“World War II in Colour” turns the familiar black-and-white history of World War II into something new by coloring over archive footage. The 13-episode series, created by Jonathan Martin and narrated by Robert Powell, premiered on the Military Channel in 2009. It covers the Western Front, the Eastern Front, the North African Campaign and the Pacific War, drawing on both original and colorized film.
The result is a show that trades the weight of its subject for a lighter, more immediate visual tone. The colorization is the draw, but the series earns its place as a solid documentary history rather than a gimmick.
The Colorization Process
The core trick of “World War II in Colour” is simple: take old black-and-white footage and add color to it. That is the whole premise, and it works better than it sounds. The colorized scenes are sharp and readable, with faces and uniforms carrying more detail than the original grain ever showed. The technique is not new, but the scale here is large enough to carry the entire war across thirteen hours.
The colorization is not perfect. Some shots look patchy, with faded areas and unnatural hues that show the limits of the process. But the best sequences, particularly those showing troops in the field or cities under attack, land with a force that black-and-white footage rarely manages. The series uses the color to slow down the viewer, making a soldier’s face or a bombed street feel closer than it had before.
Robert Powell’s Narration
Robert Powell carries the series through thirteen episodes of war history, and he does it without excess. His delivery is steady and unhurried, reading the script with a calm that suits the material. He does not raise his voice at key dates or battles, and the series is better for it. The narration stays out of the way of the images, letting the footage speak for itself.
The archive figures carry the weight of the actual history. Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Erwin Rommel, Chester W. Nimitz, Douglas MacArthur, Benito Mussolini and Georgi Zhukov appear in their own archive footage, and the series treats each of them with the care of a documentary rather than a talking-heads show. The footage is the star, and Powell’s narration is simply the guide.
The Four Fronts
The series moves across four distinct theaters of war, and it handles each with a clear sense of scale. The Western Front gets its share of coverage, with footage of the Normandy invasion and the advance into Germany. The Eastern Front covers the war against Germany, with a heavy focus on the Soviet side of the conflict. The North African Campaign follows the desert fighting between Axis and Allied forces. And the Pacific War closes the series with the naval battles and the final push toward Japan.
Each episode is built around a single campaign or turning point, which keeps the pacing tight even across thirteen hours. The series does not waste time on filler or extended setup, and it moves from one front to another without losing momentum. That structure rewards patience, since the viewer can jump into almost any episode and find a coherent story.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The series has a clear set of strengths, and a few weaknesses that keep it from greatness. Here is how they break down:
- The colorization is the strongest feature. It makes old footage feel fresh again.
- The narration is solid, steady and unobtrusive.
- The archive footage is high quality and well organized.
- The pacing across four fronts keeps the series moving.
- The colorization is not always consistent, with some shots looking patchy.
The weaknesses are minor compared to the strengths. The patchiness of the colorization is noticeable, especially in close-ups, but it never ruins the sequence. The series also leans heavily on its visual appeal, which means some viewers might find the text-heavy approach less engaging than a more interactive format. Still, the overall effect is positive, and the series holds together across its full run.
Final Word
“World War II in Colour” succeeds because it commits fully to its idea. The colorization is the whole point, and the series does not try to hide behind it. The result is a documentary that looks forward while staying faithful to the history it documents.
The series is not a masterpiece, and it does not pretend to be one. It is a well-made, well-organized account of a war told in a way that feels fresh. The colorization is the hook, but the history is the meat.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
