If you are not able to attend one of the D-Day 65th anniversary commemoration ceremonies in Normandy, France, at The National WW II Museum in New Orleans, The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia or elsewhere; if you have read the D-Day themed articles in the latest Armchair General (May 2009) and World War II (July 2009) magazines, perused World War II articles on this website, Historynet.com and ArmchairGeneral.com and you still yearn to stay in the moment, you’re in luck. The programmers at TV’s history-friendly networks have laid out a schedule of interesting programs to coincide with this historic event.

HBO Films is premiering Into the Storm this week on HBO, the continuation into the war years of its dramatized biography of Winston Churchill. Much has been written on the Weider History Group websites ahead of the program, including interviews with the film’s star, Brendan Gleeson, and the writer, Hugh Whitemore. Churchill is also dramatized in the new PBS mini-series WWII: Behind Closed Doors – Stalin, the Nazis and the West. The focus on this combination of dramatized and archival film scenes is the Soviet leader and his relations with his allies and enemies during the World War II period. The three episodes “Unlikely Friends”, “Cracks in the Alliance” and “Dividing the World” focus on Stalin and the war in three chronological time spans. This fascinating look at one of the world’s most influential leaders includes frequent glimpses into how his personality shaped shrewd and ruthless dealings with everyone from the Allied leaders to his closest comrades. PBS schedules vary among affiliates so check local listings.

The Military Channel is premiering Color of War: D-Day on June 6. Using letters and diaries, the program takes a personal look at how this monumental event affected the men in combat as well as family and friends who sought news of their loved ones in uniform during the difficult opening of the invasion of France. The Military Channel will also air Battlefield: World War II and other programs during the weekend that focus on the Normandy invasion. To commemorate the anniversary, The History Channel will air its special D-Day: The Lost Evidence. It focuses on the Allied photo reconnaissance of the D-Day beaches during the landings. The recently rediscovered photographs have been interpreted with specially designed computer animation and augmented by eyewitness accounts of American, British and German veterans. Computer animation is also a feature of The History Channel’s popular new series Patton 360 that combines video-game-inspired battle scenes with period film footage. A new episode, “On Hitler’s Doorstep,” airs D-Day weekend. Rounding out the WWII–themed programming on the channel is Tora, Tora, Tora: The Real Story of Pearl Harbor.

The television industry’s own “D-Day” occurs a week later, and it has nothing to do with Normandy. After June 12 full-power U. S. broadcast stations will cease analog transmission by order of congressional legislation. Not to be confused with HDTV, the new all-digital transmission of television signals will affect all TVs, from the new flat-screens to those vintage portables and fine wood cabinet models you’ve managed to hang onto all these years. Unless you have cable or satellite service, or a recent model TV with a built-in digital tuner, you’ll need a converter box. With digital TV you’ll now be able to get all kinds of strange new local channels over the air as each traditional channel is multiplied: 2-1, 2-2, etc. For more information check out the official digital TV website.

Tell A Friend:

Find similar posts tagged with: movies, pop culture, television, World History
5 Comments »