premieres kick off with an epic band breakup story as Breaking the Band narrator and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider hosts a personal look at how his Long Island bar band shook up the heavy metal scene only to plummet from success. With big hair, wild outfits and arena filling sound the story of glam metal is not complete without Poison. In Poison: Breaking the Band see the story of how the band united in its mission against all odds and find out why their push from spotlight wasn't due to their legendary excess and raucous reputation. In new Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family episodes host Geraldo Rivera explores the tragic stories of Bill Cosby, Aretha Franklin and Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs who all lost a family member to murder. Long before his own crimes would overshadow his success Cosby experienced the shocking and mysterious slaying of his son Ennis who died at just 27 years old in a crime riddled with questions. While she stands tall as the queen of soul few people know the story of how Aretha Franklin lost her father in a shooting at her childhood home in Detroit. Along the way to becoming a hip hop music and business mogul Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs lost people who were very important to him including his father in a mysterious shooting when Combs was just two years old. Premiering every Tuesday in February is a new World's Most Evil Killers with four new episodes about some of the most sinister stories in the history of true crime and the killers whose madness made headlines.

Story of the Songs returns with four new episodes about the inspirations behind game changing hit songs from juggernauts Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna and Rod Stewart who combined have sold more than 750 million albums. With first-hand accounts from the producers, songwriters, backup singers and session musicians who helped craft the pivotal hits Story of the Songs show viewers how the path to the top of the charts is often a rollercoaster ride. See the stories behind Dion's breakout hit "Because You Loved Me", her loving ballad "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and her chart topping reinvention of "I Drove All Night" along with Cher's "I Got You Babe" duet with husband Sonny Bono, her hit "Turn Back Time" that brought her back into the spotlight but as a solo artist and her worldwide pop smash "Believe". Before Madonna became a pop provocateur she was a dance school dropout but all of that changed with her 1983 hit "Holiday" later followed by the more risqué "Like a Virgin" and the global sensation "Material Girl". With his unmistakable voice Rod Stewart is one of the biggest stars in music in large part to his epic anthem "Sailing", dance floor filler "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and his synth pop classic "Young Turks" that put him back at the top of the charts.

New specials are led by a spy story that rivals any James Bond movie. Robert Hanssen was the most damaging US spy in history who forever changed the concept of trusted insider within the FBI. For 20 years he planned, executed and covered up selling US defense secrets to Russian agents but his betrayal was eventually discovered. A Spy in the FBI recounts Hanssen's remarkable case as told by the FBI agents who tracked him down. Sharing secrets is at the heart of new special Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside as Sheriff Thomas Hodgson reveals for the first time his intimate conversations behind bars with former NFL star turned murderer Aaron Hernandez including a shocking confession he made that still haunts Hodgson. Rounding out new specials is Bigfoot: I Saw It! about the 1967 expedition of two adventurous cowboys Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin whose 57 seconds of footage showing an enormous hairy creature walking through the northern California woods became one of the most viewed and controversial moments ever caught on film. In an exclusive interview Gimlin shares his experience of the incident and its impact on one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries.

"In a first of its kind for fan favorite Breaking the Band series narrator and host Dee Snider gives viewers an eye-opening and deeply personal story of his band Twisted Sister and it's one of the many new original stories premiering every week in February on REELZ," said Steve Cheskin, SVP of Programming at REELZ. "From the unrivaled true crime storytelling of Geraldo Rivera to the fun and often surprising origins of emblematic hit songs our February lineup has something for every viewer including a riveting spy story and the hunt for bigfoot."

Below is February 2021 programming listed by premiere date and time. Full synopses for every show follows this list.

