The War on PBS

Debut: Ken Burns' seven-part series tells the story of World War II through the experiences of ordinary people from four American towns. First up: a summary of the war and its cost (some 50 million lives), and reasons for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It also chronicles the first year of U.S. involvement, focusing on, among others, Glenn Frazier, from Mobile, Ala., who survived the Bataan Death March; and Sid Phillips, who fought the Japanese on Guadalcanal.