Masters of the Air

Based onMasters of the Air
by Donald L. MillerDeveloped byJohn OrloffDirected byStarringNarrated byAnthony BoyleTheme music composerBlake Neely^[1]Country of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo. of episodes9ProductionExecutive producersCinematographyEditorsRunning time48–77 minutesProduction companiesBudget$250 millionOriginal releaseNetworkApple TV+ReleaseJanuary 26 (2024-01-26) –
March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)Related

Masters of the Air is a 2024 American war drama television miniseries created by John Shiban and John Orloff for Apple TV+.^[2] It is based on the 2007 book of the same name by Donald L. Miller and follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber unit in the Eighth Air Force in eastern England during World War II.^[3] The series serves as a companion to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). It is the first series to be produced by Apple Studios in cooperation with Playtone and Amblin Television and stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner and Anthony Boyle as part of an ensemble cast. The series consists of nine episodes.

Principal photography began in England in 2021 but was delayed on several occasions due to strict government measures related to COVID-19.^[3] Masters of the Air premiered on January 26, 2024. The series received positive reception.

Premise

Masters of the Air recounts the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II and follows bomber crews on dangerous missions to destroy targets inside German-occupied Europe.

The show portrays the intensity of war, the dangers that the airmen face, and the friendships and relationships that develop.

Cast

Main

• Austin Butler as Major Gale "Buck" Cleven^[3]
• Callum Turner as Major John "Bucky" Egan^[3]
• Anthony Boyle as Lt. Harry Crosby
• Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick
• Nikolai Kinski as Colonel Harold Huglin
• Stephen Campbell Moore as Major Marvin "Red" Bowman
• Sawyer Spielberg as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor
• Isabel May as Marjorie "Marge" Spencer
• James Murray as Colonel Neil "Chick" Harding
• Nate Mann as Major Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal
• Kai Alexander as Sgt. William Quinn
• Laurie Davidson as Lt. Herbert Nash
• Joanna Kulig as Paulina
• Louis Hofmann as Lt. Ulrich Haussmann
• Jamie Parker as Dr. Huston
• Bel Powley as Alessandra "Sandra" Wesgate
• Sam Hazeldine as Col. Albert Clark
• Josiah Cross as 2nd Lt. Richard D. Macon
• Branden Cook as 2nd Lt. Alexander Jefferson
• Ncuti Gatwa as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels
• Jerry MacKinnon as Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
• Josh Dylan as Lt. George Niethammer

Recurring

Guest

100th Bomb Group

Tuskegee Airmen

• Kwame Agyei as Lt. Joseph Evans Gordon
• Tomisin Ajani as Captain Erwin B. Lawrence
• Bradley Banton as Lieutenant Lee "Buddy" Archer
• Jonathan Jules as Lt. Shelby F. Westbrook
• Darryl Mundoma as Lt. Charles M. Bussey
• Francis Lovehall as Captain Wendell O. Pruitt
• Rahshan Wall as Lt. Frederick D. Funderburg

Other

• Nancy Farino as Lil, a barmaid at a pub frequented by the airmen
• Tommy Jessop as Tommy, a local whom Egan befriends
• Toby Eden as Billy Taylor, a boy who lives near the airfield, looked after by Lemmons
• Alfie Tempest as Sammy Hurry, a boy who lives near the airfield, looked after by Lemmons
• Harriet Leitch as Tatty Spaatz, a volunteer for the American Red Cross
• Emma Canning as Helen, a volunteer for the American Red Cross who makes a connection with Lt. Nash
• Ben Segers as Vincent, a Belgian resistance fighter aiding Quinn and Bailey in returning to England
• Vincent Londez as Jean Achten, a Belgian resistance fighter aiding Quinn and Bailey in returning to England
• Barney White as Bob, a German spy who attempts to blend in with Quinn and Bailey
• Bronwyn James as Susie, an attendee at Lt. Dye's celebration
• Lauren McQueen as Rose, an attendee at Lt. Dye's celebration
• David Austin-Barnes as Stuart O'Neill, a POW at Stalag Luft III
• Robert Hands as Major Gustav Simoleit, Deputy Commandant at Stalag Luft III
• Saro Emirze as Hanns Scharff, a Luftwaffe interrogator

