My Grandparents' War
β 7.3 Β· 2019 Β· 47m Β· Documentary
In this four-part documentary series, leading Hollywood actors undertake a fascinating journey into their family's past by re-tracing the footsteps of their grandparents during World War Two. We follow the moving, personal stories of Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Carey Mulligan as they travel to historic locations, from the beaches of Dunkirk to prisoner of war camps in Asia, to learn about the war their grandparents experienced. All of the actors have unanswered questions about the scars war left on their grandparents, and in each episode one of the actors explore how six years changed the lives of their family and the world forever while learning about the life and death decisions that their grandparents faced.
Episodes
1. Helena Bonham Carter47m Β· Helena Bonham Carter relates how her grandfather defied orders by helping Jewish people escape the Holocaust, while her grandmother volunteered as an air raid warden and campaigned for women's rights
2. Mark Rylance47m Β· Actor and peace campaigner Mark Rylance explores the extraordinary World War II story of his grandfather Osmond Skinner, who spent almost four years as a Japanese prisoner of war
3. Kristin Scott Thomas47m Β· Actor Kristin Scott Thomas uncovers the story of how her grandfather William saved thousands of lives at Dunkirk while serving as a commanding officer in the Royal Navy throughout World War
4. Carey Mulligan47m Β· Actor Carey Mulligan explores how her grandfather traveled thousands of miles to fight the Japanese in the final months of World War II, and lost his closest friends from a kamikaze attack at seaMore Like This
Inside the SS
2017 Β· β 6.8
With the aid of rare archives, this film retraces the bloody history of the SS, some of whose members are still alive and have accepted to speak.
More info β
Trains At War
2021
Examines four famous European battles of World War II: the Battle of Britain, the failure of Barbarossa, Operation Overlord and the liberation of France.
More info β
1941-1945 At The Heart of The War In The Pacific
2015
This three-part series tells the story of the Pacific War. At sea, this modern conflict relies on aircraft carriers: the battles are fought by fighters and bombers, flying kilometers from these floating runways
More info β
Secrets of World War II
1998 Β· β 8
Rarely has a war produced such clear cut reasons to fight as World War II. Suddenly, ordinary men and women found themselves thrown into fearsome, situations worthy of any Hollywood movie. The only difference in this series is that every story is true. Real people emerge as the Heroes of Telemark. Ordinary GIs and US Airforce and Navy personnel suddenly find themselves flying against the Japanese in China, jungle fighting in Burma and being dropped by submarine on enemy coasts at midnight. These untold stories can now be examined in great detail with the benefit of hindsight, newly-discovered film, maps and graphics. Each fifty-two minute story covers the background to the main action. It will give the viewer a clear view of the historical context, the strategic objective and the tactical effort made by flyers, sailors and foot-soldiers - often in the most oppressive and life-threatening situations - to win victory from the enemy.
More info β
Living with Hitler
2021 Β· β 8.7
The Nazi era from 1993 to 1945 is illustrated through archived material, with insights and anecdotes provided by world-leading experts and commentators.
More info β
Soviet Storm: WW2 in the East
2010 Β· β 8.2
The epic television history of the Second World Warβs Eastern Front giving an unprecedented Russian perspective on the warβs most decisive and bloody theater.
More info β
Battlefront (DVD Edition)
2001
The earthshaking battles of WWII come to life in this fascinating collection reviewing one of the most epic and disturbing chapters in history. This visually stunning series is a powerful testament to the titanic struggles of those who lived, fought and died in a war that shook the world. Astonishing color footage, taken from newsreels and captured enemy film, reveals the grinding intensity of campaigns fought in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. WWII Battlefront covers the war in the air, on the ground, and above and below the sea in color footage and captures WWII the way it was--lived and fought by soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from both the Allied and Axis armies.
More info β
The Gestapo: Hitler's Secret Police
2004
During the darkest days of the Third Reich, the most dreaded sound was a knock at the door after dark. Everyone who lived under Nazi rule lived in fear of the secretive agents known colloquially as "V-Men". Hitler called them his "deadliest weapon", and without them the Fuhrer's ambition could never have been realized.
More info β
The World at War
1973 Β· β 8.3
A documentary series that gives a historical account of the events of World War II, from its roots in the 1920s to the aftermath and the lives it profoundly influenced.
More info β
The Blitz: Britain on Fire
2019
Exploring the eight days in May 1941 when Britain, and Liverpool in particular, was subjected to one of the most intense bombardments of the entire war. Featuring eyewitness accounts and recollections from many whom have never spoken out before.
More info β
Great Blunders of WWII
β 8
Great Blunders Of World War II is a documentary series looking some of the worst errors of World War II that affected the course of history. They are the decisions that have gone down in infamy, the battles determined not by bravery and brilliance but by incompetence and arrogance.
More info β