The story of the horrendous Munich Massacre of Israeli athletes by terrorists during the 1972 Olympics is well known, told in books, documentaries and movies. But now a new film focuses the action not on what happened that terrible day, but what was going on inside the ABC control room as the drama was unfolding live on air overseas. 

It's called "September 5th," and it relates how ABC Sports Director Roone Arledge fought to make sure his sports department got to keep the story, instead of the network's newsroom. And it follows what happened during those 24+ hours in that intense TV control room. 

"September 5” takes us behind the scenes of the 17-hour ordeal...beginning shortly before the attack and cataloging key decisions until just after the tragic finale, when “Wide World of Sports” host Jim McKay famously confirmed the chilling news, “They’re all gone,” on air.

Still, as an in-the-trenches account of how ABC Sports approached the story, the film focuses primarily on a young, ambitious producer (played by a period-appropriate-looking John Magaro), based on veteran sports broadcaster Geoffrey Mason’s memory of events."

It was an incredible nightmare that reverberates with increased security at the Olympics to this day, but the story of that 17-hour long broadcast has never been told until now. And the phrase "They're all gone," remains three of the most famous words in broadcast history.

Despite the mixed review below, having worked in a TV control room while all hell is happening with a breaking story on air, this is one film I'm really looking forward to. 

‘September 5’ Review: Taut Media-Critical Control-Room Drama Reveals How a Hostage Crisis Forever Changed TV News