[PARTNER CONTENT] The HISTORY Channel Africa will premiere World War II with Tom Hanks on DStv 186 on 26 May at 21h05, as part of a global rollout across 200 territories in 40 languages, reaching nearly 400 million households worldwide.
The landmark 20-episode documentary series re-examines WWII through the lens of a new century, offering a deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global conflict. This series is executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman with Nutopia and A+E Factual Studios™ Group, alongside Pulitzer Prize®-winning historian Jon Meacham, in association with Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company.
For more than 80 years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks offers a sweeping and definitive retelling of the war, drawing on rarely seen archival material, evocative storytelling, and insights from leading historians.
Full arc of the conflict
Narrated by Hanks, whose lifelong passion for history has informed some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the global conflict.
World War II with Tom Hanks spans the global conflict from the opening shock of Germany’s invasion of Poland through the rise and fall of the Axis powers, capturing the ferocity of battles fought on land, sea, and air – from Stalingrad and Normandy to the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the jungles and islands of the Pacific.
The series explores the human cost of total war, including the Holocaust, civilian resistance, and life on the home fronts, while also revealing the hidden wars of espionage, codebreaking, and industrial might that shaped the outcome of the conflict.
Pivotal wartime leaders
It blends the actions and decisions of pivotal wartime leaders, among them Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Erwin Rommel, Joseph Stalin, Hideki Tojo and Adolf Hitler, with the experiences of soldiers and civilians across continents.
World War II with Tom Hanks culminates in the dawn of the atomic age and the uneasy aftermath that transformed wartime allies into Cold War adversaries, offering a comprehensive and deeply human portrait of the conflict that reshaped the modern world.
Guidance from museum historians
The HISTORY Channel collaborated with The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the series, incorporating guidance from museum historians and subject-matter experts, as well as supporting an upcoming educational outreach initiative.
World War II with Tom Hanks is produced for The HISTORY Channel by Nutopia and A+E Factual Studios group, in association with Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company. Ben Goold, Jane Root and Steve Condie serve as executive producers for Nutopia.
Sharon Scott, Steve Ascher, Matt Pearl and Andy Seestedt serve as executive producers for A+E Factual Studios. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman serve as executive producers. Jon Meacham serves as executive producer.
Chet Fenster serves as executive producer for Motion Entertainment. Eli Lehrer, Mary E. Donahue and Jennifer Wagman serve as executive producers for The HISTORY Channel.
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About Hearst Networks EMEA
Hearst Networks EMEA, a subsidiary of Hearst, owns and operates premium factual entertainment brands The HISTORY® Channel, Crime + Investigation®, BLAZE®, and COSMO across the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Germany, Italy, and Spain. At Hearst Networks EMEA, we share stories that matter and inspire and entertain viewers with hit franchises (The Curse of Oak Island, The First 48 and History’s Greatest Mysteries), and original commissions (The Hunt for Baltic Gold, Nameless Monsters, and The Royal Kill List). For more information, please visit:
About Nutopia
Nutopia is known for producing award-winning series on a global scale, combining cinematic storytelling with premium documentary filmmaking and A-list talent. Founded by Jane Root, the company has created acclaimed series for leading networks and streamers worldwide, including National Geographic, Disney+, Netflix, HISTORY, PBS and the BBC.
