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 is the final of three companion piece miniseries, following Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010), and is the only one not to air on HBO. 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 and received positive reviews, with many highlighting the performances, rich characters, and gripping action sequences. It received three nominations at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, winning one.
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 the airmen face, and the friendships and relationships they develop.
Cast Main Austin Butler as Maj. Gale "Buck" Cleven Callum Turner as Maj. John "Bucky" Egan Anthony Boyle as Lt. Harry Crosby Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick Nikolai Kinski as Col. Harold Huglin Stephen Campbell Moore as Maj. Marvin "Red" Bowman Sawyer Spielberg as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor Isabel May as Marjorie "Marge" Spencer James Murray as Col. Neil "Chick" Harding Nate Mann as Maj. Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal Laurie Davidson as Lt. Herbert Nash Joanna Kulig as Paulina Louis Hofmann as Lt. Ulrich Haussmann Jamie Parker as Dr. Huston Bel Powley as Sub. 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
Kai Alexander as Sgt. William Quinn 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
Theodore Bhat as Sgt. Clarence C. Hall Josh Bolt as Lt. Winifred "Pappy" Lewis Ian Dunnett Jnr as Lt. Ron Bailey Thomas Flynn as Col. Sam 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 Nathan Collins as Lt. George Oliver
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 Hurley, 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 Léonie Lojkine as Michou, a Resistance guide
Episodes
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. Stephen Rosenbaum served as the visual effects supervisor for the miniseries. In total, 3,447 visual effects shots were used for the series. Over 1,600–2,000 visual effects shots were done by DNEG, including most of the aerial sequences.
Release Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+ on January 26, 2024.
The Bloody Hundredth 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 Critical response Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 42 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 also criticized the show, saying it "sacrificed authenticity for Hollywood clichés". Empire pointed out that it is all handled with "a certain strain of American exceptionalism" with non-Americans appearing as stereotypes, the British portrayed as "invariably stiff-upper-lipped" and "only a passing mention" for the RAF.
The series has been criticized 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 criticized, including making the B-17s seem "cartoonish".
Accolades Year Ceremony Category Recipient Result 2024 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Blake Neely Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special Jack Whittaker, Michael Minkler, Jeff Sawyer, Luke Gibleon, Dave McMoyler, Michael Hertlein, Michele Perrone, Jim Brookshire, Bryan Parker, Zach Goheen, Paul B. Knox, Adam Kopald, Angela Claverie, Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit, and Jeff Wilhoit Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Michael Minkler, Duncan McRae, Tim Fraser, and Thor Fienberg 2025 30th Critics' Choice Awards Best Limited Series Masters of the Air 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal EpisodeStephen Rosenbaum, Bruce Franklin, Xavier Matia Bernasconi, David Andrews, Neil Corbould (for "Part Three") 2025 British Academy Television Craft Awards Best Production Design Chris Seagers Best Special, Visual and Graphic Effects Neil Corbould, Caimin Bourne, Stuart Heath, and Glen Winchester
References
External links
"Introducing The Mighty 8th"—We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast interview with John Orloff