Masters of the Air

Masters of the Air is a 2024 American war drama miniseries created by John Shiban and John Orloff for Apple TV+. It is based on the 2007 book of the same name by Donald L. Miller and follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber unit in the Eighth Air Force in eastern England during World War II. The series serves as a companion to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). It is the first series to be produced by Apple Studios in cooperation with Playtone and Amblin Television and stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner and Anthony Boyle as part of an ensemble cast. The series consists of nine episodes.

Principal photography began in England in 2021 but was delayed on several occasions due to strict government measures related to COVID-19. Masters of the Air premiered on January 26, 2024. The series received a generally positive reception.

Premise
Masters of the Air recounts the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II and follows bomber crews on dangerous missions to destroy targets inside German-occupied Europe.

The show portrays the intensity of war, the dangers that the airmen face, and the friendships and relationships that develop.

Main

 * Austin Butler as Major Gale "Buck" Cleven
 * Callum Turner as Major John "Bucky" Egan
 * Anthony Boyle as Lt. Harry Crosby
 * Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick
 * Nikolai Kinski as Colonel Harold Huglin
 * Stephen Campbell Moore as Major Marvin "Red" Bowman
 * Sawyer Spielberg as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor
 * Isabel May as Marjorie "Marge" Spencer
 * James Murray as Colonel Neil "Chick" Harding
 * Nate Mann as Major Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal
 * Kai Alexander as Sgt. William Quinn
 * Laurie Davidson as Lt. Herbert Nash
 * Joanna Kulig as Paulina
 * Louis Hofmann as Lt. Ulrich Haussmann
 * Jamie Parker as Dr. Huston
 * Bel Powley as Alessandra "Sandra" Wesgate
 * Sam Hazeldine as Col. Albert Clark
 * Josiah Cross as 2nd Lt. Richard D. Macon
 * Branden Cook as 2nd Lt. Alexander Jefferson
 * Ncuti Gatwa as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels
 * Jerry MacKinnon as Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
 * Josh Dylan as Lt. George Niethammer

Recurring

 * Darragh Cowley as Lt. Glenn Graham
 * Matt Gavan as Lt. Charles Cruikshank
 * Jonas Moore as Capt. Frank Murphy


 * Jordan Coulson as Lt. Howard Hamilton
 * Ben Radcliffe as Capt. John D. Brady
 * David Shields as Major Everett Blakely


 * Edward Ashley as Major Jack Kidd
 * Raff Law as Sgt. Ken Lemmons
 * Adam Long as Capt. Bernard DeMarco
 * Elliot Warren as Lt. James Douglass


 * Samuel Jordan as Sgt. John J. "Winks" Herrmann


 * Harry Ames as Capt. August H. Gaspar
 * Bailey Brook as Sgt. Charles K. Bailey
 * Louis Greatorex as Capt. Joseph "Bubbles" Payne
 * John Hopkins as Dr. Wendell "Smokey" Stover
 * Nathen Solly as Lt. John Hoerr


 * Josh Bolt as Lt. Winifred "Pappy" Lewis
 * Ian Dunnett Jnr as Lt. Ron Bailey
 * Thomas Flynn as Barr
 * James Frecheville as Major Bill Veal
 * Jonathan Halliwell as Sgt. William J. DeBlasio
 * Dean John-Wilson as Lt. Clifford Milburn
 * Tom Joyner as Cpt. "Stormy" Becker
 * Riley Neldam as Sgt. Michael V. Boccuzzi
 * Adam Silver as Lt. David Solomon
 * Ben Spong as Major Ollie Turner
 * Spike White as Lt. Charles A. Via

Guest
100th Bomb Group


 * Daniel Briggs as Sgt. William Crabb
 * Freddy Carter as Lt. David Friedkin
 * James Meunier as Lt. Kenneth Lorch
 * Kieron Moore as Sgt. Clifford Starkey
 * Oaklee Pendergast as Sgt. William Hinton
 * Francesco Piacentini-Smith as Sgt. Ray H. Robinson
 * Dean Ridge as FO. Richard L. Snyder
 * Sonny Ashbourne Serkis as Lt. James Evans
 * George Smale as Lt. Raymond Nutting
 * George Webster as Lt. Glenn W. Dye


 * Ben Dilloway as Lt. Col. Bill Aring
 * Luke Coughlan as Sgt. James M. Johnson
 * Jon Ewart as Lt. William Couch
 * Max Hastings as Lt. Kenneth Allen
 * Nitai Levi as Sgt. Paul A. Vrabec, Jr.
 * Fionn O'Shea as Sgt. Steve Bosser
 * Neil Pendleton as Sgt. William Stewart
 * Thomas Perry as Sgt. Harold E. Clanton
 * Charlie Rix as Lt. Glen Van Noy
 * Elliott Ross as Lt. Donald Strout


