There are many movies about World War II. Some of these films were made during the war, and countless others have been made since the war ended. However, although television was first exhibited at the 1939 World Fair, it did not become generally available until after the war’s end. Thus no television shows could be made about the war during the war, but, excluding miniseries such as Band of Brothers, several television comedy and drama series have been set against the backdrop of World War II.
Hogan’s Heroes
This situation comedy originally ran on CBS from 1965 to 1971. It was a spoof-like version of the Academy Award winning Billy Wilder film Stalag 17 (1953), which was based on the Broadway play of the same name.
Hogan’s Hereos was about the antics of a group of World War II prisoners of war. Repeats are currently shown on TVLand.
Dad’s Army
This was a British sitcom which aired on the BBC from 1968 to 1977. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who were also responsible for writing other historically set comedies such as You Rang M’Lord and Hi-de-Hi. The writing duo also co-wrote another World War II comedy, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, centered round a group of soldiers which stages entertainment productions for fellow troops.
Dad’s Army was about the Home Guard of volunteers, who were otherwise ineligible for military service during the war. It is often repeated on BBC Two, and it is available on DVD on both Region 1 and 2 format.
‘Allo ‘Allo!
This was a British sitcom which aired on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992. It revolved round the World War II experiences of French café owner René Artois (Gorden Kaye), who continuously faces trouble staying on the right side of both the French Resistance and the Germans occupying France.
The comedy featured many elements of farce. It was written by David Croft and Jeremy Llyod, who were also responsible for the international hit, Are You Being Served?. This wartime comedy about the allies still airs in syndication on BBC in Britain and on PBS in the United States. It is also available on DVD.
Goodnight Sweetheart
This BBC sitcom was set jointly in both the 1940s and 1990s. It ran from 1993 to 1999, and featured Nicholas Lyndhurst as Gary Sparrow, who stumbles upon a portal to the past. Throughout the series Gary travels between his modern day life, as a television repairman with a wife, Yvonne, and war-era East London, where he falls for pub landlady Phoebe. As the series continues, Gary becomes a bi-decade bigamist, also living a more affluent life in both eras.
This comedy still sometimes airs in syndication in Britain, where it is also available on DVD. It used to air in the United States on PBS, but it is not available on NTSC formated DVD. It is being released on DVD in Australia on Region 4.
Remember WENN
Remember WENN was an original comedy series which was created by Rupert Holmes. It aired on American Movie Classics (AMC) from 1996 to 1998. After its cancellation all 56 episodes were repeated on AMC, but it has not since been syndicated. AMC has also not released the series on DVD.
This show was set during the golden age of radio in a small station, WENN, in Pittsburgh. It followed the lives and adventures of its diverse staff between the years of 1939 and 1941. Many storylines were influenced by the already raging war in Europe, but it was not until the penultimate episode that the United States was shown entering the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Waltons
This American television series was predominately set during the Depression, but it followed the stories of the Walton family of Virginia through World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr., who based the series on stories from his own family.
The critically acclaimed Emmy Award-winning series ran on CBS from 1972 until 1981, and it was followed by several television reunion movies. Until recent weeks it aired in syndication on Hallmark. The seasons began to be released on DVD in 2004, with the final season set to be released on Region 1 DVD in April 2009.
Tenko
This was a dramatic series, which was co-produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation. The hour long episodes originally aired from 1981 to 1984, and one two hour reunion special was made in 1985.
Tenko told the stories of various British, Australian, and Dutch women who were kept prisoner by the Japanese after the invasion of Singapore in 1942. The series followed its characters to the end of the war, and showed the after affects of having been a prisoner of war.
Tenko used to be syndicated on UK Gold. The entire series is available on Region 2 DVD, and is currently partially available on Region 1 DVD.
Foyle’s War
Foyle’s War is a British drama which has aired on ITV since 2000. In the United States, it sometimes airs on PBS. All the already existing series have been released on both Region 1 and Region 2 DVD.
This is a detective series, which features the character Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) attempting to apprehend criminals who are taking advantage of the confusion of war.
The World at War on the World of Television
For many people alive today World War II was not a fictional story or historical dramatization being broadcast on the television set in the living room, but rather it was developing news hitting home. Yet, people of all generations seem to share an interest in the complexity of what daily life was like during this historical wartime era.
From documentaries to miniseries, representations of the war can often be found on television. Yet, weekly comedies and dramas seem to more appropriately be able to fulfill the human curiosity about daily existence during the war.
