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Some of the best World War II stories were made for television rather than the big screen.
Although World War II movies were made while the war was still happening, TV and the passage of time allowed creators to make even deeper and more compelling stories.
Even eight decades after the end of the war, World War II remains one of the most frequently adapted conflicts of the 20th century.
Now, the Watch With Us team is sharing five near-perfect World War II TV shows that you should watch now.
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
Two soldiers squat in Band of Brothers. HBO
HBO was still establishing itself as a destination for premium TV shows when it debuted Band of Brothers. The miniseries was based on Stephen E. Ambrose‘s non-fiction novel, and it reunited Saving Private Ryan‘s director Steven Spielberg and star Tom Hanks as they teamed up to executive produce the show.
This is the dramatized history of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, all of whom are collectively known as Easy Company. Their exploits begin during training, and the show follows them through D-Day and other important milestones in the war. Damian Lewis leads an impressive cast that includes Kirk Acevedo, Michael Cudlitz, Ron Livingston, Colin Hanks, Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough.
Band of Brothers is streaming on HBO Max.
‘The Pacific’ (2010)
Jon Seda in The Pacific. David James / © HBO / Courtesy: Everett Collection
It’s sometimes easy to forget that World War II was a war on two fronts. The Pacific — which was also produced by Hanks and Spielberg — chronicles the struggle against the Japanese army from the perspective of Marines Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda).
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The series begins in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, as the men prepare for war and leave their loved ones behind. Although certain dramatic liberties are taken in the presentation, it’s largely true to the events as they happened. And not all of the main characters will be lucky enough to make it home from the war.
The Pacific is streaming on HBO Max.
‘A Small Light’ (2023)
Anne Frank (Billie Boullet) is the most famous person featured in A Small Light, but it’s not just her story. Bel Powley takes the lead as Miep Gies, the secretary of Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber). As the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands begins, Miep risks everything to shelter Otto and his family in a hidden attic while helping them remain undetected by the German-occupied forces.
Joe Cole also stars as Jan Gies, Miep’s husband, who is drawn into the Dutch resistance movement. Jan and Miep are each taking a stand against the Nazis in their own ways. But if you’re a student of history, then you already know how that this story has a tragic end for most of its characters.
A Small Light is streaming on Prime Video.
‘Manhattan’ (2014 – 2015)
Before she starred in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan had one of the leading roles in Manhattan, a drama loosely inspired by the American race to create the Atomic bomb. J. Robert Oppenheimer (Daniel London) does appear, but unlike the Oppenheimer film, this isn’t his story.
Instead, the focus falls on scientists Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey) and Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zukerman), as well as their respective spouses Dr. Liza Winter (Olivia Williams) and Abby Isaacs (Brosnahan). Frank, Charlie and other leaders in the field of atomic science have relocated their families to Los Alamos for the duration of the Manhattan Project. That means they have to keep secrets from their families, some of whom have secrets of their own.
‘Manhattan is streaming on Prime Video.
‘World on Fire’ (2019 – 2023)
Jonah Hauer-King and Julia Brown in World on Fire. Steffan Hill / ©PBS/Mammoth Screen / Courtesy Everett Collection
World on Fire ended prematurely after only two seasons, and was unable to complete its chronicle of the entire war. But it did a very good job of depicting the run-up to World War II and the early part of the conflict. Game of Thrones‘ Sean Bean and Helen Hunt lent the show some star power, although Hunt’s Nancy Campbell had a more involved role than Bean’s Douglas Bennett. Nancy is an American journalist stationed in Berlin as the war begins, and her struggle to report the truth drives her story.
Douglas is the father of Lois Bennett (Julia Brown), a young woman awaiting the return of her boyfriend, Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King). Harry is ostensibly the series lead even though he’s two-timing Lois with a Polish woman, Kasia Tomaszeski (Zofia Wichłacz), just as the German invasion begins. The lives of these characters and more intersect with each other as the war gets bigger in scope and the price for resistance and freedom is felt back home and abroad.
World on Fire is streaming on PBS.
