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The Pacific (miniseries)

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Please do not use {{Infobox television film}} directly. See the documentation for available templates. The Pacific is a 10-part television World War II miniseries, produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Playtone and DreamWorks, that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010.[1]

Similar to the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers, The Pacific focuses on the United States Marine Corps' actions in the Pacific Theater of Operations within the wider Pacific War.

The Pacific was spearheaded by Bruce McKenna (co-executive producer), one of the main writers on Band of Brothers. Hugh Ambrose, the son of Band of Brothers author Stephen Ambrose, served as a project consultant.[2]

Synopsis

The Pacific is based primarily on two memoirs of U.S. Marines, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie.[2] The miniseries tells the stories of the two authors and Marine John Basilone, as the war against the Empire of Japan rages. It also draws on Sledge's China Marine[3] and Red Blood, Black Sand,[4] the memoir of Chuck Tatum, a Marine who fought alongside Basilone in Iwo Jima.[5]

The miniseries features well-known battles with Japan involving the 1st Marine Division, such as Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa, as well as Basilone's involvement in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Hugh Ambrose has authored the official tie-in book to the miniseries,[6] which follows the stories of the three men featured in the miniseries as well as stories of their fellow Marines. It was published in the USA and UK in March 2010.

Production

The Pacific was produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman in association with HBO Films, Playtone, Dreamworks, and Seven Network.[7] Seven invested in the project for the right to broadcast it in Australia.[8] Nine Network has previously broadcast the HBO productions of The Sopranos and Band of Brothers. Nine had a broadcast deal with HBO's parent Warner Bros., but then HBO started to distribute its own productions separately.[9]

In April 2007, the producers set up a production office in Melbourne and began casting.[10]

Filming of the miniseries in Australia started August 10, 2007,[11] and finished in late May 2008.[12]

The score was written by Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli and Blake Neely and was released on March 9, 2010. The miniseries premiered in the USA on March 14, 2010, on HBO.[13]

Budget

Originally the project was estimated at US$ 100 million (AUD$ 120 million) to produce.[9]

The miniseries had a budget of more than US$ 150 million (AUD$ 200 million), with an estimated AUD $134 million of that spent in Australia,[14] and is thought to be the most expensive television production ever made in Australia.[10] The Australian newspaper the Herald Sun estimates that it brought 4,000 jobs and generated AUD $180 million for the Australian economy.[15]

Filming locations

Filming locations included:

Broadcast

The Pacific was set to air on Channel Seven in Australia in 2009.[32] But the Herald Sun reported that the U.S. debut on HBO would come first in 2010, with the Australian broadcast following. However, since then, it has been announced that the first episode of the miniseries will be broadcast during the week beginning April 11 and more episodes in the following weeks.[33] It then premiered in the U.S. and Canada[34] on March 14, 2010. HBO Asia will premiere The Pacific at 9pm on April 3, 2010, with the first 2 episodes being aired back to back on the first week. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia will have Dual Language available and both Singapore and Hong Kong plus Taiwan, Malaysia, and Philippines will have High-Definition available on HBO Asia HD Channel.[35]

It began broadcast on April 5, 2010 on Sky Movies in Ireland and the United Kingdom.[36] In Portugal, the series was broadcasted 5 April 2010 on AXN and in HD on AXN HD two days after the original broadcast in the US. In Norway, Finland and Sweden the series began broadcasting on Canal+, in Turkey CNBC-e on 18 April 2010, in the Netherlands on 7 April 2010 on Veronica, and in Greece on Nova Cinema on 10 April 2010. In New Zealand the series began broadcasting on April 12, 2010 on TV One. In Italy the miniseries will begin broadcast on May 9, 2010 on Sky Cinema 1. In Japan the miniseries will begin broadcast on July 18, 2010 on WOWOW.[37]. In South Africa the miniseries will begin broadcasting on 5 May 2010 on the Mnet channel.

Marketing

Australia

Channel Seven, as a part of the channel's annual New Year TV preview of its upcoming shows that it would be broadcasting the same corresponding year, released a trailer at 12.06 a.m, January 1, 2010. This trailer was unapproved by HBO. Ten days after it was released temporarily on the Internet, it was promptly removed by HBO and Channel Seven due to copyright infringement.