Episodes

No.	Title [4]	Directed by	Written by [2]	Original release date [5]
1	"Part One"	Cary Joji Fukunaga	Teleplay by : John Orloff Story by : John Shiban and John Orloff	January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
In spring 1943, USAAF majors Gale Cleven and John Egan of the 100th Bombardment Group deploy to England to join the allied war effort against Nazi Germany. In June, the 100th, comprising four squadrons of B-17s from RAF base Thorpe Abbotts, is sent on a daytime bombing mission to destroy military targets in Bremen, Germany. Despite the use of the advanced Norden bombsight, the bombardiers are unable to confirm the targets due to heavy cloud cover, and the mission is aborted. The 100th is forced to fly through heavy anti-aircraft fire, and is then attacked by Luftwaffe fighter pilots. The failed mission results in the loss of three B-17s and thirty men, while the 100th commanding officer, Colonel Harold Huglin, is relieved of command due to illness.
2	"Part Two"	Cary Joji Fukunaga	John Orloff	January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
The 100th copes with its first combat losses. At a pub, RAF members challenge the American tactic of daytime raids; feeling disrespected, Lieutenant (Lt.) Curtis Biddick defeats a British pilot in a bare-knuckle boxing match. When Major Marvin Bowman is incapacitated by illness, Major Cleven is tasked with leading the 100th on their second mission: bombing German U-boat pens in Norway. Lt. Harry Crosby, despite airsickness, successfully navigates the mission. Lt. Biddick's B-17 is damaged; the other planes reduce airspeed to stay with Biddick's, which makes a controlled landing without power in Scotland.
3	"Part Three"	Cary Joji Fukunaga	Teleplay by : John Orloff	February 2, 2024 (2024-02-02)
In August 1943, the 100th participates in the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission to destroy aircraft manufacturing plants deep within Germany before traveling to North Africa. Lt. Biddick and his co-pilot are killed during an emergency landing in a forest. Sergeant Quinn parachutes to safety after his B-17 is destroyed; he lands in Belgium and is met by resistance members from an escape line. Major Egan and Cleven arrive in Africa along with the surviving members of the 100th.
4	"Part Four"	Cary Joji Fukunaga	John Orloff	February 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
In October 1943, fresh B-17 crews, including Lt. Robert Rosenthal, arrive. The 100th bombs Bremen once again. Feeling the effects of combat exhaustion, Major Egan is sent on leave to London, where he has a one-night stand with a Polish war widow. Learning that Major Cleven did not return from Bremen, Egan returns to duty early. Meanwhile, Sgt. Quinn is guided by Belgian resistance smugglers. He also meets two other American airmen, including Bob, who is killed after being exposed as a German infiltrator. Quinn and the others arrive via train to German occupied Paris on the way to Spain.
5	"Part Five"	Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck	John Orloff	February 16, 2024 (2024-02-16)
The 100th returns from the Bremen mission after taking heavy casualties. Lt. Crosby replaces Captain Payne as the lead navigator and is promoted. Major Egan leads another bombing raid to Münster just days after the Bremen mission. The mission ends disastrously for the 100th after they are intercepted by swarms of fighters. All but one B-17, piloted by Lt. Rosenthal, are shot down. Having bailed from his doomed plane, Major Egan parachutes alone into the German countryside of Westphalia.
6	"Part Six"	Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck	John Orloff	February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
Major Egan is taken prisoner and almost dies after he and other downed pilots are attacked by enraged German civilians in Rüsselsheim after a bombing. He is taken to Dulag Luft for interrogation before being transferred to Stalag Luft III. There, he meets other comrades from the 100th, including Cleven. Lt. Rosenthal and his crew are sent to a country estate for relaxation and counseling, which Rosenthal resists. Captain Crosby attends a conference at the University of Oxford where he meets a British ATS officer whom he bonds with before she is unexpectedly called away.
7	"Part Seven"	Dee Rees	John Orloff	March 1, 2024 (2024-03-01)
In March 1944, the 100th loses fifteen B-17s and one-hundred-fifty men during a mission over Berlin. Their next attack proves more successful when the bombers are guarded by P-51 Mustang fighter squadrons. They are upset to learn that the number of missions required for a crew to be discharged is being increased to twenty-eight. Captain Rosenthal completes his twenty-fifth mission, but decides to reenlist. He learns General Doolittle is planning to use the B-17 crews as bait to draw the Luftwaffe into the sky to face the P-51s; Rosenthal is placed in command of the 350th. Captain Crosby begins an affair with ATS officer Wesgate. Sgt. Quinn returns to base and is exempted from further missions due to his knowledge of the escape lines. In Stalag Luft III, Major Cleven and other prisoners of war build a crystal radio to tune into the BBC news. A large group of British prisoners escape; Cleven, Egan and the other American officers are threatened that the camp will be turned over to the SS and Gestapo if there are further escape attempts.
8	"Part Eight"	Dee Rees	Teleplay by : John Orloff & Joel Anderson Thompson and Dee Rees Story by : John Orloff and Joel Anderson Thompson & Morwenna Banks	March 8, 2024 (2024-03-08)
In June 1944, Captain Crosby conducts operational planning for two hundred bombing missions against Wehrmacht positions in France in preparation for Operation Overlord. Working for three straight days, he passes out and sleeps through D-Day. There is virtually no resistance from the Luftwaffe. During Operation Dragoon, the Tuskegee Airmen of the 99th Fighter Squadron are downed attacking German positions at the Côte d'Azur; 2nd lieutenants Richard Macon, Robert Daniels, and Alexander Jefferson are transferred to Stalag Luft III, now under control of the SS. They are invited by Cleven to join with preparations for a potential breakout, now that the Red Army is approaching.
9	"Part Nine"	Tim Van Patten	Teleplay by : John Orloff & Joel Anderson Thompson Story by : John Orloff	March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
In February 1945, Major Rosenthal's plane is shot down over Berlin; he parachutes into no man's land and is rescued by the Red Army. The Germans evacuate Stalag Luft III, forcing the prisoners to march in freezing conditions; they are taken via train to Nuremberg before being interned at Stalag XIII. When they are again forced to march, Majors Cleven and Egan try to escape, but only Cleven succeeds. Cleven survives an attack by Volkssturm children before encountering U.S. Army units. Egan and the other prisoners are taken to Stalag VII and are liberated soon after. In Poznań, Major Rosenthal enters Fort VII and witnesses the horror of The Holocaust. Majors Cleven, Egan, Rosenthal and Crosby reunite at Thorpe Abbotts; they participate in Operations Manna and Chowhound to supply food to the Dutch population stricken by Hongerwinter. After the German surrender, the 100th departs for home. The series ends with a montage explaining the future lives of its central characters.

