'My Grandparents' War' explores the connection between WWII, the families of four British celebrities

Apr. 9—Tom Anstiss knows it takes work to tell a good story.

As the executive producer of "My Grandparents' War," he and his crew come together to tell the personal stories of some of the most dramatic moments of World War II.

The series returns for a second season at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. The four-part series airs Tuesdays through May 2.

"My Grandparents' War" takes a fascinating journey into the past to understand the extraordinary impact of global conflict on the families of four British international stars.

Kit Harington, Keira Knightley, Toby Jones and Emeli Sandé each host an episode that explores their family's unique stories.

Anstiss worked on the second season for more than a year. He says the most difficult part of the series is locking down the talent to interview.

Anstiss worked on the second season for more than a year.

He says the impetus behind the series came from a personal place as well as marking the 80th anniversary of World War II.

"My own grandfather served and never talked about it," Anstiss says. "It wasn't until he passed away that we discovered letters and it felt very universal. This was the last truly global war and it felt like an accessible way to explore history. I think many of us have special relationships with our grandparents, but we don't know everything about their lives."

Anstiss was surprised most by Harington's family story.

The actor has been cast as a soldier, a spy and, in "Game of Thrones," a warrior, discovers that his grandparents played comparable roles in their real lives during World War II.

His maternal grandparents, Mick and Pippa Catesby, fell in love during a bombing raid in a hospital where she was a nurse and he was a patient. Awarded a military cross for bravery, Captain Catesby never talked about his experiences.

His paternal grandparents, John and Lavender Harington, were stationed in the Caribbean, where they met and then married a few days later. John Harington served in the British Intelligence Services, keeping an eye on Edward, the Duke of Windsor, who was the former king of England and a rumored Nazi sympathizer.

Harington is delighted to learn author Ian Fleming was also serving in Jamaica at the time, and speculates that perhaps his grandfather might even have inspired the character of James Bond.

"I'm so proud of all four of my grandparents," says Kit Harington. "Across the globe, they put their lives on the line during World War II. There was a huge war effort on their part, what they risked. And they did it for a greater good for their country and for a cause."

Anstiss says the story arc follows the talent's grandparents.

"With Kit, we had really tough choices because he had four grandparents that all were involved in the war," Anstiss says. "There was so much to choose from but we were able to capture an amazing story."

ON TV

The second season of "My Grandparents' War" premieres at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1