A few weeks after 9/11, the United States was rocked by another deadly act of terrorism. Letters containing anthrax were sent to unsuspecting victims in Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York. The anonymous assault claimed five lives and caused panic throughout the U.S. Despite many false leads, a team of FBI agents and scientists slowly closed in on a shocking prime suspect. The television series The Hot Zone returns for a second season and delves into the little-known details of this terrorist attack that was overshadowed by the events of 9/11 in The Hot Zone: Anthrax.
What Is The Hot Zone: Anthrax?
The Hot Zone: Anthrax is a limited series of six episodes inspired by true events, follows parallel stories of Matthew Ryker, played by Daniel Dae Kim, and Dr. Bruce Ivins (Tony Goldwyn). This scientific thriller follows last year’s The Hot Zone, which was National Geographic’s most-watched scripted series of all time, and told the story of the 1989 Ebola outbreak that was prevented in the United States. The Hot Zone: Anthrax is produced by 20th Television and Scott Free Productions with Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Lynda Obst, and Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker as executive producers. The first two episodes of The Hot Zone: Anthrax premieres Sunday, November 28th on NatGeo TV with two additional episodes showing each night on Monday and Tuesday. The series will also stream on Hulu.
Matthew Ryker is an FBI agent with a specialty in microbiology. He risks his career to convince his superiors of the unthinkable just three weeks after the 9/11 attacks—that the county is once again under attack. Dr. Bruce Ivins is a brilliant microbiologist who becomes embroiled in the hunt to find the 2001 anthrax killer. He works closely with the FBI to uncover who is behind the deadly anthrax letters. The cast also includes Dawn Olivieri as Dani Toretti, an FBI Agent who is among the first agents on the ground at the 2001 Capitol Hill anthrax attack. Ian Collett plays bureau newbie FBI agent Chris Moore, a graduate of Quantico who is eager to learn under a seasoned agent. Dylan Baker, Morgan Kelly, Denyce Lawton, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, and Vanessa Matsui round out the cast with Enrico Colantoni as Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Harry Hamlin as NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw.
Be Sure to Watch The Hot Zone: Anthrax
I enjoyed the first season of The Hot Zone as it told the story of Ebola in America, of which I was completely unaware. When I learned earlier this year that The Hot Zone: Anthrax would premiere on Thanksgiving weekend, I could not wait to watch it. I have had the opportunity to watch the first few episodes, and from what I have seen so far, I am not disappointed. Be sure to watch The Hot Zone: Anthrax when the series premiere on the National Geographic Channel, Sunday, November 28th at 9 pm/8 pm central. Episodes 3 and 4 will be shown on Monday with episodes 5 and 6 on Tuesday. This is definitely a series you do not want to miss.
Check out the trailer for The Hot Zone: Anthrax.
