HISTORY ANNOUNCES VOICE & NARRATION TALENT FOR A UNIQUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE - WWII in HD
10-Part Series on HISTORY� to premiere 4th Quarter 2009
Gary Sinise to narrate
Other top Hollywood names lend their voices
to bring this extraordinary project to life
THE WAR AS IT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE
PASADENA, JULY 29, 2009 � History� announced today an exciting lineup of talent to voice its upcoming series event, WWII in HD, set to launch in 4th Quarter 2009. One of the network's most ambitious projects to date, the 10-part series promises to be the most visually astonishing World War II drama/documentary ever shown on television � a view through the eyes of 12 Americans who fought in or contributed to the war effort. Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise (CSI: NY) will narrate.
In addition, individual war stories of these 12 Americans will be voiced by the following actors:
Jack Werner: JUSTIN BARTHA
Rockie Blunt: ROB CORDDRY
Richard Tregaskis: TIM DEKAY
Archie Sweeney: MARK HEFTI
Jimmie Kanaya: JAMES KYSON LEE
Charles Scheffel: RON LIVINGSTON
Shelby F. Westbrook: LL COOL J
Robert Sherrod: ROB LOWE
Bert Stiles: JOSH LUCAS
Jack Yusen: JASON RITTER
June Wandrey: AMY SMART
Nolen Marbrey: STEVE ZAHN
HISTORY has preserved and restored thousands of hours of color archival footage unearthed from archives and private collections across the globe and never seen by most Americans. The archival footage has been restored to pristine condition through advanced HD technology. Some of this "lost" footage has not been seen since the 1940s. Artfully shot contemporary HD footage will be seamlessly blended in to reveal what has become of the places where men fought and died.
Diaries, journals, interviews and Dolby "soundscape" also are incorporated to enhance these striking visuals. WWII in HD thus transforms a war that many Americans know only through black-and-white newsreel footage into something viscerally real, relatable and again relevant. Viewers will experience, for the first time on television, what this war truly looked and felt like.
The series follows a handful of people as their personal journeys cross-connect with one another throughout the war. Their stories, culled from diaries, journals, and new interviews, will be delivered with emotional impact by some of Hollywood's top talents, helping to recreate the war's events not as detached historical facts, but rather as profound experiences on the level of a great Hollywood epic. The veterans themselves also appear, recounting their experiences first hand.
As part of History's multi-media partnership with the Library of Congress and its collection of nearly 140 million items, History also will incorporate original Library of Congress audio recordings from World War II into the series.
"This is History at its core," said Nancy Dubuc, Executive Vice President and General Manager of HISTORY. "We are committed to preserving our heritage and the remarkable digital technology of WWII in HD will go a long way in ensuring that we never forget the sacrifice made by the Greatest Generation."
Executive Producers for History are David McKillop and Michael Stiller. WWII in HD is produced for HISTORY by Lou Reda Productions. Executive Producers for Lou Reda Productions are Lou Reda and Scott Reda. Matthew Ginsberg is Executive Producer.
HISTORY� and HISTORY HD� are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as How The Earth Was Made, Ax Men, Battle 360, The Universe, and Ice Road Truckers, as well as acclaimed specials including 102 Minutes That Changed America, King, Life After People, 1968 with Tom Brokaw, Nostradamus: 2012 and Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, four Primetime Emmy� Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy� Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History� campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY web site, located at www.history.com, is the definitive historical online source that delivers entertaining and informative content featuring broadband video, interactive timelines, maps, games, podcasts and more.
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