We may well be aware and have heard countless of stories on the World Wars, but never once were we exposed to the powerful, influential men during those troubling times. HISTORY's The World Wars looks back at the war years through the eyes of Roosevelt, Hitler, Patton, Mussolini, Churchill, Tojo, DeGaulle and MacArthur.
The special event series will honor the 100th anniversary of a decisive turning
point in our history, where the old world of kings and empires collided
with the new world of machine guns. Where the old rules of engagement
bowed before tanks and chemical warfare. Where one generation of men,
fought two wars and changed the world.
The World Wars premiered in the U.S to over 3.4million views, with President Obama introducing the first episode of the six-part event series. The series features gripping dramatic scenes, stunning CGI visuals and interviews with contemporary leaders.
Read what producers
Russ Mccarroll and
Sally Habbershaw have to say about the production and their
views on World Wars.
The World Wars premieres on 26 July 2014, on HISTORY (StarHub TV Ch. 401) at 10pm!
[Synopsis]
An assassination in Sarajevo sparks a global war. For the next 30 years, deadly fighting rages across Europe, Africa, China and the Pacific.
Hitler. Churchill. De Gaulle. MacArthur. Patton. Stalin. Mussolini. We know them as legends. But they first learn what it will take to rise to greatness as young soldiers, fighting for their lives on the frontlines.
This is the story of a generation of men who come of age in the trenches of World War I, only to become the leaders of World War II. The lessons they learn on the frontlines shape them as they rise to power—and haunt them as the deadly fighting breaks out again. Some become heroes, forged in courage under fire. Others emerge as the most infamous villains the world has ever seen. Theirs is one story—the story of a 30-year global struggle. A fight that will either save the world—or destroy it.
This three-night event series features gripping dramatic scenes, stunning CGI visuals and interviews with contemporary leaders, including John McCain, Colin Powell, John Major and David Miliband, along with noted historians from around the world.
Interview transcripts courtesy of HISTORY
What prompted History to produce The World Wars? Was there a particular circumstance or inspiration?
Russ Mccarroll: The World Wars are among history's biggest stories. When we find a new way to tell these stories we will. The ability to tell this story through the eyes of the men who had to make some of the toughest decisions of our time was too interesting to pass up. The inspiration for the story of the two wars was an article I read in London a couple of years ago on a trip with Christian Murphy.
Sally Habbershaw: With 2014 marking the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and the 70th anniversary of D-Day, we felt HISTORY should champion a television event of relevance. We teamed with the Emmy® Award-winning production company, Stephen David Entertainment, to develop our first major global co-production, The World Wars. The series looks at WWI and WWII from a fresh perspective, focusing on the hiatus between the wars. We also look at the core characters – their personal experiences and the relationships between them in that era.
How does it feel to be presenting a crucial part of world history from a different pair of "eyes"? How do you think this will impact the viewers' take on the World Wars as they know it?
Russ Mccarroll: I think working at History in general is a privilege. To be given that chance to tell the story's that shaped humanity is an honor. I think the biggest impact of our show will the realization of how heavily aspects of the first war played into the decisions that were made in the second war.
Sally Habbershaw: The World Wars is a unique, six-part series that looks at WWI and WWII
in a way that hasn’t been explored previously. By marrying dramatic
re-creations with archival footage and cutting-edge CGI from Brainstorm
Digital - who did amazing work on The Men Who Built America and
Boardwalk Empire - we’re able to unite the idea that these two
cataclysmic events were actually one, 30-year war. We built our story
around WWII’s pivotal characters - Hitler, Churchill, Mussolini, Tojo,
Patton, De Gaulle and Roosevelt, and made connections between how their
experiences during WWI shaped the leaders they became in WWII.
We hope that when audiences around the world watch, they will be fascinated by the one-war premise.
(Click to watch videos on The World Wars!)
What were the highlights and challenges of producing such a show?
Russ Mccarroll: I think the highlight of the project was finishing. We were asked to deliver the shows six weeks earlier than originally planned, so the post schedule was drastically reduced. This was obviously probably the biggest challenge we faced as well.
Sally Habbershaw: The biggest editorial challenge is capturing a 30-year period of history
from a global point of view because the wars are perceived differently
in various countries. We couldn’t include everything, so we had to make
calculated, creative choices about what key periods and events to
include.
Then, we incorporated contributions from local commentators
such as former UK Prime Minister John Major, Bernard de Gaulle, the
nephew of Charles de Gaulle, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti
and former UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband. Each one is interviewed
in their own language, to give the show a local flavor and perspective.
We
also made a creative decision to extend each hour approximately 6-7
minutes longer than the US version, so that we could include more
archival footage and storylines. For example, we delved more deeply into
the Treaty of Versailles, Kristallnacht, the Potsdam Conference, and we expanded on Mussolini’s story. This approach allowed us to give a more comprehensive analysis of events that affected the world.
What was your personal journey throughout production? What preconceived notions of yours were debunked/confirmed?
Russ Mccarroll: The journey was pretty amazing, we set out to make this project about 2 years ago and there were a lot of ups and downs. I think one of the things that was confirmed was the amount of secrecy it took for Hitler to rise to power. He really kept his agenda under wraps following the beer hall incident. It was amazing that someone that evil could be so subtle until he knew he had complete power.
Sally Habbershaw: I’m British, and was educated in the UK, so I have a thorough
understanding of WWI and WWII, albeit from a very Eurocentric
perspective. Before working on The World Wars, I never really had
insight into the events of the Pacific War and the Japanese experience,
so that was truly captivating for me.
The one-war premise is equally as interesting because it’s such fascinating connection that no one had made previously.
Also,
understanding that these characters were very young men in WWI, it
seems so obvious that their experiences would have dictated their
actions in WWII, but I had never made that connection prior to working
on the series.
Which leader in history impacted you the most? Why?
Russ Mccarroll: I would have to say the one who surprised me the most was Mussolini. It really is El Duce who sets the stage for Hitler, he really was the inspiration for so much of what Hitler did in the early years. It was also amazing to see that mentor relationship change over the course of the second war.
Sally Habbershaw: Churchill – there is a brilliant scene in the fourth episode where one
of our experts, John Major, talks about the makings of a real leader. He
states that a leader is only truly tested under periods of great
oppression, and uses Churchill as a prime example. Even though Churchill
faced great failures during his leadership with events such as
Gallipoli, he was still able to turn things around and show true
statesmanship. When London was bombed during Blitzkreig for example,
Churchill went out into the streets every day to check on his people – a
risky move that nonetheless revealed his valor and indomitable
character.
Why should viewers tune in to watch The World Wars?
Russ Mccarroll: I think the thing that we try to do with all of these types of projects that we do is to offer a unique and a new perspective. I think viewers will have a better understanding of the trials and tribulations that these leaders faced during the most difficult of times. I also think that they'll learn a thing or two.
Sally Habbershaw: We hope audiences will tune in because The World Wars is an accessible,
non-traditional narrative, born out of dramatic recreations and
cutting-edge CGI. We are confident that audiences will not only learn
something new about that time period and its most influential
characters, but will also been entertained.
The World Wars screens on HISTORY (StarHub TV Ch. 401) from 26 to 28 July, 10pm!