Although it was The Sopranos that can probably be credited for putting HBO on the map, I think the 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers truly cemented the reputation for high quality original programming that they have since become known for. A lot of people will probably be excited to hear that Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman will now be revisiting that landmark mini-series with a “companion piece” (a la Clint Eastwood’s Letters From Iwo Jima).

The new series will be called The Pacific, and is described as “an Asian-theater take on WWII”, drawing from books that include Eugene Sledge’s With the Old Breed and Robert Leckie’s Helmet for My Pillow. It will reportedly focus on how the war versus Japan “profoundly differed from the European front”. Hugh Ambrose, son of Band of Brothers author Stephen Ambrose, will serve as a consultant on the project; no word yet on a cast or director. The Pacific heads into production this summer, with a tentative 2009 release date in mind.