1914-1918 (1996– )
"The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century" (original title)

Stars:

Judi Dench, Salome Jens, Jürgen Prochnow

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Judi Dench	...	Narrator (8 episodes, 1996)
Salome Jens	...	Narrator (U.S.A Verison) (8 episodes, 1996)
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Kaiser Wilhelm II (5 episodes, 1996)
Michael York	...	Harold Owen (5 episodes, 1996)
Tim Pigott-Smith		(4 episodes, 1996)
Ian Richardson	...	David Lloyd George (4 episodes, 1996)
Jay Winter	...	Himself (4 episodes, 1996)
Rene Auberjonois	...	Jean Jaures (3 episodes, 1996)
Leslie Caron	...	Czarina Aleksandra Romanov (3 episodes, 1996)
Ralph Fiennes	...	Wilfred Owen (3 episodes, 1996)
Rupert Graves		(3 episodes, 1996)
Jeremy Irons	...	Siegfried Sassoon (3 episodes, 1996)
David Keith	...	Himself (3 episodes, 1996)
Jeroen Krabbé		(3 episodes, 1996)
Martin Landau	...	Woodrow Wilson (3 episodes, 1996)
Malcolm McDowell	...	Charles Stockwell (3 episodes, 1996)
Liam Neeson	...	Adolf Hitler (3 episodes, 1996)
Natasha Richardson		(3 episodes, 1996)
Kai Wulff	...	Franz Blumenfeldt (3 episodes, 1996)
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Vera Brittain (2 episodes, 1996)
David Hayter		(2 episodes, 1996)
Allan Hendrick		(2 episodes, 1996)
Udo Kier		(2 episodes, 1996)
Paul Mercurio	...	Cyril Lawrence (2 episodes, 1996)
Helen Mirren	...	Margaret Randa (2 episodes, 1996)
Marion Ross	...	Kathe Kollwitz (2 episodes, 1996)
Fredrich Solms		(2 episodes, 1996)
Norman Stone	...	Himself (2 episodes, 1996)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

cannibalism | canadian | german soldier | jew | genocide | 

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Genres:

Biography | History | Sport | War

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Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

1914-1918

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Imperial War Museum, KCET

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Features I Accuse (1919)

User Reviews

The best documentary ever produced on WW I

This movie is one of the only reasons I finally broke down and bought a VHS-DVD dubbing recorder. Bar none, it is the best documentary ever produced on World War I. And I've been worried the VHS tape would dry-rot and crinkle and prevent my future enjoyment of this masterpiece.

From the all-star cast for the voice-over work to the beautifully restored vintage video to its hauntingly eerie soundtrack to its historically exacting accuracy and insightful commentary, there is absolutely nothing negative I can say about this documentary other than it's a shame it's not out on DVD, in the classrooms and libraries and available for future generations.

If you're lucky, you'll find a vintage VHS copy on one of the auction sites but be prepared to pay for the privilege of ownership. I've seen used sets sell for $300 and more. But, honestly, it would be worth the price in either the 4 2-hour tape or the 8 1-hour tape versions.