Tuesday, February 2

*NEW* World's Most Evil Killers "The Gay Slayer" at 11am ET/ 8am PT

Saturday, February 6

*NEW* Twisted Sister: Breaking the Band at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

*NEW* Poison: Breaking the Band at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Tuesday, February 9

*NEW* World's Most Evil Killers "The Beast of Manchester" at 11am ET/ 8am PT

Saturday, February 13

*NEW* Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Bill Cosby" at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

*NEW* Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Aretha Franklin" at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Sunday, February 14

*NEW* A Spy in the FBI at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

*NEW* Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT

Tuesday, February 16

*NEW* World's Most Evil Killers "Vampire of Krakow" at 11am ET/ 8am PT

Saturday, February 20

*NEW* Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs" at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

Sunday, February 21

*NEW* Cher: Story of Her Songs at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

*NEW* Celine Dion: Story of Her Songs at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Tuesday, February 23

*NEW* World's Most Evil Killers "Bullseye Killer" at 11am ET/ 8am PT

Saturday, February 27

*NEW* Bigfoot: I Saw It! at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

Sunday, February 28

*NEW* Madonna: Story of Her Songs at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

*NEW* Rod Stewart: Story of His Songs at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Below are detailed descriptions for February 2021 programming listed by premiere date and time:

World's Most Evil Killers "The Gay Slayer" Premieres Tuesday, February 2 at 11am ET/ 8am PT. British serial killer and ex-soldier Colin Ireland became known as "The Gay Slayer" after his targeted attacks on gay men in England in 1993. Ireland pleaded guilty in 1993 to torturing and murdering five men he picked up in a bar in London. During his trial Ireland admitted that he was a sadist and his crimes were partly due to the sexual abuse he suffered as a teenager. The court heard that at one point he made a New Year's resolution to become a murderer and he continued until he felt he would qualify as a serial killer. World's Most Evil Killers is produced by Woodcut Media Ltd.

Twisted Sister: Breaking the Band Premieres Saturday, February 6 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. They were a Long Island bar band that demanded everyone's attention. Twisted Sister embarked on a decade long roller-coaster ride hungry for success and in 1984 the band reached the pinnacle for heavy metal bands hailed as the new rock kings of MTV but their crash and burn would be equally spectacular. Told by the band themselves including their lead singer Dee Snider who is also the voice of Breaking the Band this is a cautionary tale of how ego, overexposure and intra-band tension would rip the group apart. Snider and Twisted Sister bandmates guitarist Eddie Ojeda, guitarist and band founder Jay Jay French as well as the band's co-manager Joe Gerber all reveal the band's struggles and triumphs from not being able to get a record deal to a make-or-break gig overseas, the album that brought harmony within the band and the infamous day-long photoshoot that sent ugly fractures deep within the group. Twisted Sister: Breaking the Band is produced by Potato, part of ITV Studios.

Poison: Breaking the Band Premieres Saturday, February 6 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. In the mid-1980s big hair glam metal band Poison fronted by the ambitious Bret Michaels with wild lead guitarist C.C. DeVille, bass player Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett were united in their determination to become global rock stars. Through relentless hard work and constant promotion they did indeed take the world by storm within a short time after arriving in Los Angeles. Thanks to their spectacular arena gigs and more than 40 million album sales they have become one of the world's most successful and enduring rock bands. Their off-stage excess and partying along with their female following were unmatched. But fame and fortune cost them dearly and they paid big time. By the 1990s serious cracks began to appear. Festering jealousies and power struggles, worsening addictions, backstage fist fights and ultimately burnout from constant touring and partying were amongst the trials they faced. But the eventual push that sent Poison out of the spotlight didn't come from within the band so what really happened? Poison: Breaking the Band is produced by Potato, part of ITV Studios.

World's Most Evil Killers "The Beast of Manchester" Premieres Tuesday, February 9 at 11am ET/ 8am PT. Trevor Hardy became known as "The Beast of Manchester" after he killed three teenage girls in a series of brutal attacks in the 1970s in Manchester England. Hardy had terrorized the community from an early age with his violent behavior and burglaries. After being released from prison for attacking a man with a pickaxe Hardy committed his first murder. In the span of three years he'd go on to commit two more murders until his arrest in 1976. Given three life sentences for his crimes Hardy would become one of the longest serving prisoners in the history of Britain. Hear from Ian Kirkpatrick who investigated Hardy's brutal killings while working as a detective for Greater Manchester Police. World's Most Evil Killers is produced by Woodcut Media Ltd.

Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Bill Cosby" Premieres Saturday, February 13 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Bill Cosby was one of the most famous funny men in Hollywood history before a dark side emerged that would end with him being convicted of sexual assault. Cosby presented himself as an all American entertainer and model family man and in 1997 he was on top of the entertainment world conquering stand-up comedy, books, television, movies, commercials and even Saturday morning cartoons so when his one and only son Ennis Cosby was gunned down on the side of an LA freeway in 1997 at just 27 years old the entire country stops to mourn. Who killed the son of one of the most famous people in America and more importantly why? Was it a random attack or was Ennis targeted because of his father? Despite his expensive car and jewelry along with a wallet full of cash Ennis was not robbed so what could possibly be the motive? As Bill Cosby tries to absorb this murder in the family authorities try to find answers and bring justice and closure to this sad chapter of Hollywood history. Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family is produced by Flying Scoop M&E.

Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Aretha Franklin" Premieres Saturday, February 13 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. Most Americans know the queen of soul Aretha Franklin who sang like an angel and sold tens of millions of records becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class. But few people know that her father C.L. Franklin was also famous as a pastor and civil rights leader in Detroit who worked with Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. C.L. is known for his sermons and is nicknamed the man with the "million dollar voice." His preaching commands crowds and big donations to the church but on June 10, 1979 a group of burglars invade his home. In a gunfight Aretha's father is shot twice and then rushed to Henry Ford Hospital in a semi-comatose state from which he never recovers. For five years C.L. would remain in a coma until he dies in 1984. Will authorities find justice for Aretha Franklin's murder in the family? Sharing their experience of this tragic family affair is Aretha Franklin's cousin Brenda Corbett and niece Sabrina Owens. Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family is produced by Flying Scoop M&E.

A Spy in the FBI Premieres Sunday, February 14 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Robert Hanssen was a contradiction. On the surface he was a family man, devout Catholic and career FBI agent. Secretly he was a spy who betrayed the trust of everyone he knew. In the final years of the Cold War Hanssen positioned himself within the FBI to spy for the Russians compromising sources and programs through the entire U.S. counterintelligence community. While the FBI and CIA searched for the mole in their midst his fellow agents, friends and family had no clue of his second life. His betrayal ran deeper than selling out his country as he carried on secret relationships and kept secrets from his wife. But Hanssen couldn't hide forever from the best detectives in the world. In A Spy in the FBI several former FBI agents including one time FBI Assistant Director Neil Gallagher and Sheila Horan who worked as the FBI Deputy Assistant Director along with journalists who covered the story as it happened recount Hanssen's life, what drew him to espionage, how he stayed hidden in plain sight for more than 20 years and the events that brought down the most damaging spy in American history. A Spy in the FBI is produced by New Dominion Pictures.

Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside Premieres Sunday, February 14 at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. Aaron Hernandez once seemingly had it all. A multi-million dollar NFL career with the New England Patriots, a beautiful fiancé, a young daughter and the admiration of fans. But by 2013 his life had become a far cry from its soaring highs as Hernandez had become an inmate at Bristol County House of Correction while awaiting trial in the shooting death of friend Odin Lloyd. It was here that Hernandez and Sheriff Thomas Hodgson had many discussions about life and Hernandez began sharing secrets about himself few others knew. What insights did Hodgson gain from this experience with Hernandez? What kind of friendship developed between the two men? What never before revealed and shocking confession did Hernandez make to Hodgson and were there any warning signs of his shocking suicide behind bars? In Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside Sheriff Hodgson reveals everything about his time with Hernandez including his final gesture to the troubled star. Sharing their insight are trial attorney and behavioral analyst Wendy Patrick, Boston Globe senior NFL reporter Ben Volin and former senior legal reporter at Boston Globe Maria Cramer. Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside is produced by AMS Pictures.

