HBO's Band of Brothers Still Finding Viewers 25 Years On

Interest in World War II remains strong, and Tom Hanks is revisiting the conflict in a 20-part documentary, World War II with Tom Hanks. He was involved earlier with Saving Private Ryan and three years later served as executive producer alongside Steven Spielberg on HBO's Band of Brothers, an account of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, aka "Easy Company." Twenty-five years later, the miniseries continues to find viewers on streaming.

Band of Brothers feels cinematic from the first frame. It was shot on 35mm motion picture film and uses practical effects to stage its battles. The production aims for historical accuracy down to how to pack a parachute or how elbows are bent to absorb recoil, and each episode opens with interviews with surviving Easy Company veterans.

The result is a visceral portrayal: battles that are ugly, constrictive and exhausting, where every gain comes with loss. The series prioritizes characters over spectacle.

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