NBC, ABC developing 9/11 miniseries

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- NBC and ABC are developing miniseries revolving around the September 11 attacks, using the "9/11 Commission Report" as the blueprint for dramatic retellings of the events that led to the devastating strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

NBC said Wednesday it has cut a deal with "Speed" screenwriter Graham Yost to develop a limited series exploring the circumstances surrounding the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and spurred the United States to mount a global war on terrorism.

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NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly said the network intended to produce a "seminal" event for network television on par with the 1970s miniseries "Roots" and 1980s nuclear-attack TV movie "The Day After." The project will take at least a year to develop and might not be ready to air until the 2006-07 season, NBC brass said.

ABC, meanwhile, is understood to have been developing a similar concept for the past several months. ABC declined comment on their project Wednesday, but network sources suggested that the timing of NBC's announcement was motivated at least in part by NBC's desire to be the first to unveil plans for a September 11-focused miniseries.