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Season 1 – World on Fire

Play trailer 0:52 Poster for Season 1 – World on Fire Sep 2019 War History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Helen Hunt and Sean Bean star in this sweeping historical drama that follows the intertwined lives of ordinary civilians from Britain, Poland, France, and Germany, during World War II. The series traces the fates of several families from 1939-1940, from the Nazi invasion of Poland to the fall of Paris and beyond. Each of the characters are from different backgrounds and countries, and play different roles in the war, but are ultimately united by their struggle to survive in difficult circumstances.
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World on Fire — Season 1

World on Fire — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Though at times more style than substance, World on Fire's layered storytelling never steps on itself, leaving room for its excellent ensemble and gorgeous set-pieces to fill in any narrative gaps.

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Critics Reviews

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Scott Bryan BBC.com 07/15/2020
It's deeply haunting. It's a remarkable form of storytelling [too]; from different sides, different locations, people from different classes [and] sexualities. Go to Full Review Sonia Saraiya Vanity Fair 05/06/2020
World on Fire is, at times, unbelievably cheesy - but the characters' broad strokes make for high-drama entry points into the true horrors of the historical narrative. Go to Full Review Allison Shoemaker RogerEbert.com 04/08/2020
If what you want is to be engaged -- to be sucked into a story completely, enveloped by another time and place -- then [World on Fire] might be just the ticket. Go to Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site 08/04/2020
World on Fire offers a rational and intriguing orientation toward titanic historical events, which, one hopes, will only encourage the viewer to look more searchingly into the upheavals of the past century. Go to Full Review Diane Pershing Malibu Times 05/01/2020
A shame, really, because the build-up to World War II and the war itself are usually fertile grounds for excellent drama. This one doesn't hold up, sorry to say. Go to Full Review Megan Basham WORLD 04/08/2020
Sean Bean has made a career out of playing noble leaders like Boromir in Lord of the Rings. But he's wonderful here as a working-class pacifist whose mind World War I shattered. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Edward L @Glyndower Sep 18 A nuanced WWII drama which offers a range of characters of different nationalities. Generally well acted, although it is difficult to empathise with the sullen Kasia, who tends to sulk over everything. and her rather stupid brother. See more ThePatrolex 03/18/2024 A really engaging storytelling with an excellent execution. The cast was quite interesting. I really love the multilanguage aspect of the show. It really shows the world to its viewers. This adds a layer of authenticity and realism, especially it shows the story is set in a real culturally diverse environment. See more Vander A 12/01/2023 Soap opera level acting. Throw in names in small parts, Sean Bean/Helen Hunt, but primarily unknown actors in a low budget movie. Embarrassing bad and an insult to the story of WW2. See more jill l 11/15/2023 An excellent series with the war shown from multiple perspectives. Great cast. See more dave b 11/02/2023 As someone who was born in 1948, I love all WW2 movies/TV. My only complaint (a very minor one) is that there should be a location/date stamp at the beginning of each vignette. See more Ronald W 10/20/2023 An intriguing look at the lives of desperate characters blown across the European continent at the advent of World War II. The series resembles the format of Herman Wouk"s classic, "Winds of War." One criticism is the slow-moving pace of character development against the backdrop of world events. It moves about as fast as World War II itself, and it may take about five seasons to get to a complete resolution of the characters and the defeat of the Nazis. See more Read all reviews
World on Fire — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Peter Bowker

Creator

Julia Brown

Lois Bennett

Yrsa Daley-Ward

Connie Knight

Jonah Hauer-King

Harry Chase

Victoria Mayer

Claudia Rossler

Ewan Mitchell

Tom Bennett

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 29, 2019 As war breaks out, translator Harry Chase vows to help his Polish lover Kasia flee Warsaw, but does not know how to explain this to his sweetheart Lois, who is waiting for him at home in Manchester. Details Episode 2 Aired Oct 6, 2019 A month after the war begins, Warsaw, Poland, is destroyed; Harry longs for news; Kasia joins the Polish resistance. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 13, 2019 Tom fights for his life on board the HMS Exeter; Harry and Lois have a more personal battle to fight. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 20, 2019 Harry's courage is tested at Louvain; Kasia's resistance activity in Warsaw intensifies. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 27, 2019 Harry leads his unit on the route to Dunkirk, and they fight to make it onto the beach and aboard a ship; Grzegorz and Tom also struggle to survive the chaos of the evacuation. Details Episode 6 Aired Nov 3, 2019 The Nazis have taken Paris in June 1940; Webster and Albert's life in the city they love will never be the same. Details Episode 7 Aired Nov 10, 2019 On a Polish mission as part of the Special Operations Executive, Harry grasps a second chance at saving Kasia from the horrors of Warsaw. Details

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World on Fire — Season 1

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World on Fire — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Adam Smith, Thomas Q. Napper, Chanya Button, Andy Wilson
Creator
Peter Bowker
Executive Producer
Peter Bowker, Damien Timmer, Helen Ziegler, V, Lucy Richer, Rebecca Eaton, Peter Nadermann
Screenwriter
Peter Bowker
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-14 (V)
Genre
War, History, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Sep 29, 2019