Welcome to HBO's Band of Brothers Podcast. This is Roger Bennett. I say Flash, you say Thunder.

This podcast is a celebration of HBO's Band of Brothers as it turns 20. That's right! The epic

groundbreaking genre-changing mini-series created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in the

wake of saving Private Ryan is two decades old. September 9, 2001 was the exact date it premiered

on HBO, and filling ten intricately plotted episodes upon the viewing public. Based on

historian Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers book, when it's our following the journey of easy

company, second battalion of the 506 parachute infantry regiment of the 101st Airborne Division

US Army, from its inception at Boot Camp at Camp Tokewa, Georgia, all the way to the Eagles nest,

and the end of the Second World War in Europe. The show, with its impressive budget of $125

million, was at the time of shooting the most expensive Intellivision history. And its scope,

as a result, is astounding, forged by the best writers, directors, cinematographers,

set designers, hair and makeup artists and on and on, breathing life into a script that contained

over 500 speaking parts, most of which are handed out to a cast of Venna Noons, who under-took

an intense ten-month production period, surrounded by more than 10,000 extras. Band of Brothers

has proceeded to become a beloved piece of television, revered around the world, for the quality

of its acting, the audacious historic sweep of narrative, and the show's commitment at its heart

to honouring the legacy of a fading breed of American heroes, yet its own journey was no

straight line. Within 36 hours of Band of Brothers debut, September 11th occurred,

an event which altered the course of global history. And while those attacks cast a shadow,

they initially muted America's reception to the show, Band of Brothers singular brilliance.

As proceeded to empower a popularity that unbelievably seems to grow year on year,

this is a series that millions of die-hard viewers watch on HBO Max, on an annual recurring basis,

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