The brief 1 minute 16 second trailer shows the disembarkation of the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division on the island of Peleliu on September 15, 1944. It starts off with a platoon of Marines on an amtrac waiting for the ramp on their LST to drop to allow their embarkation towards the beach to commence. The trailer then cuts and shows the Marines in LVT-1s and DUKWs approaching Orange Beach as they take incoming fire from Japanese artillery and machine guns on Peleliu. The trailer then cuts again to the scene on the beachhead where we see the Marines from the earlier waves struggling to establish a foothold on the beach as they encounter heavy machine gun and mortar fire from the defending Japanese garrison. The voice over of the Channel Seven trailer then erroneously describes the battle being shown as "the battle that saved Australia". The advertising campaign focuses heavily on a perceived emotive connection with the Australian experience of the Second World War, despite the series actually focusing almost entirely on the American experience of the south and Central Pacific Campaign.

The Pacific was aired in Australia on Channel 7 on Wednesday 14th April 2010 at 8:30 pm.

The trailer focuses on one marine in particular named Eugene B. Sledge (played by Joseph Mazzello), the author of With The Old Breed, one of the sources that the writers and producers of The Pacific have used for the mini-series.

United States

The first official U.S. trailer for The Pacific aired on HBO prior to the season 2 premiere of True Blood on June 14, 2009. It showed footage of the three main characters, including a conversation between Leckie and Sledge and Basilone's marriage and numerous combat scenes. The trailer concluded with "2010" displayed onscreen—alluding to and confirming the series release date. A new trailer currently is available on the HBO website after which the date "March 2010" is displayed, giving a more specific series release date. On Jan. 14, 2010, Comcast added On Demand content from the series, including a scene from The Pacific, interviews with the producers and character profiles.[38]

Another trailer was shown during Super Bowl XLIV, depicting several combat scenes.

An extended trailer (3:47) to the miniseries can be viewed on the series' official website. See external links below.

Reception

The Pacific was generally well received by critics, receiving an average score of 87% at review aggregator Metacritic.[39]

Cast

The following credits have been taken from the IMDb.[40]

Episodes

# Title Directed by Written by Original US air date U.S. viewers
(in millions)
1"Part One"Tim Van PattenBruce C. McKennaMarch 14, 2010 (2010-03-14)3.1[42]
Robert Leckie and the 1st Marines land on Guadalcanal and take part in the Battle of the Tenaru.
2"Part Two"David NutterBruce C. McKennaMarch 21, 2010 (2010-03-21)2.8[43]
John Basilone and the 7th Marines land on Guadalcanal to bolster the defenses around Henderson Field.
3"Part Three"Jeremy PodeswaGeorge Pelecanos & Michelle AshfordMarch 28, 2010 (2010-03-28)2.8[44]
The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal is relieved and arrives in Melbourne, Australia. Basilone receives the Medal of Honor and is sent home to sell war bonds.
4"Part Four"Graham YostRobert Schenkkan & Graham YostApril 4, 2010 (2010-04-04)2.5[45]
Eugene Sledge enlists in the Marines and trains for combat, while Leckie and the 1st Marine Division are put into action at Cape Gloucester. Leckie is treated for nocturnal enuresis.
5"Part Five"Carl FranklinLaurence Andries & Bruce C. McKennaApril 11, 2010 (2010-04-11)2.711
Sledge and Leckie land with the 1st Marine Division at Peleliu.
6"Part Six"Tony ToBruce C. McKenna, Laurence Andries & Robert SchenkkanApril 18, 2010 (2010-04-18)2.382
The Marines move to capture Peleliu's vital airfield. Leckie is wounded by blast concussion and evacuated.
7"Part Seven"Tim Van PattenBruce C. McKennaApril 25, 2010 (2010-04-25)2.553
Sledge and the 5th Marines move into Peleliu's Bloody Nose Ridge to face the Japanese.
8"Part Eight"David Nutter & Jeremy PodeswaRobert Schenkkan & Michelle AshfordMay 2, 2010 (2010-05-02)2.343
Basilone is transferred to the 5th Marine Division and lands at Iwo Jima.
9"Part Nine"Tim Van PattenBruce C. McKennaMay 9, 2010 (2010-05-09)TBA
Sledge and the 1st Marine Division land at Okinawa.
10"Part Ten"Jeremy PodeswaBruce C. McKenna & Robert SchenkkanMay 16, 2010 (2010-05-16)TBA
Sledge and Leckie return home after the Japanese surrender.

