true stories

Coming soon is a new series of Five’s investigative documentary strand which aims to uncover the reality behind some of the most famous stories, figures and events in history.

The first programme in the series investigates the horrific night in October 2002 when two bombs rocked the resort island of Bali in the most devastating terrorist attack in Asian history. Using dramatic reconstructions, as well as interviews with survivors and experts, the programme unravels the truth about the so-called global conspiracy and reveals the inner workings of a terrorist cell on the verge of a strike.

On a balmy October evening, Western tourists and Balinese revellers packed the bars and nightclubs that lined the main strip of Kuta. However, for hundreds of these partygoers this night would be their last. Just after 11pm, Islamic militant suicide bombers detonated their deadly payloads inside two of the area’s most popular nightclubs –Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club. Coming barely a year after the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington, the Bali bombings added fuel to the fear that terrorism had become a highly organised, global conspiracy.

Other programmes in the series examine the capture of Saddam Hussein; the final, bloody hour of Pablo Escobar, head of the biggest drugs syndicate the world has ever seen; and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.