Like A Shot West Lines Up New Documentary Strand

Like A Shot West, part of Argonon, has introduced a new documentary strand, 24 Hours That Changed the World, charting the pivotal moments leading up to the most important events in history.

The first two films in the stand explore the events leading up to the end of World War II and the unconditional surrender of Japan. TVF International has sold the films to Channel 4 in the U.K. and SBS in Australia.

24hrs: The Fall of Nazi Germany delves into the German and Allied negotiations to end the war in Europe. IT tracks the crucial final hours in the lead-up to VE Day, May 8, 1945, before the Third Reich surrendered to Allied forces. With Hitler’s death in his Berlin bunker and any possibility of a German victory gone, the remaining Nazis in high command were forced to negotiate to end the conflict.

24hrs: The Japanese Surrender marks the anniversary of V-J Day, September 2, 1945, and the end of the war in the Pacific, which raged on for several months after the Germans surrendered. The reluctance of Japan to surrender even after the horrors of two atomic bombs was a matter of honor. It took the monarch, Emperor Hirohito, to deliver a surrender speech to his people for the war to finally end.

Each film in the strand utilizes a countdown clock to focus on the final 24 hours leading up to these crucial historical moments. They combine colorized archive footage with expert interviews and dramatic reconstructions.

“The iconic battles of World War II have been widely chronicled, but little is known about the crucial events that led to the end of the war, ultimately shaping the world today,” said Henry Scott, managing director of Like A Shot West. “These first two specials in this gripping new documentary strand capture the tense but tumultuous moments that led to V-Day and V-J Day, coinciding with the anniversaries marked by millions in countries across the globe.”