‘Band of Brothers’ Fans Need This 4-Part War Drama Now That It’s Finally Streaming

Just as HBO was gearing up with its original programming in the early aughts, it released one of the greatest miniseries of the modern age. Developed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Band of Brothers told the true story of the 101st Airborne Division of World War II. These soldiers were the first to implement dropping into combat and were led by the now-famous military tactician, Dick Winters.

Band of Brothers became the benchmark of how to do a decent military drama, but it was far from the first. For those in need of a gripping story, they can turn their attention to a series with similar stakes, China Beach. Premiering in 1988, the show ran until 1991 and, like Band of Brothers, depicted the harrowing subject matter of an American conflict on foreign soil.

‘China Beach’ Was a Precursor To ‘Band of Brothers’

Image via ABC

China Beach and Band of Brothers took on two very different American conflicts of the 20th century, but still focused on how war affects the mind and human spirit. Band of Brothers started around D-Day, charting Easy Company’s journey through the entirety of the war. China Beach had similar values, but took place during the most divisive war in history up until that point.

Named for the beach where there was an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War, China Beach was a drama that took on many issues of the era. The series discussed concepts such as PTSD and substance abuse and had the impressive inclination to tell many of these stories from the perspective of women. Airing on ABC for only a few seasons, it was one of the first instances of prestige television, which has only become more prominent as time has gone on. Band of Brothers would eventually pick up where China Beach left off with episodes that were perfect from start to finish. Focusing on the realities of war as well as the personal trials of the central characters was the formula that endeared these shows to audiences.

Both Series Showed the Talent of Its Young Stars

China Beach also starred actors who would go on to have lucrative careers, similar to the Band of Brothers cast. The HBO series starred Damian Lewis, Michael Cudlitz, Matthew Settle, and Ron Livingston, among many others. Because the series was shot in Europe, it also showcased many English actors who had small roles but would go on to be huge names in the industry.

Michael Fassbender played a lesser-known member of Easy Company, Christenson, but would go on to become a powerhouse in the independent film world. His X-Men: First Class co-star James McAvoy was also a main character in the episode “Replacements.” Tom Hardy played a particularly tragic character in the tail end of the series. The main cast of China Beach were also names that would be of particular note in the entertainment industry.

Most notable was Dana Delaney, known for her roles in Tombstone, Desperate Housewives, and Body of Proof. She starred as an Army nurse at the titular hospital. Marg Helgenberger was a civilian worker who most viewers will remember as a major component of the original line-up of CSI. Helgenberger played Catherine for almost the entire run of the series and got her start on the little-known war series. China Beach had not had streaming rights prior to this, but now fans can finally catch it for free on the Roku channel.