CNN will be broadcasting a new special as well as a special series over the next week, both of which appear to be sobering, grave, and other similar adjectives.

Saturday, Don Lemon is hosting a special entitled “Inside Chicago’s Killer Town” about violence in a Chicago neighborhood. A press release states, “He takes us into a neighborhood where Ceasefire, a community group involved in reducing violence, is active and working. We hear from current and former gang members who have been shot and/or are in rehab trying to turn their lives around.”

Then, starting Monday, “AC360″ will be running a special series called “After the Storm” checking in on New Orleans four years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Along with Anderson Cooper anchoring, there will be special reports from Sean Callebs, Drew Griffin, Gary Tuchman and CNN’s senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. On Thursday, Cooper will join James Carville in New Orleans for a tour of the city.