We’ll never tire of watching strapping American fly boys fighting Nazis, so we’re 100 percent on board with the newest entry in that genre, Masters of the Air. This streaming miniseries follows in the footsteps of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and the 2010 war film The Pacific, and there’s a good reason for these comparisons: all three productions share executive producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman.
Masters of the Air was adapted by John Shiban and John Orloff from the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by historian Donald L. Miller. It’s the fictionalized account of a group of pilots in the Eighth Air Force unit who performed dangerous bombing missions during World War II. The 100th Bomb Group was in charge of operating B-17 bombers, known as “flying fortresses” because they were so heavily armed. These largely-obsolete jets required a crew of 10 to fly the plane, operate the guns, and drop the bombs.
It wasn’t just fighting the communists that proved dangerous for the men in these units; it was the deadly conditions crew members endured while flying a massive metal tank at 30,000 feet. Pilots suffered from frigid temperatures, lack of oxygen, and of course, the psychological effects of killing thousands in the name of war. Sadly, the 100th Bomb Group was nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the astounding number of casualties incurred during their missions. So … maybe don’t get too attached to any characters or cast members?
Speaking of the cast
Like Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air is an ensemble drama that tells the intertwined stories of different characters. Fresh off of his star-making role in Elvis, Austin Butler plays Major Gale “Buck” Cleven. Divine’s Callum Turner is Major John Egan, Anthony Boyle (Tetris) is Major Harry Crosby; and the new Doctor in Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, plays 2nd Lt. Robert H. Daniels. Saltburn fans, prepare yourself to see Barry Keoghan in the (hopefully) less salacious role of Lt. Curtis Biddick.
Masters Of The Air promises to portray the “psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich.” It is the first series produced by Apple studios in cooperation with Playtone and Amblin Television. This companion piece to Band of Brothers and The Pacific comprises nine episodes total, and will stream exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on January 26, 2024. We’ll get a new episode every Friday until March 15.
War movies aren’t always easy to watch, but historical fiction like this series allows us a satisfying look at the “right stuff” needed to get the job done.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
