Today millions of Americans will commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by watching live television coverage of memorial services and concerts, or updates on the biggest story of our generation.

        But most of all, TV will provide proof — as it did last year at a crucial time in history — that our nation endures, despite the despicable act witnessed by millions on live TV.

        A year ago, we turned to TV to try to understand the horrible events. If we didn't see it live, certainly we watched the endless replays of the World Trade Center Tower 2 exploding into flames upon the impact of United Flight 175.

        The indelible images we have of the towers crumbling like sand castles all come from TV.

        For most of us, the TV stayed on all week, as we yearned for more information about the thousands of missing people who might be found alive in the rubble at the site dubbed Ground Zero. Or we sought more details about how men, armed with mere box-cutters, commandeered four passenger jets.

        TV was there to help our grieving and healing process, with memorial service broadcasts and the candlelight America: Tribute to Heroes concert simulcast by dozens of TV channels.

        But TV also played another equally important role: Proving to a nation that the republic was safe. Cities were not in flames; the Capitol and White House were not leveled. We could see that for ourselves on TV, too.

TV at its best

        Today, the nation will come together again during another TV vigil. The major broadcast networks and cable news channels plan daylong coverage of memorial services and news analysis of events of the past year.

        TV will be at its best — offering a wide variety of 9-11 programs to the nation. NBC's Tom Brokaw will host a town meeting (1-4 p.m., Channels 5, 22). ABC's Peter Jennings will host Answering Children's Questions, Looking Back, Looking Ahead, a sequel to his wonderful special for kids a year ago (4 p.m., Channels 9, 2).

        CBS' 60 Minutes II travels with President Bush on Air Force One for an exclusive interview in which he recalls the events of that day a year ago (8 p.m., Channels 12, 7).

        For those who want to relive the chilling scenes, CBS repeats the extraordinary 9/11 documentary with footage inside the World Trade Center that day (9 p.m., Channels 12, 7), while HBO reruns In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01 (8 p.m.).

        Some may choose to mark the date with music. First lady Laura Bush appears at the Concert for America taped Monday at the Kennedy Center for NBC (9 p.m. Channels 5, 22), while cable repeats October's all-star Concert for New York (7 p.m., VH1).

        PBS will air Requiem for September 11, the New Jersey Symphony's performance of Verdi's “Requiem” from New Jersey's Liberty State Park (10:30 p.m., Channel 48), while Tristate viewers can watch the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra perform Samuel Barber's “Adagio for Strings” on To The Honor and Memory (7:30 and 10 p.m., Channel 48).

        MTV launches 31 hours of 9/11 Video Postcards at 11 p.m. today. And dozens of other cable channels — Discovery, History, A&E, Learning, BBC America, HBO, ABC Family and even ESPN — plan specials for their viewers today.

        And in what makes our democracy so great, dozens of other channels will ignore the anniversary. Life goes on as usual today for fans of SpongeBob Squarepants, Sex and the City, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The E! True Hollywood Story, the Powerpuff Girls and ESPN's baseball doubleheaders.

TV at its worst

        At times, I'm sure, TV will be at its worst today, filling the airwaves with inane observations and repetitious reports to pad the time. That's an unfortunate byproduct of live TV. There are no do-overs.

        It must be pointed out that part of American Idol's success must be attributed to the electrifying, unpredictable nature of the weekly live national TV performances. The contestants couldn't stop the tape and get it right, unlike the rest of prime-time entertainment. We couldn't stop watching.

        Explaining NBC's Sept. 11 game plan to TV critics in July, NBC's Mr. Brokaw explained: “We really have two objectives here. One is to remind everyone what we went through a year ago. . . . The other part of it will be what we've learned since then, what we did know at the time, what we need to know as we go into the future.”

        There's a third objective: To show the resilience of the United States and its institutions — as we watch live pictures from around the world.

        E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

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