Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | April 4 - 10, 2020 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 ordinary people deal with all of the things that the rest of us also do. But, when the stakes are high, ordinary people can be ca - pable 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 inside the private lives of people challenged to over - come extraordinary circumstanc- es in the premiere of "World on Fire" on PBS. In terms of perilous times, few points in history can hold a can- dle to the political tensions of Eu- rope in 1939. "World on Fire," the latest offering from the PBS Mas- terpiece collection, is set during this foreboding climate of uncer- tainty and the days leading up to the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland. The series unfolds through the perspective of every - day people whose fates are inter- twined in this world on the brink of war. It gives audiences a look at the remarkable things that or- dinary 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 resounding triumphs of those who overcame such challenges. "World on Fire" features a sweeping narrative that covers a lot of ground, spe- cifically the first year of the war. Its ensemble cast brings a host of vibrant characters to life, diverse characters living in Poland, Ger- many, 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 British trans- lator stationed in Warsaw, Po- land, 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 wait- ing for him there is a life that he's kept hidden from her. Kasia is a dynamic character willing to take up arms and join the Polish resis- tance fighters to mount an offen- sive against the invading Nazi re- gime. Returning to Manchester, Harry is reunited with his girlfriend, Lois Bennett (Julia Brown, "Shet- land"), a young factory worker who moonlights as a singer. With the rumblings of war growing closer to home, Lois's family can- not 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 experience that left him with deep emotional scars and a steadfast pacifist con- viction. Tom Bennett (Ewan Mitchell, "The Last Kingdom"), Lois's chronically troublesome brother, finds himself on a danger- ous course where his only pros- pects are prison or enlistment. In the German capital of Berlin, American journalist Nancy Camp- bell (Helen Hunt, "Mad About You") works diligently to report the advancing German war effort. However, she is caught in a strug- gle against the censorship of an authoritarian regime. Across the continent, Nancy's nephew, living in Paris, is unnerved by the en- croaching armies of the Reich. Webster O'Connor (Brian J. Smith, "Treadstone") is a doctor facing persecution by far-right French na- tionalists 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 characters' fates into a grand tapestry that encompasses much of the human experience during World War II. For anyone interested 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 criti- cal and audience acclaim. The se- ries' premiere was released to co- incide with the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Poland, which hap- pened in September 1939. Al- though the particulars of "World on Fire's" story are fictional, the series is a bold attempt to accu- rately portray the historical cli- mate of the war and its effect on ordinary people. Hunt's journalist character is largely inspired by real-life war correspondent Claire Holling- worth. Considered the first war correspondent of the war, Hol- lingworth was the first reporter to break the news of the Ger- man invasion of Poland. While traveling from Poland to Germa- ny, she noticed German troops gathering at the border, which she reported for The Daily Tele- graph, signaling the start of what would become World War II. Series writer Peter Bowker said that his goal for "World on Fire" was to create a narrative that wasn't focused on the generals and world leaders that so often feature in these types of projects. "I deliberately set out to tell sto- ries that weren't traditional war stories," he explained in an inter- view with the BBC. Bowker's vi- sion for the program was to "capture something of the global co-operation. It was possibly the first time in modern history that the world got to talk to each oth- er and co-operate in such inti- mate terms." This direction is certainly a breath of hope in a time when much of our news cycle is trou- blesome and frightening. To wit- ness these stories of extraordi- nary cooperation in the face of uncertainty, catch "World on Fire" when it airs Sunday, April 5, on PBS. Sean Bean as seen in "World on Fire" Unity is strength: WWII drama highlights the power of ordinary people 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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