Tom Brokaw looks back on big stories in new series

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Tom Brokaw will look back on the biggest news stories of his career -- from the fall of the Berlin Wall to 9/11 -- in the new Military Channel series "The Brokaw Files."

The network's new slate, to be officially unveiled Thursday, also includes new shows about such subjects as international espionage, assassinations and recently declassified air combat missions, as well as the tentatively titled special "Commander in Chief," which will examine presidential decision-making in times of crisis.

Brokaw's career has given him a front-row seat for many of those crucial moments, and he will share insights he couldn't always offer during his 22 years as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News.

"The Brokaw Files" represents an expanded mission for the Discovery-owned Military Channel, which is branching out from armed forces-related programming to shows about people who changed history.

"This is a real mix," Brokaw told TheWrap. "What's appealing about it to me is it's generational -- it's military and non-military. It has to do with events that changed our lives. Searing moments, everything from 9/11 to the 60th anniversary of D-Day."

"One of the things that has always been frustrating about television is it's so perishable," he added. "You put it on, and if the audience has got something else to watch that night -- or there's inclement weather, or good weather, and they're not there in front of their televisions -- then it goes away. This gives us a chance to revisit what we think are some important television documentaries and examinations of people who shaped our lives... a chance to expose an entirely new audience to stuff that we're really proud of."

"The Brokaw Files" -- a title that could change -- will debut in the fall and be produced for the Military Channel by NBCUniversal's Peacock Productions. Brokaw, 72, stepped down from NBC Nightly News in 2004, but has continued to contribute to the network's news coverage.

His work with the Military Channel will bring him back for a regular series on a network that thrives on the kind of historic examination that gets little play on regular television news. The "Greatest Generation" author has long harbored a love of history as well as one for breaking news.

A full slate of upcoming Military Channel shows can be found at TheWrap.com.


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