Director: Mark Radice
World War II With Tom Hanks is a 2026 documentary series that follows the Second World War from its outbreak in Europe to the conflict's final days, with narration led by Tom Hanks.
What is World War Ii With Tom Hanks about?
Across its episodes, the series moves through the war in roughly chronological order. It opens in September 1939 with the fighting in Poland and carries the account forward through the campaigns in Western Europe, the air battles over Britain, the vast Eastern Front, the fighting across North Africa, and the island campaigns of the Pacific. Alongside the military timeline, the programme looks at the decisions taken by wartime governments and the commanders who directed the fighting, and at how new weapons and industrial output reshaped the scale of combat. It also turns to the civilians caught inside the war: the populations displaced, the cities bombed, and the communities living under occupation. The account closes with the events of 1945, including the war's conclusion in Europe and the Pacific and the arrival of the atomic age. Archival footage, maps, and expert commentary are used throughout to set out the sequence of events.
Cast & crew
Tom Hanks serves as the on-screen presenter and narrator of the series. He is a well-known American actor whose earlier work includes several productions set during the Second World War, and here he guides the viewer through the historical account rather than appearing in a dramatised role. Because the programme is a factual documentary, it relies on historians, archival records, and reconstructed timelines rather than a dramatic cast.
Context & significance
The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945 and drew in most of the world's nations, organised into the Allied and Axis powers. It remains the deadliest conflict in recorded history, affecting soldiers and civilians across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The documentary treats this period as historical record, tracing events such as major battles, the leadership of figures on both sides, and the technological changes, from aviation and mechanised warfare to nuclear weapons, that marked the era. Produced for an international audience, the series was made in the United States and the United Kingdom and released in 2026.
Where & how to watch
You can watch World War II With Tom Hanks on K-Time with a free account login, while reading this page requires no account. A Persian dub and Persian subtitles are both available, and the K-Time interface is built for Farsi-speaking viewers across the Iranian diaspora, so you can follow the series comfortably in Persian.