# World War II: When Lions Roared (1994)

> A two-part dramatization of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin steering their nations through key moments of World War II, from the Blitz to the Tehran Conference.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/43327

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 2
- Episode runtime: 97 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: war, history, drama
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Ed Begley Jr., Jan Tříska, Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, John Lithgow, Corey Burton
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108956/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: measured, sober, dignified, tense, contemplative

## Synopsis

World War II: When Lions Roared (1994) is an American two-part historical miniseries broadcast on NBC. Michael Caine plays Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Bob Hoskins plays Winston Churchill, and John Lithgow plays Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with Ed Begley Jr. as Harry Hopkins and Jan Tříska as Vyacheslav Molotov. Rather than following soldiers into the field, the drama stays with the three Allied leaders as they maneuver their countries through a sequence of pivotal moments in the Second World War. The story moves through the Blitz, Operation Barbarossa, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the North African campaign and the Allied invasion of Italy, building toward the Tehran Conference. Each episode is a long, talk-heavy sequence of negotiations, strategy meetings and private confrontations, giving the war its scale through the decisions made in rooms rather than on battlefields. The tone is measured, sober and gravely dignified, with a prestige historical feel that suits viewers drawn to statecraft and the politics of alliance. Fans of Ike: Countdown to D-Day and Downfall will find a similar appetite for leaders at the center of the war.

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