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Journey into the Past for “My Grandparents’ War” – Series Starts Sunday, April 4 at 8:00 pm
< < Back toHelena Bonham Carter, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas and Carey Mulligan Explore Their Families’ Pasts in
My Grandparents’ War
Four-part World War II history-genealogy series premieres Sundays, April 4-25 at 8:00 pm on PBS
Combining key moments in history with compelling personal stories, My Grandparents’ War is a new four-part series that takes a fascinating journey into the past to understand the extraordinary impact of World War II on the families of four British actors. Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, “Harry Potter” series), Mark Rylance (“Dunkirk,” “Bridge of Spies,” Masterpiece: Wolf Hall), Kristin Scott Thomas (“Darkest Hour,” “The English Patient”) and Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman,” “The Great Gatsby”) each host a one-hour journey into their respective family histories as they travel to historic locations, from the beaches of Dunkirk to the former site of a prisoner-of-war camp in Hong Kong, to retrace their grandparents’ footsteps during the conflict that changed their lives forever. My Grandparents’ War premieres Sundays, April 4-25 at 8 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video App.
All four Hollywood stars have unanswered questions about the scars the war left on their grandparents. In each episode of My Grandparents’ War, they’ll discover remarkable stories of bravery amid the most harrowing circumstances, uncovering the life-and-death decisions their grandparents were forced to make. The series examines universal themes of love, courage and self-sacrifice through the dramatic human stories of ordinary people caught up in one of the most horrific wars of all time.
Episode 1: “Helena Bonham Carter”
Premieres Sunday, April 4 at 8 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app
Helena Bonham Carter’s grandparents—two in France, two in England—weren’t conventional war heroes. They didn’t fight in any battles but did save countless lives. Bonham Carter explores the story of her maternal grandfather, Eduardo Propper de Callejón. A Spanish diplomat, de Callejón defied his government’s orders by issuing visas to help Jewish people escape the Holocaust as the Nazis invaded France. She learns her paternal grandmother, Lady Violet Bonham Carter, took her own stand against anti-Semitism. A mother of four and a liberal politician, Violet was also ahead of her time, volunteering as an air raid warden and campaigning for women’s rights.
Episode 2: “Mark Rylance”
Premieres Sunday, April 11 at 8 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app
Actor and peace activist Mark Rylance explores the World War II story of his grandfather, Osmond Skinner, who spent almost four years as a Japanese prisoner of war. Rylance learns how Skinner, a banker, bravely joined the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps and was thrown into a deadly battle to defend the island. With no military training, he was shot on Christmas Day and taken as a POW. Rylance’s views on war are tested as he uncovers the real and shocking story of how his grandfather survived Hong Kong’s notorious POW camps.
Episode 3: “Kristin Scott Thomas”
Premieres Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app
Kristin Scott Thomas’ grandfather, William Scott Thomas, served as a commanding officer in the Royal Navy throughout World War II. He survived some of the most devastating battles, from Dunkirk to D-Day, but never spoke about his experiences. For the first time, Thomas uncovers how her grandfather saved thousands at Dunkirk and endured the horrors of the Russian Arctic convoys. Her journey of discovery is packed with revelation and emotion as she meets the families of people her grandfather saved and veterans who served alongside him.
Episode 4: “Carey Mulligan”
Premieres Sunday, April 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app
Carey Mulligan’s grandfather, Denzil Booth, a teenager from the Welsh Valleys, traveled thousands of miles to fight the Japanese military in the final months of the war. Mulligan discovers his university education meant Booth was fast-tracked to be a junior officer in the Navy. On board Britain’s biggest warship—the first ever attacked by Japanese kamikaze aircraft—he lost his closest friends. Mulligan travels to Japan to understand kamikaze culture. She’s shocked by the ages of the pilots and the horrors her grandfather faced when he arrived in Tokyo.
My Grandparents’ War is a production of Wild Pictures for Channel 4 Television. Produced in association with Taphae Productions Limited, in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Presented by Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas and Carey Mulligan. Directed by Francis Hanly, Leo Burley, Laura Nash and Christopher Walker. Series Producer is Leo Burley. Executive Producers are Tom Anstiss and Paul Hamann. For THIRTEEN: Lesley Norman is Executive Producer and Stephen Segaller is Executive-in-Charge.