References

  1. ^ Stanhope, Kate (December 16, 2009). "HBO to Premiere The Pacific March 14". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Zeitchik, Steven (April 24, 2007). "HBO greenlights Spielberg mini". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  3. ^ http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/index.html#/the-pacific/about/index.html
  4. ^ http://www.marineswwii.com
  5. ^ a b c Gilbert, Lori (March 14, 2010). "Stockton man's Iwo Jima experience part of HBO miniseries". The Record. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  6. ^ Neilan, Catherine (December 14, 2009). "Canongate signs The Pacific tie-in". The Bookseller. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  7. ^ "Channel Seven Lands Spielberg". News.com.au. May 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ Ziffer, Daniel (May 16, 2007). "Spielberg miniseries forms link with Seven". The Age. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  9. ^ a b Bodey, Michael (May 16, 2007). "Seven trumps Nine by landing war miniseries". The Australian. News.com.au. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Browne, Rachel (April 8, 2007). "Australia Poised to Score $150m Deal for Epic War Series". The Sun-Herald.
  11. ^ "First Shots in War Epic". mX. August 10, 2007. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ "University's Hall of Fame". Diamond Valley News. May 21, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ O'Hara, Helen (April 23, 2009). "Exclusive: Tom Hanks On Toy Story 3". Empire online. Retrieved April 3, 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  14. ^ Dunn, Emily; Maddox, Garry (December 3, 2008). "Stay in Touch: Thanks Hanks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  15. ^ "Movies on a Roll". Herald Sun. August 3, 2008.
  16. ^ Browne, Sophia (November 9, 2007). "Crew Retreats from North". The Cairns Post.
  17. ^ a b c Irby, Ross (September 26, 2007). "Battleline retreats for filming". The Cairns Post.
  18. ^ "Spielberg to Film in Queensland". The West Australian. June 22, 2007.[dead link]
  19. ^ Kalina, Paul (April 26, 2007). "Spielberg war Epic for Docklands". The Age. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  20. ^ Devlyn, Darren (November 10, 2007). "War Comes to You Yangs". Herald Sun.
  21. ^ "Film Cast Member Breaks Leg in Freak Incident". Geelong Advertiser. January 31, 2008.
  22. ^ Idato, Michael (May 21, 2007). "The View: Spielberg's Pacific". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  23. ^ Breen, Daniel (January 24, 2008). "Strike Forces Early End to Filming". Geelong Advertiser.
  24. ^ Cameron, Kellie (February 3, 2008). "Spielberg Declares War". Sunday Mail.
  25. ^ Byrne, Fiona (November 4, 2007). "CBD's Role in Major Movie". Herald Sun.
  26. ^ Lucas, Clay (September 15, 2007). "Spielberg and Hanks to stop Melbourne traffic". The Age.
  27. ^ Burke, Kelly (February 9, 2008). "'Film capital' on tenterhooks as Melbourne steals show". The Age.
  28. ^ Cannata, Sarah (June 25, 2008). "Baird Hitches up His Horses to Draw Movie Roles". Whittlesea Post.
  29. ^ |title=University's Hall of Fame |work=Diamond Valley News |date=May 21, 2008}}
  30. ^ a b c Smith, Bridie (December 11, 2007). "School's Out and The Army's In, Albeit for a Very Pacific Reason". The Age.
  31. ^ Bruce-Rosser, Kate (March 26, 2008). "Fight for a Skyline". Stonnington Leader.
  32. ^ Hassall, Greg (October 20, 2008). "The view: Marines on the March". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  33. ^ Bryne, Fiona. "Tattle: 'WWII series on hold for a year'". Herald Sun. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |ate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ "IMDb News".
  35. ^ "The Pacific official site". HBO Asia.
  36. ^ "Sky Acquires New Series "'The Pacific' from the Makers of Band of Brothers". Press Release. BSkyB. April 21, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
    "Spielberg & Hanks' The Pacific Comes To Sky Movies". MOVIES:. BSkyB.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  37. ^ "The Pacific official site". WOWOW.
  38. ^ "Comcast adds exclusive HD content from 'The Pacific'". HD Report. 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  39. ^ "The Pacific". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  40. ^ "The Pacific". IMDb. February 1, 2008.
    "The Pacific: Cast & Crew". PacificFans.com. February 1, 2008.
  41. ^ [1]
  42. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 16, 2010). "Kamikaze! HBO's Big Budget The Pacific Premiere Ratings Disappoint". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  43. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 23, 2010). "Nielsen Ratings for HBO's "The Pacific" Down, But Not Much For Second Episode". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  44. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 31, 2010). "Ratings for HBO's "The Pacific" Steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  45. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 31, 2010). "Ratings for HBO's "The Pacific" Down On Easter Sunday". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 6, 2010.

Further reading

  • Military History Magazine, Vol.26, No.4 October/November 2009
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