Lewinsky, Giuliani Subjects of HBO Documentaries

Home Box Office will feature former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Monica Lewinsky in separate documentaries to air later this year.

Lewinsky, the White House intern whose affair with Bill Clinton clouded the second term of his presidency, will answer questions from a studio audience of college students about her experiences in a March 3 special Monica In Black and White,
the network announced at the Television Critics Association press tour here.

Filmed in black-and-white, the documentary allows Lewinsky to tell her side of the infamous affair without restrictions from the independent counsel's office — her immunity agreement with special prosecutor Kenneth Star expired Jan. 22, 2001.

Lewinsky, appearing somewhat nervous at the TCA, said the special will help clear up some misconceptions about the tawdry episode and its effect on Clinton's presidency. "I saw this as an opportunity to fill historic gaps and to try to correct misconceptions and half-truths that were promulgated by the media," Lewinsky said.

In Memoriam: September 11, 2001, New York City, premiering May 26, chronicles Giuliani and his staff from their first realization of the terrorist attacks that destroyed New York's World Trade Center buildings through the city's recovery and ultimate rebound, said network executives.

The hour-long documentary features extensive, never-before-seen footage from independent and amateur filmmakers.

Also at the TCA, HBO announced the premiere of three original films. The Laramie Project, which profiles the Wyoming city and its residents in the aftermath of the 1998 hate-crime murder of 21-year old Matthew Shepard, is set to bow March 16. The Gathering Storm
— about the life and times of World World II leader Winston Churchill — will premiere in April. And Path To War, chronicling the country's entrance into the Vietnam War under the leadership of President Lyndon B. Johnson, debuts in May, said HBO.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.