World War II was never this soapy. World on Fire captures the essence of WWII in seven episodes with characters scattered in five countries as the Nazis begin their relentless movement to conquer Poland. Helen Hunt plays an American war correspondent who witnesses the German invasion of Warsaw and reports it in her radio commentary in Berlin. Sean Bean plays a pacifist in London whose daughter and son get involved in the War.
In Paris, a gay American doctor (Brian Jacob Smith) resists pleas to leave the city as the Germans move in…with dire consequences. Jonah Hauer-King as Harry Chase, creates most of the love interest in this series. Chase starts out as an interpreter for the British Government, but gets involved with a Polish girl named Kasia (played by Zofia Wichłacz). In a soap opera moment, Harry marries Kasia in hopes he can get her out of Poland before the Germans invade. But, of course, Something Else happens.
Harry Chase also has another girl friend, Lois (played by Julia Brown), who is a factory worker by day and a talented night club singer at night. Harry’s two love interests power much of the action in these episodes.
My favorite character is Robina Chase (played by Leslie Manville), Harry’s wealthy and imperious mother. But, World War II forces her to evolve as events upend her world.
Normally, I wouldn’t be watching something like World on Fire but the coronavirus, like WWII, changed everything. This ensemble series is mildly enlightening if you’re not allergic to soap. GRADE: B
The only soap I watch is a bar of Ivory in the shower.
Bob, cleanliness is next to godliness.
I watched the first two episodes and bailed. Just too soapy for me.
Steve, normally I would have bailed after the first episode of something like WORLD ON FIRE (or not even watched it in the first place). But Strange Times alter behaviors. I see CBS is offering CBS SUNDAY MOVIES starting with RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Desperation at the network???
Ditto, Steve. Even Jackie was bored. Lesley Manville was a hoot as his awful mother, however.
If you want more relaxing soap, try Netflix’s Virgin River, based on the books by Robyn Carr. I’m sure Diane will like it. Nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckinridge) leaves L.A. to take a job as an assistant to crusty old Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson), hired by Mayor Hope (Annette O’Toole) without the doctor’s knowledge. Mel wants to get away from her own recent heartbreak. She immediately falls under the spell of Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), an ex-Marine with PTSD who owns the local bar & restaurant. It is soapy but very relaxing to watch the northern California scenery, and it has already been renewed for another series of 10.
Jeff, I’ll pass on your recommendation of VIRGIN RIVER to Diane. She loves that sort of stuff. I’m hanging on to WORLD ON FIRE because of Lesley Manville. Wonderful actress!
The comments above have hit on exactly why I tend to avoid PBS programming–it’s the soap factor. In their mystery series it’s the quaint factor. I’m not entirely immune to soapiness—I’ll admit to having stuck with “Downton Abbey” for however long it ran, and then saw the movie. But mostly I stay away from it. Recently I got talked into watching “Little Fires Everywhere”, from Celeste Ng’s novel, on Hulu and will admit that I got hooked despite the soap. Fans of high class soap should check it out.
Michael, Diane’s Book Club read LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE and planned to watch the HULU version as a group. The coronavirus changed that plan.
I was surprised at how unremarkable this was. Too many characters and too soapy. I think to do a WW 2 drama now, you have to have a new angle and not just Poland.
LITTLE FIRES improved over time. Although I cannot believe how much they changed from the book. Some of it for the better though.
I also liked VIRGIN RIVER.
Patti, Diane and I will stay with WORLD ON FIRE for the last three episodes, but it’s like watching World War II through the prism of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.
I’m recording it, but have only watched one episode. Will probably delete it. I am also not taken with RUN after 1 episode. Same thing for the weird Jason Segal series, something with Dispatches in the title. I’ve watched less than one episode of Belgravia and not sure about that, but want to give it more of a chance.
I have recorded all the episodes of Psych and am enjoying those, but not bingeing too much, 3-4 a day is as much as I can do. I would have thought I’d seen them all, and some I know I have, but too many I can be certain I haven’t seen due either to location or guest star, or theme. And the ones I’ve seen, I can comfortably watch again. Bonus, I now know all the words to the complete theme song (some episodes have a shorter version).
The DVR is nearing 60%. I’m slowly starting to do other projects, today will finish up 9 months of shredding. (takes so long for me as I black out ssn and other info before doing the shredding) Last shredding I did was at my late cousins house – she had kept over 10 years of tax records and I told her son I would do it when I went over 2x a week to run water and get mail, etc. She had a huge shredder that broke down about 4 sheets before finishing. Mine is too small, have to fold sheets in half, which takes longer, so if I ever get my stimulus $ and staples re opens, I’ll get another
Maggie, like you, we have NOT received our Stimulus Check yet. Most of our friends and family already received their Stimulus Checks. Once a year, OFFICE MAX offers free shredding services. We take about 10 pounds of paper to them and that spares our little home shredder major activity. We shred all “sensitive” documents ourselves.
Maggie, we don’t like RUN much either, even though we both normally love Merritt Wever. But they added Archie Panjabi in episode three, so we are sticking with it for now. It helps that episodes are only 25 minutes each.
thanks I’ll keep on with it and see how I like it
Sounds like a lot of KITSCH to me.
Btw it was produced in Great Britain by the BBC.
I wonder how the crazy/abominable world of the Nazis is described there – nobody was safe.
PS and OT:
Has anybody read my description of my father’s story in WW2 in the thread Casablanca?
Wolf, I read your description of your father’s story in WWII. Even though there’s a lot of death in WORLD ON FIRE, you’re right about the sanitized view of the Nazis. The horror and atrocities could not be shown to ahistorical American public.
I think I read it, but as it was over 24 hours ago, can’t be sure
We recorded it, but after the halfway point in episode 2 we dumped it and deleted the rest. I didn’t think “soap” so much as confusing. We continue to enjoy the old episodes of Morse that’s being rebroadcast.
Rick, plenty of people have bailed out of WORLD ON FIRE after a couple of episodes. We’re going to see it through to the end. Tonight, we’ll be watching the action in Dunkirk.
“Crusty old . . . Tim Matheson”? Was “Animal House” that long ago? Yes it was.
I get a laugh out of those CBS ads for “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” A bold concept in programming. At least they’re not fielding another moronic game show or “reality” cesspool.
Fred, after RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, CBS is touting TITANIC for a SUNDY MOVIE. Very innovative!