A&E HIT Real Life Series "The First 48" and "After The First 48" Return for Brand New Seasons

ELEVENTH SEASON OF "The First 48" Premieres Thursday, September 30 at 9PM ET/PT

Second season of "After The First 48" Premieres Thursday, October 7 at 10PM ET/PT

New York, NY - September 29, 2010 - A&E brings the critically acclaimed Real-Life series, "The First 48," one of the most watched non-fiction investigative series on cable and "After The First 48," back for more action-packed drama this fall. "The First 48," follows homicide investigators across the country as they try to solve murders within the first 48 hours, premieres Thursday, September 30 at 9PM ET/PT and "After The First 48," follows the aftermath of the most powerful cases from "The First 48" and premieres Thursday, October 7 at 10PM ET/PT.

"The First 48" takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations as it follows homicide detectives in the critical first 48 hours of murder investigations, giving viewers unprecedented access to crime scenes, interrogations and forensic processing. The series follows the nation's top police departments and this season will include the homicide detectives of Charlotte, NC, who will be joining top detectives from Miami, Louisville, Birmingham and Harris County, TX.

In the eleventh season premiere episode, "Carjacked/Roll of the Dice," Deputy Russell Gonzales of the Harris County Police Department races the clock to track down the killer of an unidentified man found dead in a desolate field on the side of the road. It's an uphill battle for the team until a couple appears on scene and breaks the case wide open. In Miami, Detective Rolando Garcia and his team investigates the murder of an innocent bystander caught in a hail of gunfire. As detectives delve deeper, they discover that the killer's motives may not be what they think.

"After The First 48" revisits some of the most powerful cases originally featured on "The First 48" and features exclusive interviews with detectives, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and families of victims. "After The First 48" takes viewers through the dramatic and emotional inside story; from the investigation, to the murder trial itself, the verdict and beyond. The second season premieres Thursday, October 7th at 10:00PM ET/PT.

In the second season premiere episode, "Letters of Intent/ Family Friend," "After the First 48" features a case out of Dallas, TX in 2007. Darell Billingslea a two-time convicted murderer out on parole is charged with brutally attacking and killing twenty-two-year old Jessica Lewalling in a jealous rage. Prosecutor Jennifer Bennett is determined to make sure Billingslea will not slip through the system again. In February 2007, thirty-six-year old Antoine, "Tony" Hamilton was found shot dead, and left behind a vacant house. His friend, Carlos Mitchell, confessed to the crime. Prosecutor Jenni Morse thought she had a slam dunk case - until the verdict in a similar case shook her confidence in getting a conviction.

"The First 48" and "After the First 48" are produced by ITV Studios for A&E Network. The Executive Producer for ITV Studios is John X. Kim. Co-Executive Producers are Ted Bourne and Mike Sheridan.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning "Intervention," "Dog The Bounty Hunter," "Hoarders," "Paranormal State" and "Criss Angel Mindfreak," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48" and "Manhunters." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com.