X
  • PBS
  • 2023
  • PBS
  • 2023

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
  • 2023
  • PBS
  • 2023
World On Fire
Season 2
Season Premiere: 2023
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 6 Critic Reviews
70
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings
6.8
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

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Jul 16, 2023 • 55 m
Wrong
Harry has a second chance at saving Kasia from Warsaw. In Manchester, could Lois be set for happiness at last?
Episode 2 • Jul 16, 2023 • 57 m
Episode #2.2
As Harry struggles to adapt to the reality of desert combat, Lois still longs to leave home. In Paris, Henriette is in grave danger, and a mysterious stranger arrives at Robina's.
Episode 3 • 2023 • 57 m
Episode #2.3
As Stan and Rajib make a hasty retreat across the desert, Marga reasserts her commitment to the führer. Meanwhile, David is in peril in the skies over France.
Episode 4 • 2023 • 57 m
Episode #2.4
As Kasia takes on her first assignment as an agent, Rajib's military values are tested. Meanwhile, a familiar face comes to David's aid.
Episode 5 • 2023 • 56 m
Episode #2.5
Tragedy strikes at the heart of Harry's unit as the siege drags on in Tobruk. In Manchester, Kasia is confronted by more of the horrors of the war. In France, romance blossoms between David and Henriette.
Episode 6 • 2023 • 57 m
Episode #2.6
Harry returns to Manchester, but Kasia is determined to leave. In Europe, Marga and Henriette must each make their escape, while north Africa becomes even more brutal for Rajib.

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 6 Critic Reviews
70
50% Positive
3 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

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

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 6 Critic Reviews
70
50% Positive
3 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Oct 16, 2023
Like Season 1, there are a few times when the coincidences that put everyone in the right place at the right time can strain credibility. But somehow, the series never feels like it's trying to do too much, even when it is obviously straining VFX budgets to the limit.
FULL REVIEW
80
Jul 17, 2023
In the wrong hands, World on Fire could well be very boring – the Second World War is not exactly new narrative territory. But Bowker makes both the grand narratives and the minutiae equally vivid and stirring, and it becomes impossible not to be enraptured by at least one of them.
By Emily Baker FULL REVIEW
80
Jul 17, 2023
I have been slightly spoiled for second world war dramas by the gregarious SAS: Rogue Heroes, and this does not share that bounce or spirit. But it does have an immaculate grasp of tension and character. As this is war, people come and go; they live and they die. By the end of the opening episode, I was fully invested in their fates.
By Rebecca Nicholson FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 19, 2023
I'm not sure how many viewers will stick it through six episodes, which is a shame, because it gets better as the series progresses, the finale making a clear nod to another series. Luckily the performances of Wichlacz, Manville and Jonah Hauer-King as Harry are enough of an incentive to keep watching for now. And here's another: Mark Bonnar will be in it soon.
By Carol Midgley FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 17, 2023
The drama feels at its most refreshingly different when telling these other stories in Hindi or German or Polish. When we’re brought back to Lois, things feel disappointingly pedestrian.
By Anita Singh FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 14, 2023
The truth is, if you were a big fan of the first season or are an avid connoisseur of World War Two dramas, then you'll still almost certainly find a lot to like here, not least in the immersive nature of the piece. It's just that for the rest of us, a series such as this needs a strong USP – and attempting to do everything may not cut the mustard.
By James Hibbs FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings
6.8
75% Positive
3 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
25% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings
6.8
75% Positive
3 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
25% Negative
1 Rating

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

Related Shows

The Office (UK)

97
Universal Acclaim

Bo Burnham: Inside

96
Universal Acclaim

The Staircase

95
Universal Acclaim

Homicide: Life on the Street

95
Universal Acclaim

The Sopranos

94
Universal Acclaim

Bleak House

93
Universal Acclaim

Samurai Jack

93
Universal Acclaim

Fleabag

92
Universal Acclaim

The Underground Railroad

92
Universal Acclaim

Atlanta

92
Universal Acclaim

Romeo & Juliet

92
Universal Acclaim

My So-Called Life

92
Universal Acclaim

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

91
Universal Acclaim

This Is Going To Hurt

91
Universal Acclaim

It's a Sin

91
Universal Acclaim

The Bear

91
Universal Acclaim

Borgen

91
Universal Acclaim

The Wire

91
Universal Acclaim

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

90
Universal Acclaim

The Night Of

90
Universal Acclaim

The Corner

90
Universal Acclaim

Boomtown

89
Universal Acclaim

Related News

May 2024 TV Preview

May 2024 TV Preview

Jason Dietz

The month ahead will bring Apple's latest sci-fi series, the return of Hacks, a new Doctor Who, and more.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Find a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added to Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime, plus a list of titles coming soon to the streaming services.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Max Right Now

What to Watch on Max Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Max--plus all of the titles leaving the streaming service this month--updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Amazon's Prime Video, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Netflix, updated frequently. You can also find a list of titles leaving Netflix this month.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Hulu, updated frequently.

  • tv show