On This Day in 1776

1776 is a cinematic anthology series that brings the American Revolution to life through visually distinct, character-driven short films. Each episode is designed to immerse audiences in the emotional reality of the era while advancing a new AI-enabled filmmaking pipeline. The animation in this series is fully computer-generated, with performance capture used similarly to video game pipelines to ground characters in real actor movement and timing. The production includes a dedicated behind-the-scenes documentary initiative capturing the full creative and technical process as a living record of a new filmmaking paradigm being built in real time. The series is produced in partnership with TIME and Google DeepMind, with distribution to YouTube. The episode set in July 1776 is presented as a live segment of the RBC Nightly News, in which embedded correspondent Hannah More reports from Staten Island as the largest British armada ever assembled sits in the harbour, facing off against Washington's Continental Army across the water in Manhattan. The episode satirises modern TV news conventions — chyrons, press conferences, pixelated whistleblowers, ambush interviews — while covering the genuine historical stalemate over negotiations between Howe and Washington. Network/Studio: YouTube (distribution); TIME Studios / Google DeepMind (production partners) Genres: Historical, Anthology, Satire, Animation, Drama