Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers, based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s book, is among the most memorable undertakings in television history. The commitment of time and resources from Home Box Office is put to admirable use by Executive Producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and Co-Executive Producers Stephen E. Ambrose, Gary Goetzman and Tony To. Together with Supervising Producers Erik Bork and Erik Jendresen and Producer Mary Richards, they created the equivalent of 10 motion pictures to chronicle the true heroism of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Band of Brothers recounts the full sweep of the war in the European Theatre, from training camps to D-Day, through the liberation of concentration camps and on to the capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. But the production never fails to bring historic events and mighty decisions down to the level of single actions, to the loyalties that bind soldier to soldier. In so doing it reminds us of the deeper personal costs of war and of the significance of individual choices made in terrible circumstances. Such a production required the efforts of massive teams headed by Directors Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Mikael Salomon, David Nutter, Tom Hanks, David Leland, David Frankel, and Tony To. They relied on scripts by Erik Jendresen, Tom Hanks, John Orloff, E. Max Frye, Graham Yost, Bruce C. McKenna, and Erik Bork. The words and pictures came to life in the efforts of an outstanding cast, including Kirk Acevedo, Eion Bailey, Michael Cudlitz, Scott Grimes, Frank John Hughes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, James Madio, Neal McDonough, David Schwimmer, Donnie Wahlberg and Colin Hanks. These actors portrayed the lives of real men, many of whom appeared throughout the series in deeply moving interview segments. For relying on both history and memory to create a new tribute to those who fought,a Peabody goes to Band of Brothers.