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Arts & Entertainment

HBO Moves Up Carrie Fisher-Debbie Reynolds Doc 'Bright Lights' Airdate To January 7

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Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher in 1972 (Getty Images)

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With the deaths of Hollywood royalty Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds this week, there's even more interest in Bright Lights, a documentary about the mother and daughter stars. Now HBO has announced it will air on Saturday, January 7 at 8 p.m., earlier than previously planned.

The doc, directed by Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom, was shown at the Cannes, Telluride and New York film festivals earlier this year. The Hollywood Reporter called it, "A tender tribute to two iconic women whose Hollywood history spans from 'Singin' in the Rain' through 'Star Wars' and whose intimate connection is no less singular." Fisher opens talks about her bipolar disorder while Reynolds' fragile health is also examined.

HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins called it a "love story... Carrie wanted to make ‘Bright Lights’ for Debbie and Debbie wanted to make it for Carrie." Variety reports that Nevins was "fighting back tears" while saying, "If this was a Hollywood script, no one would believe" they'd die one after the other. "They just loved each other so much. The bond was just unbreakable."

HBO will also be airing a filmed version of Fisher's autobiographical one woman show, Wishful Drinking, on January 1, at 9 p.m.

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