HBO's wartime epic Masters of the Air is set to make a big debut on Apple TV Plus on January 26 2024, and if the trailer is anything to go by it's going to be visually stunning and stomach-churningly exciting.
The upcoming limited series that's set to air on one of the best streaming services comes from the same executive producers as the wartime epics Band of Brothers and The Pacific, who you might have heard of: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
According to producer Gary Goetzman, "Masters of the Air is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II."
What events is Masters of the Air based on?
Like the non-fiction book from which it takes its name, Masters of the Air is based on the story of the 100th Bomb Group, aka the Bloody Hundredth, who performed multiple bombing raids over Nazi Germany in the World War II. The drama follows them as they conduct raids while grappling with freezing conditions, limited oxygen and the sheer terror of high altitude combat.
As thrilling as the action scenes are, they're not the sole focus of what will likely become one of the best Apple TV Plus shows. Over its nine episodes, it sets out to show the psychological and emotional price paid by these very young men. As Apple explains: "Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all."
I'm really looking forward to this, as it seems to be a grown-up take on the horrors of war and features a superb cast including two Oscar nominees, Austin Butler (who was nominated for his performance in Elvis) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) as pilots Major Gale Cleven and Lieutenant Curtis Biddick.
The first two episodes are scheduled to stream on Apple TV Plus from January 26, with the remaining episodes being added each Friday until March 15.
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