Series synopsis
Apocalypse: The Second World War, also known as Apocalypse : La 2ème Guerre mondiale is a French documentary war & politics television series that premiered on France 2 on September 8, 2009. It ended on September 22, 2009. It was created by Isabelle Clarke, Daniel Costelle, Jean-Louis Guillaud, Henri de Turenne. It stars Mathieu Kassovitz, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A six-part French documentary about the Second World War composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens. The series is shown in color, with the black and white footage being fully colorized, save for some original color footage. The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes, which are presented in the original black and white.
Premise
A six-part French documentary about the Second World War composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens. The series is shown in color, with the black and white footage being fully colorized, save for some original color footage. The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes, which are presented in the original black and white.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Mathieu Kassovitz as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower as Self (archive footage)
- Adolf Hitler as Self (archive footage)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt as Self (archive footage)
- Charles de Gaulle as Self (archive footage)
- Heinrich Himmler as Self (archive footage)
- Erwin Rommel as Self (archive footage)
- Joseph Stalin as Self (archive footage)
Supporting cast
- Hermann Göring as Self (archive footage)
- Winston Churchill as Self (archive footage)
- Benito Mussolini as Self (archive footage)
Guest cast
- Władysław Sikorski as Self (archive footage)
- James Doolittle as Self (archive footage)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 6 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | September 8, 2009 | September 22, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Aggression (1933–1939) Colourised footage of Hitler as he visits the Austrian village where he grew up, see the heart-felt good-byes as French soldiers leave loved ones at Gare de l’Est train station in Paris and civilians. Hitler continues his conquest of Europe by invading Holland and Belgium. |
September 8, 2009 |
| 2 |
Crushing Defeat (1939–1940) The British troops hastily evacuate from the beaches at Dunkirk, France, but are forced to abandon kilometres of precious military vehicles and equipment. Heart-rending footage captures the plight of thousands of French civilians as they flee from the Nazis, as well as home movies taken by Londoners as they dig out from daily bombings. |
September 8, 2009 |
| 3 |
Shock (1940–1941) Polish prisoners and Jews are forced into slave labour to complete Nazi building projects. The Italian army is in disarray so Hitler dispatches one of his best generals to Libya. The Afrika Korps fry eggs on the surfaces of their tanks amidst the blistering desert sands of North Africa. Shock includes vivid colourised footage of the battle for the Soviet Union as the Germans struggle toward Moscow in the brutal Russian winter. |
September 15, 2009 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | France 2 |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 8, 2009 |
| Last aired | September 22, 2009 |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Tuesday at 20:35:00 |