Miniseries
2 episodes May 26, 2024
Overview
A four-hour cinematic documentary covering U.S. involvement in World War I in the critical year of 1918. After three years of horrific battle in the trenches of France and Belgium, the Allies are on the verge of collapse—and Germany the cusp of victory. The United States is forced to rapidly train, arm, and ship millions of young soldiers overseas to Europe for the first time.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 2 episodes
- First aired
- May 27, 2024
- Last aired
- May 28, 2024
- Network
- History
Latest episode: S1 E2 Over the Top (May 28, 2024)
Reviews
6 min readThe Forgotten Front: How The Great War Reclaims a War We Thought We Knew
I’ve watched a lot of war documentaries—too many, probably. They tend to blur together after a while: the same grainy archival footage, the same somber narration, the same maps with arrows marching across Europe like a board game. So when I sat down with The Great War, Mandla Dube’s four-hour documentary series about America’s role in World War I, I braced myself for more of the same.
What I didn’t expect was to feel, by the end, like I’d been holding my breath for the entire runtime.
That’s not to say The Great War reinvents the wheel. It doesn’t. It follows a familiar structure: talking-head historians intercut with dramatic reenactments, the kind of hybrid approach that’s become almost standard for historical documentaries in the last decade.
But what Dube does—almost imperceptibly at first—is shift the focus from the war itself to the people who fought it. Not as soldiers, not as statistics, but as men who were, in many cases, barely more than boys when they were shipped overseas to a conflict they barely understood.
The series opens with a scene that’s become almost cliché in war films: a wide shot of a battlefield, the camera panning across the devastation of No Man’s Land. But then it cuts to a close-up of a soldier’s hands, trembling as he tries to light a cigarette. The match flickers out.
He tries again. The sound of distant artillery rumbles like thunder. It’s a small moment, but it’s the first hint that The Great War isn’t just about the grand strategy of generals or the geopolitical chessboard of empires.
It’s about the hands that shook, the voices that cracked, the men who wrote letters home they knew their families might never read.
Dube’s previous work, particularly his documentary on the Harlem Hellfighters, suggests a preoccupation with stories that history has overlooked. Here, he applies that same lens to the broader American experience in WWI. The series doesn’t shy away from the big names—General Pershing, President Wilson—but it’s far more interested in the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, the so-called "Big Red One," and the African American troops of the 369th Infantry Regiment, who fought under French command because their own country wouldn’t let them fight alongside white soldiers.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Great War (2024): Mandla Dube’s Ambitious WWI Epic
The Great War (2024), the latest historical series from director Mandla Dube, is making waves for its bold blend of drama and documentary storytelling. latestnetflix.com's take is that Chronicling America’s pivotal role in World War I from 1917 to 1918, the series promises a fresh perspective on a conflict often overshadowed by its sequel.But what’s the real story behind its creation?
A Hybrid Approach to History
Dube’s series stands out for its unique format—a mix of dramatic reenactments and documentary techniques. According to IMDb, The Great War features actors like Conradie van Heerden and Khalid Daley alongside historians Yohuru Williams and Edward T. O’Donnell, who provide expert commentary 
. This hybrid style aims to immerse viewers in the trenches while grounding the narrative in historical rigor.
Filmaffinity describes the series as a "four-hour cinematic documentary," suggesting a tight, focused runtime rather than a sprawling multi-season saga 
. The emphasis on 1918—a year when the U.S. tipped the scales for the Allies—positions the project as a deep dive into a critical turning point, not just a broad overview of the war .
The Cast and Creative Team
Details on the full cast and crew remain sparse, but IMDb’s credits page lists a mix of actors and historians, hinting at a collaborative effort between performers and scholars . Dube, known for his work in historical and political storytelling, appears to be the driving force behind the project. His involvement suggests a commitment to authenticity, though specifics on his creative process—such as research methods or on-set challenges—haven’t surfaced in the available snippets.
One unanswered question: How many episodes does the series contain? The evidence doesn’t specify, leaving room for speculation. Given the "four-hour" label, it’s possible The Great War is a limited run, perhaps a miniseries or a single extended documentary .
Why WWI? Why Now?
The timing of The Great War is intriguing. While World War II dominates popular culture, WWI has seen a resurgence in recent years, from 1917 (2019) to They Shall Not Grow Old (2018). Dube’s series may be capitalizing on this renewed interest, offering a U.S.-centric narrative that fills a gap in mainstream portrayals of the conflict.
The TMDB description teases high stakes: "After three years of horrific battle... the Allies are on the verge of collapse—and Germany the cusp of victory" . This framing suggests a dramatic, almost cinematic tension, even if the series leans documentary. Whether it delivers on that promise remains to be seen, but the premise alone is enough to pique curiosity.
What’s Missing?
For all its potential, The Great War has left some key details in the dark. There’s no word on filming locations, budget, or whether the series faced production hurdles—common in period pieces. Rumors about behind-the-scenes drama or creative clashes? Nonexistent in the available evidence. The lack of buzz around the cast (beyond a few names) also suggests a project that’s flown under the radar, at least for now.
If more information surfaces, it could shed light on Dube’s vision or the challenges of blending drama and documentary. Until then, The Great War remains a tantalizing but under-documented entry in 2024’s historical TV landscape.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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