Best war films and series to stream on Anzac Day

With its drama, action, tragedy and propensity to bring out the best and worst in humankind, war has been a rich source of material for television. Here’s the best shows to stream right now.

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With its drama, action, tragedy and propensity to bring out the very best and worst in humankind, war has been a rich source of material for television. Here’s some of the rich variety of war shows available to stream right now.

DEADLINE GALLIPOLI (Foxtel)

One of a raft of historical dramas released to commemorate the centenary of the landings on the infamous Turkish peninsula, Deadline Gallipoli tells the story of the ill-fated campaign that helped shape the Australian psyche through the eyes of fours four war correspondents, and stars Joel Jackson as “official” Australian correspondent Charles Bean and Sam Worthington as little-known war photographer Phillip Schuler.

A scene from Foxtel’s Deadline Gallipoli. – Picture: Matt Nettheim

GALLIPOLI: LAST ANZACS TELL ALL (Foxtel)

With the last survivors of the Great War now gone, so too are our last direct links with the war that was supposed to end all wars, which makes documentaries like these all the more important. With narration by Jack Thompson, Gallipoli expert Jonathan King interviewed some of the last survivors of the botched landing.

MORE: Delicious wartime inspired treats for Anzac Day

WORLD WAR II IN COLOUR (Netflix)

For pure depth of knowledge and historical accuracy — especially in this 75-year anniversary of the end of the conflict — it’s hard to go past this sprawling, ambitious, 13-part documentary, which combined rare footage, state-of-the-art colorisation and newly uncovered documents to plot the history, tactics and notable battles of World War II.

WORLD ON FIRE (Foxtel)

Despite a sprawling canvas that took in interconnected storylines from across Europe, last year’s hit BBC drama concentrated on how World War II affected the lives of ordinary citizens, rather than big battle set pieces. The international ensemble cast includes Sean Bean as a shell-shocked WWI veteran turned pacifist and bus driver.

Sean Bean in a scene from the Foxtel series World On Fire.

BAND OF BROTHERS (Foxtel)

Produced by Saving Private Ryan collaborators Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s nonfiction book of the same name – this epic World War II drama was always going to be quality. Band Of Brothers saw the horror of war unfold through the experiences of an American parachute infantry company.

MASH (7Plus)

Once of the greats, MASH.

One of the best-loved TV shows ever made, the motley crew of doctors and military personnel serving in the Korean War at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital deftly walked the line between comedy and drama for 11 seasons. The often silly, sometimes serious, conflicts between the drafted civilian surgeons and the military machine also served as a critique of the Vietnam War, which was still raging as the first seasons went to air.

Originally published as Best war films and series to stream on Anzac Day