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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 3, 2020 4 By Joshua Amy TV Media E very day, we pass by a multitude of strangers go- ing about lives that are mostly invisible to us. These or- dinary people deal with all of the things that the rest of us also do. But, when the stakes are high, ordinary people can be capable of extraordinary things. Even in the face of a world gone mad, the power of the human spirit endures. On Sunday, April 5, take a look in- side the private lives of people challenged to overcome ex- traordinary circumstances in the premiere of "World on Fire" on PBS. In terms of perilous times, few points in history can hold a candle to the political tensions of Europe in 1939. "World on Fire," the latest offering from the PBS Masterpiece collec- tion, is set during this forebod- ing climate of uncertainty and the days leading up to the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland. The series unfolds through the perspective of everyday people whose fates are intertwined in this world on the brink of war. It gives audiences a look at the remarkable things that ordi- nary people are capable of, even in the face of humanity's worst impulses. Over the course of the series, viewers can expect to see both the overwhelming hardships of World War II and the resound- ing triumphs of those who overcame such challenges. "World on Fire" features a sweeping narrative that covers a lot of ground, specifically the first year of the war. Its ensem- ble cast brings a host of vibrant characters to life, diverse char- acters living in Poland, Germa- ny, France and Britain during one of the most disruptive times in human history. "World on Fire" opens with Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer- King, "Little Women"), a Brit- ish translator stationed in War- saw, Poland, in the days just before its occupation. Harry lives a carefree life, splitting his time between his diplomatic role and his Polish sweetheart, Kasia Tomaszeski (Zofia Wichłacz, "1983"). When he hears rumors of an impending invasion, Harry promises to help Kasia flee to Britain — but waiting for him there is a life that he's kept hidden from her. Kasia is a dynamic charac- ter willing to take up arms and join the Polish resistance fight- ers to mount an offensive against the invading Nazi re- gime. Returning to Manchester, Harry is reunited with his girl- friend, Lois Bennett (Julia Brown, "Shetland"), a young factory worker who moon- lights as a singer. With the rum- blings of war growing closer to home, Lois's family cannot avoid the implications it has for them. Her father, Douglas Ben- nett (Sean Bean, "Game of Thrones"), is a veteran of World War I, which was an ex- perience that left him with deep emotional scars and a steadfast pacifist conviction. Tom Bennett (Ewan Mitchell, "The Last Kingdom"), Lois's chronically troublesome broth- er, finds himself on a danger- ous course where his only prospects are prison or enlist- ment. In the German capital of Berlin, American journalist Nancy Campbell (Helen Hunt, "Mad About You") works dili- gently to report the advancing German war effort. However, she is caught in a struggle against the censorship of an authoritarian regime. Across the continent, Nancy's neph- ew, living in Paris, is unnerved by the encroaching armies of the Reich. Webster O'Connor (Brian J. Smith, "Treadstone") is a doctor facing persecution by far-right French nationalists for his relationship with jazz musician Albert Fallou (Parker Sawyers, "Southside with You," 2016). As the entire world is thrown into conflict, "World on Fire" masterfully weaves all of these charac- ters' fates into a grand tapes- try that encompasses much of the human experience during World War II. For anyone inter- ested in history, or fans of ac- tion-packed period dramas, this series is certainly a must- watch. Originally aired on BBC One in the U.K. last fall, the action- packed drama garnered both critical and audience acclaim. The series' premiere was re- leased to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the inva- sion of Poland, which hap- pened in September 1939. Al- though the particulars of "World on Fire's" story are fic- tional, the series is a bold at- tempt to accurately portray the historical climate of the war and its effect on ordinary peo- ple. coverstory Sean Bean as seen in "World on Fire" Unity is strength: WWII drama highlights the power of ordinary people By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I recently saw "Sesame Street's 50th Anniver- sary Celebration." No Miss Piggy? Why not? A: Miss Piggy didn't appear on last year's big 50th an- niversary "Sesame Street" special for the simple reason that she was never on "Sesame Street" to begin with. An anniversary special would be a weird time for a debut, even for someone as, let's say, self-confident as Piggy. It's an easy mistake to make — the histories of "Sesa- me Street" and "The Muppet Show" (Piggy's real TV home) are forever intertwined. The term "muppet" refers to the distinctive type of puppet created and popularized by the great Jim Henson, first in his variety show act and later on a string of TV and film hits. Two of those hits were, of course, "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show." They each retained their own distinct cast of characters, and though there were occasional crossovers, the only full crossover character — the only one whom you could call a full cast member of both shows — was Kermit the Frog. Though she of course came to fame on "The Muppet Show," Miss Piggy, like many other Muppets, was part of Henson's prior variety show performances. She appeared (in slightly altered forms) on 1974 episodes of "The To- night Show" and "Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass." Q: I was just rewatching the Harry Potter movies for the first time in a while, and the actor playing Ron's dad struck me as familiar. Why would I know him? A: If I were laying bets, I'd say you know Mark Williams as Father Brown. Determining what someone's most famous for is al- ways a bit of a gamble, where you weigh size of role against size of production and then guess. Do people know him because he got a lot of screen time in some- thing small? Or because he got a bit of screen time in something huge? In terms of the size of the production, Williams is most famous as kindly, muggle-obsessed Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films. But you know about that. And so that makes this an easy bet. In terms of the size of the role, his biggest by far is Father Brown on, well, "Fa- ther Brown" — it doesn't get bigger than the title role. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Towne Floring 3 x 2 The Powell Company 2 x 2

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