Tom Hanks, star of Saving Private Ryan, is back with a 20-episode documentary series about World War II, which he describes as 'the largest event in human history.' The series, airing on Sky History and available on Now, opens with Hanks in medium closeup, delivering a sales pitch for the war with the calm paternal authority of a man who has definitely seen some things.
Despite its monumental scope - 20 episodes that invite comparisons to ITV's 26-episode 1973 classic The World at War - the series somehow manages to feel basic. Hanks serves as on-screen master of ceremonies, bookending each installment with his presence, while a recurring montage of contributors reminds us, over and over, that this war was, indeed, a big deal. The archive footage is great, but the overall effect is less 'epic history lesson' and more 'polite reminder that World War II happened.'