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World War II with Tom Hanks began airing in the United States on May 25, 2026, according to HISTORY’s episode guide, which lists its first three episodes for that date. The premiere is not worldwide on one date: German-language HISTORY and Canadian channel Historia announced May 26 starts. The series is listed as 20 episodes.
When does World War II with Tom Hanks premiere?
Dates and schedules depend on the territory. The announced dates below are network listings, not a single global release schedule.
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| 1 |
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The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ultimate Collections: World War II | $44.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Territory | Announced start | Schedule and access |
|---|---|---|
| United States | May 25, 2026 | HISTORY lists episodes 1–3 as aired on this date. Its page says the series streams on HISTORY. HISTORY episode guide |
| German-language market | May 26, 2026, at 20:15 | The HISTORY Channel announced a first-episode preview, followed by two episodes each Friday at 20:15. Episodes were to be available on demand after broadcast. The HISTORY Channel announcement |
| French-language Canada | May 26, 2026, at 21:00 | Corus announced the series would begin airing on Historia. Its announcement does not establish an on-demand schedule. Corus announcement |
| Other EMEA markets | No date in the initial announcement | Hearst named Sky HISTORY in the UK and The HISTORY Channel across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, saying premiere dates would be announced later. Hearst Networks announcement |
For markets without a date above, check the local channel listings or the official HISTORY episode page. Channel availability and on-demand access differ by region, and the announcements do not provide a complete international schedule or current subscription terms.
What is the series about?
World War II with Tom Hanks is a documentary series hosted and narrated by Hanks. HISTORY lists one season with 20 episodes. Its episode guide starts with Germany’s invasion of Poland and moves through the war at sea, Guadalcanal, Stalingrad, Italy, the Battle for the Skies and Operation Overlord, then covers the Pacific campaign, home fronts, resistance, the final battles in Europe and the dawn of the nuclear age. The episode descriptions indicate a military and civilian scope.
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The German-language HISTORY announcement describes a chronological account extending from the invasion of Poland through the Axis defeat, the atomic age and postwar Cold War tensions. It says the series addresses land, sea and air campaigns, soldiers and civilians, the Holocaust, resistance, espionage and codebreaking, industrial mobilization and home-front life. Those are the network’s descriptions of the program, not an independent assessment of its historical accuracy.
Who made it?
In its January 13, 2026 announcement, Hearst Networks identified A+E Factual Studios and Nutopia as producers, in association with Playtone and Motion Entertainment. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are executive producers for Playtone; Jon Meacham is also named as an executive producer. The German HISTORY announcement credits the same key figures and companies.
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The German HISTORY release also reports that the network worked with the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and drew on the expertise of museum historians and other specialists. That description establishes a reported production collaboration; it does not by itself indicate the museum endorsed every interpretation in the series.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How widely is it being distributed?
The HISTORY Channel said in its March 4, 2026 German-language announcement that the series would roll out in 200 territories, in 40 language versions and to nearly 400 million households. Corus repeated those figures in its March 3 Canadian announcement. These are network-stated distribution estimates, not independently measured audience figures.
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- World War II encompassed some of America's greatest triumphs and most bitter defeats. The ULTIMATE COLLECTIONS: WORLD WAR II is a comprehensive and intimate survey of this epic war featuring nearly 30 of its greatest World War II documentaries, each packed with original archival footage, interviews with military experts and historians, and gripping reenactments. This essential 10-disc anthology of
Hanks said in Hearst Networks’ January 13 announcement that World War II was a recurring subject in the lives of the adults around him while he was growing up, and that the war’s lasting effects reached both the world and his own family. He described the long-form series as an opportunity to tell the history “in its entirety.”
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