'Band of Brothers,' 'The Pacific' and 'Masters of the Air,' Ranked

"Docu-drama" used to be a dirty word among television critics, and even most audiences. We tend to forget that today, because our many streaming services are always ready to call up any number of historical dramas, about almost any period, on demand. What we used to call "docu-drama" -- a made-for-TV dramatized reenactment of a historical event, usually ripped from the headlines and hastily made -- is now relegated to the Lifetime Channel or late-night broadcast clearance bin.

This all changed in 1998, when Tom Hanks began adapting historian Stephen E. Ambrose's ''Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne: From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest" for the screen. HBO spent $125 million bringing this remarkable true story of World War II to life in 2001, raising the bar for the historical dramas that followed. The series also raised the bar for Hanks, who has since made two companion series about other theaters of the war, "The Pacific" and "Masters of the Air."

All three series are based in historical fact, using well-researched books that viscerally represent the turmoil of World War II and document the lives of real people. They're all also really, really good, demonstrating that a well-made TV show can help viewers experience history like no textbook ever could. But with three series spanning more than 20 years, did Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg ever outdo the original?