World's Most Evil Killers "Vampire of Krakow" Premieres Tuesday, February 16 at 11am ET/ 8am PT. Karol Kot was a 21-year-old Polish serial killer who was nicknamed "the Vampire of Krakow" due to the random nature of his attacks. In September 1964 Kot attacked for the first time targeting an elderly woman whom he stabbed in church. The second attempted murder occurred shortly after when Kot spotted another elderly woman leaving a tram following her to stab her in the back. A mere six days later he killed for the first time but it wouldn't be the last. Just two years later Kot stabbed to death an 11-year-old boy near the Kościuszko Mound at a sledding contest for children. Kot was eventually captured in 1968 and was executed. World's Most Evil Killers is produced by Woodcut Media Ltd.

Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family "Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs" Premieres Saturday, February 20 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Grammy Award(R) winning producer and artist Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs built a hip hop empire but his success is not without a troubled past. At just two years old his father Melvin Combs is murdered and it would be years before the ugly truths surrounding his death would become known to Sean. Who killed Melvin and how did the event of losing his dad propel young Sean forward onto a path to become one of the most influential hip hop impresarios and entrepreneurs in American music history? The violence of his early years follows Sean into adulthood culminating in the murder of someone who he considered extended family in friend Christopher Wallace better known as legendary hip hop artist Notorious B.I.G. Wallace was gunned down in a drive by shooting while he was the brightest star on Sean's label Bad Boy Records. The subsequent investigation would once again have Sean confronting painful truths about murder in the family. Geraldo Rivera's Murder in the Family is produced by Flying Scoop M&E.

Cher: Story of Her Songs Premieres Sunday, February 21 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Relive the three epic tracks that helped make Cher a music icon starting with the song that made her an international star in "I Got You Babe". Discover how Cher and her then husband Sonny Bono achieved worldwide fame and helped to popularize the hippie style. Hear from the session musicians who recorded the track alongside a shy Cher at the legendary Gold Star Studios. Despite the early success of "I Got You Babe" Cher's musical career didn't exactly soar and it was years before she'd live out her rock star dream with the 1988 hit "Turn Back Time". While the song may have become one of Cher's signature songs it was legendary and award winning songwriter Diane Warren who reveals she had to beg Cher to do it after penning what she believed would be the perfect track for her. Not only was it a huge success but Cher went on to shock the world with a racy and now famous video shot aboard the USS Missouri. For her next career defining track a 52-year-old Cher would redefine pop with her worldwide smash "Believe" in 1998. Hear from record executive Rob Dickins on how Cher's use of autotune created a sound that no one had ever heard before and went on to influence music to this day. Cher: Story of Her Songs is produced by ViacomCBS International Studios UK.

Celine Dion: Story of Her Songs Premieres Sunday, February 21 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. With a staggering 250 million albums sold Celine Dion is a towering talent. In this episode see the stories of the three tracks that took Dion from child-star in French Quebec to global superstar. Dion was one of 14 children in a family flush with musical talent but it was her exceptional vocal talent that led to a big break on Eurovision song contest. From there it was a rocket ride to success. Her 1996 hit "Because You Loved Me" was a beautiful, soulful ballad written by multiple award winning songwriter Diane Warren who reveals exactly what Dion was like in the studio and what it meant when the track went to the top of the Billboard chart. Now an established pop diva her next hit "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" gave Dion the opportunity to show off the power of her voice with this operatic rock track. Fittingly she matched the song with a cinematic music video whose director Nigel Dick recounts shooting at a gothic castle and stretching Dion to her limits across the action packed day and steamy love scenes. After a hiatus to start a family Dion would return to recording in 2003 taking on established classic "I Drove All Night" but she would make the track her own by injecting some contemporary Swedish dance magic. We hear from accomplished producer Peer Astrom who recalls her soaring vocals as they reinvented the track that went onto become a huge international hit. Relive the incredible moments and these three unbelievable songs that saw Dion become one of the world's biggest and most beloved divas. Celine Dion: Story of Her Songs is produced by ViacomCBS International Studios UK.

