The Pacific (NR)

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the youth of America rushed to enlist. Defending their country seemed like a noble undertaking and their spirits were high, at least until they reached the battlefields of THE PACIFIC. Most G.I.s understood the basics of the European campaign -- they knew the places where they were fighting and they felt like they understood the enemy, but the war in Asia was totally different. This stunning series follows three Marines, Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) through the war, as they battle an unfamiliar enemy on tiny islands that nobody had ever heard of. As they work their way closer to Japan, the boys who enlisted become combat-hardened men, and learn that the horrors of war exact a heavy toll even on those who survive unscathed.

The Pacific is the companion series to HBO’s Band of Brothers, which followed a World War II Army unit across Europe. This series follows the same format and comes from the same team, executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Based on books by actual veterans of the Pacific campaign, the series offers a realistic, and generally historically accurate, look at the other side of the war: the campaign that took place far, far away.

The series brings the viewer tight into the jungles of Guadalcanal and the beaches of Peleliu, where terrified soldiers faced off against the determined Japanese in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. The harrowing and realistic combat scenes showcase the horrors of war, as well as the often-noble reactions when ordinary soldiers go way beyond the call of duty in valiant, and sometimes vain, efforts to save their comrades. Yes, some of the moments are dramatized, but for the most part The Pacific paints an accurate picture of wartime life. It’s not always pretty to watch, but it’s an amazing look at an important chapter of history.