The Longest Day – Film4

By Mandy Cooper
( What's on TV )
published

John Wayne in The Longest Day

Another chance to see the epic action film The Longest Day about the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, plus other programmes to mark the 75 anniversary of D-Day

Another chance to see the epic action film The Longest Day about the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, plus other programmes to mark the 75 anniversary of D-Day

Today is the 75th anniversary of the start of the D-Day landings and a flotilla of films and programmes marks the occasion.

The Longest Day is a suitably gargantuan salute to the Allied troops and boasts an all-star cast that really is all-star – with everyone from Richard Burton, Kenneth More and John Gregson batting for the Brits, while the likes of John Wayne (pictured top), Robert Mitchum and Henry Fonda turn out for the Americans.

Robert Mitchum as Brig. Gen. Norman Cota in The Longest Day

Robert Mitchum as Brig. Gen. Norman Cota in The Longest Day

As a warm-up at 1.10pm, D-Day the Sixth of June sees Richard Todd and Robert Taylor as British and American officers in love with the same nurse (Dana Wynter).

BBC1 shows live coverage of the commemorative service at Bayeux War Cemetery (9.15am).

D-Day: The World Remembers follows on BBC2 at 6.30pm with Sophie Raworth presenting highlights from today's service and the National Commemorative Event held in Portsmouth on 5th June attended by Her Majesty The Queen and President Donald Trump.

BBC4 tonight has Normandy ’44 (8pm), Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies (9pm) and D-Day to Berlin - Newsnight Special (10pm).

TV Times rating: ****

Mandy Cooper
Mandy Cooper
TV Times Highlights Editor

As TV Times Highlights Editor I get to hear about all the latest TV shows coming soon. Here at TVT HQ we are in the privileged position of selecting the best programmes from across all the channels and streaming platforms. Our mission is to make it easier for our readers to decide what to watch - and give them lots of choice of genres - all the latest shows, plus some nostalgic choices we call hidden gems, too. My career began with a postgraduate degree in periodical journalism (ahem, yes old school!) in 1991 and I’ve worked in TV media since 2000.