Project Showcase: "The World Wars"

25 May 2014 – editors

The TV network HISTORY announces a three-day series premiering this Monday (Memorial Day in the US) which treats the two world wars as a linked event—what Winston Churchill called “the second Thirty Years’ War.” Narrated by actor Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), World Wars tells the story of three decades of conflict through the eyes of political and military leaders like Churchill, Hitler, Roosevelt, Tojo, and Mussolini. It will air on May 26, 27, and 29 at 9 pm Eastern Time. Later in the summer it will also appear in more than 160 countries and on H2, the cable channel formerly called History International, which now airs much of the documentary content once shown on the History Channel before its rebranding as HISTORY.

Dirk Hoostra, Executive Vice President and General Manager for HISTORY and H2, notes that the series keys off the start of the centennial of World War I and presents an opportunity “to tell one of the greatest stories of all time in a different way.” The episodes will draw on original footage, computer-generated imagery (CGI), and commentary from Senator John McCain, General Colin Powell, and others.

The series also incorporates a robust social media experience, with live-tweeting from @HISTORY during the episodes and a “War of Wits” trivia competition in partnership with QuizUp. The series hashtag is #WorldWars.