New ‘World War II in Color’ Series Lands With Discovery U.K., European Buyers (EXCLUSIVE)

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – U.K., French, and German channels have signed up for “Greatest Events of World War II in HD Colour.” The documentary series uses colorization software to show events from the conflict in color for the first time.

Discovery has landed the series for the U.K., N-TV has it in Germany, and Planete+ will show it in France. The show is produced by London-based World Media Rights. It is a follow-up to the U.K. shingle’s “World War II in HD Colour,” which was narrated by Robert Powell and sold well internationally, landing in more than 50 territories.

The new series runs to 10 one-hour installments, covering some of the landmark events of the war, including the Battle of Britain and the bombing of Hiroshima. The producers sourced archival footage, much of it previously unseen, from almost 40 different sources. The series has rare library footage from Japan and Russia, and the producers used a colorization process to bring it to life for the new series.

Alan Griffiths, CEO of “Black Ops” producer , exec produced the series. He said the new show “will appeal to history binge watchers around the world.’’

Germany’s ZDF Enterprises did the French deal and oversees international distribution.