World War II with Tom Hanks: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks is a landmark documentary event that reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. "World War II with Tom Hanks" is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.

Series details

• Title: World War II with Tom Hanks
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Genres: War, History
• Premiere date: 2026-05-25
• Status in TVmaze: Running
• Network listed by TVmaze: History
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVmaze community rating: 8.2/10
• TVMaze ID: 91080
• IMDb ID: tt40385200
• TVDB ID: 472884

Cast and credited roles

• Tom Hanks — Tom Hanks

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2026-05-25; final listed air date 2026-07-27; episode order: 20.

Source and licence

Adapted from World War II with Tom Hanks on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.