Anyone who liked Band of Brothers should be interested in Steven Spielbergs new mini series due for 2006.
The Pacific War

Im excited about this as Band of Brothers was such a quality drama. Shame theres no Simon Pegg in it this time round. (I think)

Sounds good - I wonder if Hanks will cameo again?

I hope it's good, since Band of Brothers was one of the greatest things that I have seen. However, whenever anyone tries to recapture something that was a success, it tend to be not so successful.



Does that mean it's not going to be a "true story"? To me, a lot of the appeal of BOB was that it was true, with the real guys there at the beginning of every episode. BOB was made on the tails of the popularity of "fictional" Private Ryan, which was quite inferior to me. However, since it's also going to be a mini-series and not restricted to movie length, I hold out hope. I'm also not as interested in the Pacific War Theatre as much, but that's just a personal preference.

I think its in safe hands.　Im reading a very good book about the Pacific war at the moment, written from the Japanese perspective.( One thing I learnt is that if the Japanese prime minister hadnt been suffering from a bad case of piles the Japanese would never have signed a deal with Nazi Germany.)

Back on topic, I had hoped that they could do a Pacific version of BoB as its a very much unknown area compared to the european conflict.

Too right!!!! I love BOB - it makes me cry like some little girl. In between wibbles over Damian Lewis and Eugene the Cajun medic.

Sefi x

Oh yeah, the Japanese were very reluctant to go to war, right...


Don't get me wrong, I love their little cotton socks. I might be considered a sinophile. Adored the country since I first heard their policy on baths...

Yeah, I saw long ago on IMDB that a Pacific counterpart to BOB was in production. I agree seeing the real guys and all that added to the drama, but I think that if the new series is written in a similar way (which is, more personal and humane) it can be as good. I'm not sure though if I'll watch it on TV. Waiting for the DVDs and watching the whole stuff together should make it even better!

But the sino- prefix refers to the Chinese! Wouldn't you instead be, say, a Nipponophile?

As for the Pacific theatre, I dearly wish I knew more about it, and that my paternal grandfather hadn't shuffled off the ol' mortal coil when I was but two years of age. He spent a few years of the war crawling through the jungle, eating grubs and insects for sustenance, in the Pacific.

Of course, he may not have spoken of it much, had he lived longer. His brother, who died just a few years ago, never said a word of his experience first as an infantry rifleman in Normandy, and later as a prisoner-of-war in Stalag 7A.

My maternal grandfather, on the other hand, attended a Lutheran seminary instead.

Of course... I was thinking of the term sino-japanese relationships when trying to think of a prefix, and well, I may be considered a little slow...

Thanks to my job, I know way more about the war than someone my age should.

To me the Pacific war is less personal because of being detached from the enemy on board ships & fighting in the air in dogfights. Or else creeping through the jungle where the enemy is hiding....somewhere. The European War had a lot to do with liberating towns and giving people their freedom back.

And the fact that I have a preference for the different parts for WWII is starting to disturb me.

Yeah, that's a little concerning... "Eh, I agree, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were pretty bad, but they just didn't have the same zing as the raids on Dresden."

Oh no. Dont get me wrong. They did some pretty nasty shit. They go on about Hiroshima loads here but get very sniffy if you mention Nanking. Im just saying its such a little understood part of WW2. Its definitly going to be a tricky subject to do which is why im so interested to see how it turns out.

Trailers are up!

Airs in the US next month, this Easter in the UK on Sky - I had no idea this was so close, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they have done!

Blimey! Great thread revival there, Raven!

I too am looking forward to it. If it's half as good as Band Of Brothers, it ahould be great.

Jesus H christ it's been in the making a long time. I'll have to wait for it on Blu-Ray. Dint have sky which really sucks

And a load more trailers on YouTube.

Looks like it may be a straight drama rather than a re-telling, but I'm not sure.

Why isn't the BBC showing this?! Bloody Sky . . .

It's most likely because the series wasn't produced by the BBC as Band of Brothers had been, so they wouldn't have had the option to be the first channel to show it.

HBO site

It's on Sky Premier which means you need to have the movies channels to watch it, I'm hoping they'll repeat it on Sky One if nothing else.

2006?

War takes time.

It does look good. May re-watch Band Of Brothers. I feel it lags once they're in Germany, though.

That's the last three episodes. 'The Last Patrol' I really like. Scotty Grimes is marvellous as a war-weary Malarky. 'Why We Fight' is the most fabricated of the entire series, and you can tell. Great performances aside, it it a bit 'Spielberg', 'Points' is in Germany by necessity, really, and gives a nice book end. Plus, it's narrated by Damien Lewis, doing his sexy American accent.

I am very much looking forward to this. It'll be a whole new round of 'who is teh sex?"

And - ye' know - gripping drama based upon real life daring and bravery. Real life heroes portraying their stories for posterity through the medium of drama from acclaimed writer/director and the ground breaking cable channel.

It isn't about the candy.

I'll have to wait for DVD, I've just cancelled my Sky movies, as it goes up to full price again next month.

I would have aid the 'love story' in Bastogne was the most fabricated as it's been confirmed it never happened? The events in 'Why We Fight' are at least accurate, even if they didn't necessarily happen in that fashion with Easy.
Why We Fight is my favourite episode, because it makes me cry, followed by Currahee, because of the shorts.


And serious war-stuff aside, this is going to be hard pressed to up the sex quotient established by BoB.

Lewis, Laing, Livingstone, Grimes etc etc...