Tom Hanks narrates new World War II documentary series on History channel

History will launch a 20‑episode documentary series titled "World War II with Tom Hanks" on July 27, 2026, airing nightly at 22:10. The series, produced over more than a decade and executive‑produced by Tom Hanks, combines restored archival footage, rare audio recordings and first‑hand testimonies from veterans and civilians. Expert historians and specialists provide analysis of the conflict’s major episodes, including the rise of the Axis powers, the Holocaust, the Normandy invasion, the battle of Stalingrad, the Pacific campaigns and the code‑breaking efforts against the Enigma cipher. Each episode aims to present the war without dramatization, linking original wartime visuals with contemporary commentary to illustrate the human and geopolitical impact of the conflict. By foregrounding newly restored material and personal accounts, the series seeks to engage new generations in understanding how the events of 1939‑1945 continue to shape global politics, economics and society.

The documentary’s debut on the History channel reflects the network’s ongoing focus on historically significant programming and leverages Hanks’s reputation for World War‑II‑related projects such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Pacific."