World's Most Evil Killers "Bullseye Killer" Premieres Tuesday, February 23 at 11am ET/ 8am PT. Dubbed "The Bullseye Killer" burglar and murderer John Cooper got his nickname after a chilling appearance on the ITV gameshow Bullseye the same year he would tie-up, rob and brutally murdered Peter and Gwenda Dixon. The Dixon murders would be just one of two double murders he committed in the Pembrokeshire area. Cooper is currently serving a life sentence in HMP Wakefield prison having also committed horrific crimes against two minors. World's Most Evil Killers is produced by Woodcut Media Ltd.

Bigfoot: I Saw It! Premieres Saturday, February 27 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. After tens of thousands of sightings, decades of found footage, a host of movies and TV shows the legend of bigfoot remains one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries. Now in investigative documentary Bigfoot: I Saw It! see the real story behind the extraordinary expedition of two intrepid cowboys Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin who witnessed the beast and filmed it in the now world famous 57 seconds of footage they captured in the woods of northern California in the summer of 1967. In Bigfoot: I Saw It! Gimlin himself shares his riveting story and giving his insight on the subject is renowned bigfoot expert Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology at Idaho State University. Viewers will also hear from several bigfoot eye witnesses and discover bigfoot's surprising linkages to the legends of the Loch Ness Monster, living dinosaurs and the sea monster known as the Kraken. Bigfoot: I Saw It! is produced by Hoff Productions.

Madonna: Story of Her Songs Premieres Sunday, February 28 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Madonna's relentless ambition took her from a struggling club land hopeful to the pinnacle of global stardom. The stories behind three of her pivotal hits reveal how she took the world by storm. She arrived in New York City as a dance school dropout with a few dollars in her pocket but her insatiable drive to breakthrough brought dance chart success with her 1983 hit "Holiday". Songwriter and guitarist Curtis Hudson shares his story of creating "Holiday" and his experience working closely with Madonna on the upbeat and irresistible song. "Holiday" hit the top of the Billboard Club Play chart and launched her rise to become a formidable pop act. Madonna would shock the world with her next single "Like a Virgin" with its catchy hook and provocative lyrics together with a sexually charged music video helped her change the face of pop forever. Just one year later Madonna would channel Marilyn Monroe in an unforgettable video for her hit "Material Girl". Renowned back-up singer Frank Simms shares his story of bringing the playful and electronic track to life and his experience guiding the young and unpolished Madonna through her vocals. "Material Girl" came to define the excess of the '80s and cemented Madonna as a global star. Madonna: Story of Her Songs is produced by ViacomCBS International Studios UK.

Rod Stewart: Story of His Songs Premieres Sunday, February 28 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. Celebrate the three tracks that cemented singer and songwriter Rod Stewart as a music icon. Starting with the epic anthem "Sailing" that marked the beginning of Stewart's golden era which told of his move from the UK to America discover how he took this Sutherland Brothers track and reinterpreted it with the renowned Muscle Shoals musicians to make it an international hit. Years of critical and commercial success would follow but in 1978 Stewart would shock his fans and the critics with his cheeky disco floor filler hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and his former bandmates discuss how Stewart took the saucy phrase and used it to shape his playful disco hit that went to number one in seven countries. For his next career defining track Stewart would adopt the popular synth pop sound to create "Young Turks" which would tell the story of a young couple who wanted to marry against the wishes of their family. Reliving the creation of these three seminal tracks we will reveal the showman that is Stewart and how his remarkable vocal talents and songwriting prowess ensured he was the working class boy who made good. Rod Stewart: Story of His Songs is produced by ViacomCBS International Studios UK.

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