Channel 4 Orders My Grandparents’ War Season Two

Channel 4 has commissioned a second season of My Grandparents’ War, which will feature Keira Knightley, Kit Harington, Toby Jones and Emeli Sandé.

Filmed in locations from the killing fields of Kenya to the mountains of Italy’s Monte Cassino, season two sees each star retrace their grandparents’ footsteps and explore their stories from 20th-century conflicts.

Directors of the series are Francis Hanly, Tom McCarthy and Erica Gornall. Rebecca Fairbank is a senior producer. Wonderhood Studios’ Tom Anstiss and Samantha Anstiss are executive producers. The second season is produced in association with MyHeritage.

The first season featured Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas and Carey Mulligan.

My Grandparents’ War is distributed by All3Media International and has already secured presales with PBS in the U.S., SBS in Australia and CBC in Canada.

“I’m delighted at the range of stories and caliber of talent involved in this series,” said Madonna Benjamin, commissioning editor at Channel 4. “As well as exploring fascinating moments in seminal historical periods, what this program does like no other is to show audiences a side of these A-list stars that we rarely see sharing with us family stories and intimate histories that are both relatable and moving.”

“It’s such an honor to collaborate with Kit, Keira, Emeli and Toby,” Tom Anstiss said. “They bring real emotional depth, compassion and deliver a fresh new insight into seismic events in social history. Our series is packed with jaw-dropping revelations and headline-grabbing stories. From the most controversial spying operation of the 20th century to the fight for independence in Africa, the stars’ authored films throw the audience into riveting untold stories of our recent history.”

Samantha Anstiss added, “The teams have produced a beautifully composed series with celebrities who engage with a compelling curiosity and real emotional candor as they uncover the incredible stories behind the pivotal roles their grandparents played in seminal moments of history and reveal their deep reflections on the human cost of war and its impact on generations.”

Aaron Godfrey, VP of marketing at MyHeritage, said, “MyHeritage is delighted to have partnered with My Grandparents’ War, which will bring the meaningful experience of discovering one’s family history into millions of homes. MyHeritage’s sophisticated tools and rich historical data repository enabled the celebrities to take their own emotional journey to uncover the remarkable deeds of their ancestors and connect with their heritage.”