WWII Drama Series ‘World on Fire’ Arrives Stateside at the Right Moment

Sandra Miska

The lives of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations are examined in the World War II drama series “World on Fire.” The seven-episode first season, a BBC production which originally aired in the U.K. this past fall, makes its way to the States and PBS just in time to resonate with a nation facing crisis and uncertainty.

Set in 1939 in the early days of the war, “World on Fire” features a global cast to bring to life multiple intersecting stories that span across Europe, from Warsaw to Berlin, Paris, Dunkirk and Manchester. Helen Hunt plays Nancy Campbell, an American journalist who does radio reports, first out of Warsaw before going on to Berlin. Her commitment to the truth often puts her at odds with her Nazi minder (Max Riemelt). In this time before camera phones and social media, when it was even easier for governments to keep citizens in the dark, the determined reporter fights to bring to light one of the Nazi’s most horrifying programs. Meanwhile, her nephew Webster (Brian J. Smith) works as a doctor in Paris. His bravery when later on he has to care for wounded soldiers is extra remarkable considering he has to hide his emotional pain caused by the arrest of his lover, jazz musician Albert (Parker Sawyers), whose only crime is being black.

Not everyone is as easy to root for. Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King), a British interpreter who crosses paths with Nancy in Warsaw, finds himself in a wartime love triangle with his Manchester sweetheart Lois (Julia Brown), a factory worker and singer from a working-class family, and Kasia (Zofia Wichłacz), a Polish waitress. When it comes time to make a decision, Nancy tells him to pick the one who needs him the most, but when it comes down to it, both women prove to be quite capable of taking care of themselves.

The most intriguing relationship, however, is that between Lois’ pacifist father, Douglas (Sean Bean), and Harry’s uppercrust mother, Robina (Lesley Manville), two middle-aged people from different backgrounds who would never have associated with each other if the circumstances of their adult children’s lives didn’t throw them together. There’s a thawing between the two, and both slowly change as the war progresses. Through Douglas, we see the lasting impact combat has on vets, as the WWI vet grapples with what we today would call PTSD.

“World on Fire” isn’t immune to WWII clichés, and some of the characters’ reactions to certain situations and open-minded attitudes don’t seem authentic to the time period. For example, after one woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she’s still allowed to perform on a UFO tour without so much as a fake wedding ring. And there’s too many coincidences to be believable, especially when it comes to Tom (Ewan Mitchell), Douglas’ son Navy son who comes in contact with both Kasia’s soldier brother Grzegorz (Mateusz Więcławek) and Webster at different times.

What “World on Fire” does best is show how people come together during a time of crisis and explore how monumental events make the world seem smaller. Realistic or not, one cannot help but be moved by some of the small kindnesses depicted. Writer Peter Bowker does a commendable job here creating conflicted characters who do not easily fit into molds. The Nazi who warns Albert, Nancy’s Berlin neighbor who joins the party to protect his family, the nurse who takes a risk to save a solider all leave a lasting impression. 

“World on Fire” premieres April 5 and airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.