A new documentary is being released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of HBO’s landmark war drama Band Of Brothers.
Released in September 2001 on the cable network, the show was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks following their Oscar-winning collaboration on World War 2 drama Saving Private Ryan. It dramatised the history of American soldiers in “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.
Following them from training to D-Day, and their occupation of Berchtesgaden (the location of one of Adolf Hitler’s homes), the show mixed dramatisation with the recollection of real-life soldiers. The miniseries starred Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, and David Schwimmer, as well as featuring early-career appearances from Tom Hardy, James McAvoy, and Stephen Graham.
The show is remembered as one of the best TV dramas of all time, winning seven Emmy awards and a Peabody award. Now, to commemorate its 25th anniversary, documentary Band Of Brothers: Legacy will examine the impact of the miniseries, as well as a look into its creation.
In the trailer, which can be viewed above, cast members including Lewis and Schwimmer look back on the preparation they underwent for their roles, the reaction to the miniseries, and the responsibility they feel to honour the legacy of their real-life counterparts. It also points out the poignancy of the show airing on September 9, 2001, two days before the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City.
Band Of Brothers: Legacy will be available on HBO Max from September 9.
Band Of Brothers led to the companion pieces The Pacific, which aired in 2010, and Masters Of The Air, which debuted in 2024. The latter was given a five-star review by NME, which concluded: “When Band Of Brothers first came out, it was the kind of show that sold new television sets. Two decades later, Masters Of The Air is only selling Apple TV+ subscriptions, but it feels like no less of an event. This kind of thing doesn’t come around too often.”
