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  • PBS
  • Sep 29, 2019
  • PBS
  • Sep 29, 2019

Summary Set during World War II, the drama written by Peter Bowker follows the lives of British Army translator Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King); his Polish lover Kasia (Zofia Wichłacz;, Lois (Julia Brown), his girlfriend in Manchester; American journalist Nancy Campbell (Helen Hunt); American surgeon Webster O’Connor (Brian J. Smith) and his love...

Created By: Peter Bowker

  • PBS
  • Sep 29, 2019
  • PBS
  • Sep 29, 2019
World On Fire
Season 1
Season Premiere: Sep 29, 2019
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 9 User Ratings
7.8
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Set during World War II, the drama written by Peter Bowker follows the lives of British Army translator Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King); his Polish lover Kasia (Zofia Wichłacz;, Lois (Julia Brown), his girlfriend in Manchester; American journalist Nancy Campbell (Helen Hunt); American surgeon Webster O’Connor (Brian J. Smith) and his love...

Created By: Peter Bowker

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

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Episode 1 • Sep 29, 2019 • 59 m
Episode #1.1
When war breaks, translator Harry Chase vows to help his Polish lover Kasia flee Warsaw, but how will he explain this to his sweetheart Lois, waiting for him at home in Manchester is the story.
Episode 2 • Oct 6, 2019 • 56 m
Episode #1.2
A month after the outbreak of war, Warsaw is unrecognizable, while Manchester, on the surface, appears very much the same. Will there be a warm welcome home for Harry?
Episode 3 • Oct 13, 2019 • 58 m
Episode #1.3
Harry crosses paths with Lois again when she arrives to perform at the BEF base camp in France, while Tom finds himself in the middle of a naval battle in the South Atlantic.
Episode 4 • Oct 20, 2019 • 57 m
Episode #1.4
Harry and his unit fight for their lives in the city of Leuven in Belgium, where the Allied forces are outnumbered by the Germans.
Episode 5 • Oct 27, 2019 • 59 m
Episode #1.5
Harry and what's left of his unit try to get to Dunkirk. Where things are getting desperate.
Episode 6 • Nov 3, 2019 • 58 m
Episode #1.6
Webster begins a campaign of resistance at the American hospital after Paris falls to the Nazis. Mr and Mrs Rossler are arrested in Berlin, and Lois grows closer to Vernon.
Episode 7 • Nov 10, 2019 • 55 m
Episode #1.7
On a Polish mission as part of the SOE, Harry grasps a second chance at saving Kasia from the horrors of Warsaw, while Lois looks set for happiness with new love, Vernon.

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
92% Positive
11 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
92% Positive
11 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Apr 5, 2020
If not a light escape, it makes for a beautifully made, extremely soapy "Masterpiece" series.
By Brian Lowry FULL REVIEW
83
Apr 1, 2020
“World on Fire” hits the ground running and doesn’t let up. While it might take a bit of time to grasp everything onscreen, once you do you’re in for an emotional and jaw-dropping ride.
By Terry Terrones FULL REVIEW
80
Dec 20, 2019
There is plenty of action, for those who want it, but this is far from the standard wartime miniseries. It is a beautifully turned ensemble piece, with everyone getting their time in the spotlight as we move between locations without anybody’s characters or storylines feeling underbaked.
By Lucy Mangan FULL REVIEW
70
Apr 3, 2020
The themes and outlines of “World on Fire” are firmly middle of the road — you imagine a good share of the audience watching it over tea and a biscuit — but Bowker has worked conscientiously to make the manifold subplots a little different from the norm for World War II dramas.
By Mike Hale FULL REVIEW
70
Apr 3, 2020
A a chillier and occasionally provocative rumination on how hard it can be to navigate an altered world. These characters are full of ambivalence, doubt and occasional resignations to their fates. ... The writing is brisk and efficient, but it does take a few more episodes (there are seven in all) to make the best use of actors as talented as Hunt, Bean and Manville.
By Hank Stuever FULL REVIEW
68
Apr 6, 2020
World on Fire” plays like a mainstream broadcast network miniseries circa 1988. That’s not a knock. It’s kind of cool to have this sort of story back on TV, an old-school format that follows disparate characters in desperate times. If you liked “The Winds of War,” this should be a nice reminder of that ABC classic.
By Rob Owen FULL REVIEW
60
Apr 6, 2020
The ambitious seven-part Masterpiece series World on Fire covers a lot of ground in its first season, but it still can't help feeling like every World War II drama you've ever seen. [30 Mar - 12 Apr 2020, p.8]
By Matt Roush FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 9 User Ratings
7.8
89% Positive
8 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
11% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 9 User Ratings
7.8
89% Positive
8 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
11% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

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