Band of Brothers (TV, 2001)

This joint venture between Americas HBO, Dreamworks and the BBC it tells the story of Easy Company, part of the 101st Airborne division, during the second world war. Over 10 episodes, we follow the company through training, D-day, the landings in Holland, the battle of the Bulge, entering Germany and the discovery of the camps and finally victory in Europe.
Adapted from the writing of the men themselves and with most episodes featuring introductions from those men this series was one of the first to introduce movie-making techniques into a television format.
Episode directors include Tom Hanks, David Frankel and Mikael Salomon and the extensive British and American cast includes many recognizable members and is arguably responsible for making Damian Lewis an international star, and deservedly so.
The show no doubt owed a lot to the popularity of Saving Private Ryan a few years earlier but is much less sentimental, much more historically correct and because of the format gives the viewer more in terms of characterization.
One of the best things this boy's ever seen on TV, it's well worth owning and watching again and again, I certainly do.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/?ref_=nv_sr_1