World War II with Tom Hanks, an immersive 20-episode History Channel series hosted by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, premiered on Memorial Day with three episodes—and the rollout now expands with new episode details through June and July.
When World War II with Tom Hanks first landed on Memorial Day, it didn’t ease viewers in. The series immediately placed Tom Hanks into the middle of the story, using state-of-the-art digital backdrops to bring him directly into war zones.
Now, the wait for more episodes is over for fans ready to keep going: the series officially drops three more episodes as part of its early run, with a total plan of 20 episodes stretching through June and July.
Hanks’ latest WWII offering follows a creative partnership that began in 1998. when he starred in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. The same spirit of grand storytelling about bravery and brotherhood carries through three earlier television shows: Band of Brothers. The Pacific. and Masters of the Air.
World War II with Tom Hanks takes those ideas into a documentary format. The series premiered on the History Channel with three episodes on Memorial Day. It will run for 20 episodes through June and July.
The first episode revisits Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. The second episode follows the Nazis’ continued Westward march. The third episode tells the story of Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s massive surprise invasion of the Soviet Union.
Hanks’ immersive approach is built around digital backdrops designed to transport him into war zones, keeping the historical events close and immediate rather than distant.
The schedule also keeps moving forward in a way that suggests momentum is part of the viewing experience. The upcoming fourth episode will air alongside the fifth episode on June 1, revisiting the horrors of the Pearl Harbor attack.
The show’s access plan is set up for broad reach as well: World War II with Tom Hanks will air new episodes on the History Channel on Wednesdays. and will be available to stream the next day on the History Channel app or History.com. It can also be accessed via digital streaming platforms that carry the channel, including Philo, DIRECTV, and Sling. In the United Kingdom, it will be available on Sky History.
Overall, the series will be accessible in 200 countries and in 40 languages.
In a new interview with Time magazine, Hanks tied his fascination with the era to something deeply personal. “We’re not talking about Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones or the Star Wars universe. We are talking about what. at the core of it all. is flesh and blood and the stasis of years asked of an entire generation—plus some—to say. ‘Put the present on hold. Your future doesn’t mean anything right now. because there is a moral task before us.’ That has not been the same since.”.
For viewers following Hanks from Saving Private Ryan to these TV epics, this latest rollout brings the same question to the surface—what it means to keep going when the world demands everything at once.
Tom Hanks World War II with Tom Hanks History Channel WWII series Memorial Day episodes Band of Brothers The Pacific Masters of the Air Operation Barbarossa Pearl Harbor
So is this like Band of Brothers 2.0 or what?
I saw Tom Hanks is in it and I was like okay cool but then it says digital backdrops? Isn’t that a little fake for WWII. I’ll probably still watch though because I can’t help myself.
Operation Barbarossa… isn’t that when they first went after the US? Like Pearl Harbor vibes? I dunno. Anyway Tom Hanks should’ve stuck to acting lol but I guess the timeline thing seems off.
They’re dropping THREE more episodes already? History Channel really trying to binge us into the summer. I’m glad it’s not dragging, and June 1 with Pearl Harbor sounds intense. Also I always forget it’s a 20 episode run, that’s a lot for WWII.