Production

In October 2012, there were reports of a third World War II miniseries, in the same vein as Band of Brothers and The Pacific, but focusing on United States Army Air Forces aircrews of the Eighth Air Force, that was being considered by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.^[6] In January 2013, HBO confirmed that it was developing the miniseries, based on Donald L. Miller's book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, to be adapted by John Orloff.^[7] The series would focus on the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force.^[8]

In October 2019, it was reported that Apple had made a deal with Spielberg's and Hanks's respective production companies to stream the series exclusively on Apple TV+ instead of HBO.^[9] In a statement, HBO later confirmed that it had decided not to move forward with the series.^[10] The Hollywood Reporter said it would consist of nine episodes at a total cost of $250 million.^[11][12] The series is the first Apple TV+ series to go into production under the technology firm's in-house production company, Apple Studios.^[13]

In October 2020, Cary Joji Fukunaga was announced as director of the first three episodes.^[14] In February 2021, Austin Butler and Callum Turner were cast to star.^[11] Anthony Boyle and Nate Mann joined the cast in March,^[15][16] with Raff Law, James Murray and Tommy Jessop added in April.^[17][18][19] Freddy Carter revealed his casting in a May interview,^[20] while set photos revealed that Barry Keoghan was also cast.^[21] In June, Dee Rees was announced as directing episodes of the series.^[22] In July, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were also announced as directing episodes.^[23] Colleen Atwood served as costume designer.^[24]

In February 2021, it was reported that production had begun at Dalton Barracks (the former WWII airfield RAF Abingdon) in Oxfordshire, England.^[25] Retrospective temporary 12-month planning permission was applied for at Newland Park, Chalfont St Peter, following the construction of a WWII barracks on the site.^[26] Filming paused briefly in July due to positive COVID-19 tests.^[27] Production also occurred in Hemel Hempstead.^[28] The series used on-set virtual production by Lux Machina for cockpit scenes.^[29][30]

Release

Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+ on January 26, 2024.^[5]

A companion documentary titled The Bloody Hundredth, narrated by Tom Hanks, tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group that inspired the stories in Masters of the Air. It was released on March 15, 2024, on Apple TV+.^[31]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 95 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Soaring high with its immaculate production design and acutely well-observed characters, Masters of the Air can stand proud alongside its sibling series Band of Brothers and The Pacific."^[4] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 40 critics.^[32]

Writing for The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson gave the series five out of five, describing it as "truly fantastic television", portraying the experience of the pilots "as thrilling as it is terrible".^[33] However, in the i, Emily Baker rated the series two out of five, describing it as "the first big TV disappointment of 2024". Baker criticizes the predictable and "formulaic" drama, thin characterization, and storylines and suggests that the series is "too old-fashioned to compete with today's prestige TV".^[34]

References

External links

• Official website
• Masters of the Air at IMDb
• Introducing The Mighty 8th We Have Ways podcast interview with John Orloff