 * Alex Boxall as Sgt. Monroe Thornton
 * Elan Butler as Lt. Robert Shoens
 * Lino Facioli as Lt. Adams
 * Christopher Lakewood as Col Thomas Jeffery
 * Dimitri Leonidas as Sgt. George J. Petrohelos
 * Phillip Lewitski as Lt. Francis Harper
 * Jojo Macari as Capt. Oran Petrich
 * John Schwab as Lt. Col. James W. Lann
 * Corin Silva as Lt. Col. John Bennett
 * Louis Sparks as Sgt. Lester Saunders

Tuskegee Airmen
 * Kwame Agyei as Lt. Joseph Evans Gordon
 * Tomisin Ajani as Captain Erwin B. Lawrence
 * Bradley Banton as Lieutenant Lee "Buddy" Archer
 * Jonathan Jules as Lt. Shelby F. Westbrook
 * Darryl Mundoma as Lt. Charles M. Bussey
 * Francis Lovehall as Captain Wendell O. Pruitt
 * Rahshan Wall as Lt. Frederick D. Funderburg

Other
 * Nancy Farino as Lil, a barmaid at a pub frequented by the airmen
 * Tommy Jessop as Tommy, a local whom Egan befriends
 * Toby Eden as Billy Taylor, a boy who lives near the airfield, looked after by Lemmons
 * Alfie Tempest as Sammy Hurry, a boy who lives near the airfield, looked after by Lemmons
 * Harriet Leitch as Tatty Spaatz, a volunteer for the American Red Cross
 * Emma Canning as Helen, a volunteer for the American Red Cross who makes a connection with Lt. Nash
 * Ben Segers as Vincent, a Belgian resistance fighter aiding Quinn and Bailey in returning to England
 * Vincent Londez as Jean Achten, a Belgian resistance fighter aiding Quinn and Bailey in returning to England
 * Barney White as Bob, a German spy who attempts to blend in with Quinn and Bailey
 * Bronwyn James as Susie, an attendee at Lt. Dye's celebration
 * Lauren McQueen as Rose, a volunteer for the American Red Cross
 * David Austin-Barnes as Stuart O'Neill, a POW at Stalag Luft III
 * Robert Hands as Major Gustav Simoleit, Deputy Commandant at Stalag Luft III
 * Saro Emirze as Hanns Scharff, a Luftwaffe interrogator

Production
In October 2012, there were reports of a third World War II miniseries, in the same vein as Band of Brothers and The Pacific, but focusing on United States Army Air Forces aircrews of the Eighth Air Force, that was being considered by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. In January 2013, HBO confirmed that it was developing the miniseries, based on Donald L. Miller's book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, to be adapted by John Orloff. The series would focus on the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force.

In October 2019, it was reported that Apple had made a deal with Spielberg's and Hanks's respective production companies to stream the series exclusively on Apple TV+ instead of HBO. In a statement, HBO later confirmed that it had decided not to move forward with the series. The Hollywood Reporter said it would consist of nine episodes at a total cost of $250 million. The series is the first Apple TV+ series to go into production under the technology firm's in-house production company, Apple Studios.

In October 2020, Cary Joji Fukunaga was announced as director of the first three episodes. In February 2021, Austin Butler and Callum Turner were cast to star. Anthony Boyle and Nate Mann joined the cast in March, with Raff Law, James Murray and Tommy Jessop added in April. Freddy Carter revealed his casting in a May interview, while set photos revealed that Barry Keoghan was also cast. In June, Dee Rees was announced as directing episodes of the series. In July, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were also announced as directing episodes. Colleen Atwood served as costume designer.

In February 2021, it was reported that production had begun at Dalton Barracks (the former WWII airfield RAF Abingdon) in Oxfordshire, England. Retrospective temporary 12-month planning permission was applied for at Newland Park, Chalfont St Peter, following the construction of a WWII barracks on the site. Filming paused briefly in July due to positive COVID-19 tests. Production also occurred in Hemel Hempstead. The series used on-set virtual production by Lux Machina for cockpit scenes.

Release
Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+ on January 26, 2024.

A companion documentary titled The Bloody Hundredth, narrated by Tom Hanks, tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group that inspired the stories in Masters of the Air. It was released on March 15, 2024, on Apple TV+.

Reception
Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Writing for The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson gave the series five out of five, describing it as "truly fantastic television", portraying the experience of the pilots "as thrilling as it is terrible". However, in the i, Emily Baker rated the series two out of five, describing it as "the first big TV disappointment of 2024". Baker criticizes the predictable and "formulaic" drama, thin characterization, and storylines and suggests that the series is "too old-fashioned to compete with today's prestige TV". The Daily Telegraph criticises the show, saying it "sacrificed authenticity for Hollywood clichés" Empire pointed out that it's all handled with "a certain strain of American exceptionalism" with non-Americans appearing as stereotypes, Brits portrayed as "invariably stiff-upper-lipped" and "only a passing mention" for the RAF.

The series has been criticised regarding its accuracy, with many changes and omissions from the actual story of the 100th. The lack of a strategic narrative was also commented on - "the limited focus on strategy missed the opportunity to put the characters’ experience into context"

The quality of CGI for the aerial scenes was also criticised, including making the B17s seem "cartoonish".