Masters Of The Air (Apple TV+)

[OceanBonfire]

Apple launches in-house studio with 'Band of Brothers'/'The Pacific' follow-Up

'Masters of the Air,' which was originally developed for HBO, will be the third story in the WWII saga from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks — and the first show the tech giant will actually own.


Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone have made a deal with Apple for an event limited series based on the Donald L. Miller book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. It is a follow-up to their Emmy-winning World War II HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

The book tells the story of the American bomber boys in WWII who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. It becomes the first series greenlit with Apple serving as the studio as the company is joining major streamers like Netflix and Amazon, which also produce and own content. Deadline hears that the miniseries will be more than eight hours in length, and that it will cost well north of $200 million to produce.

Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman will be the executive producers. Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will co-executive produce, along with Steven Shareshian of Playtone. The series is being written by Band of Brothers alumnus John Orloff, who is also a co-executive producer as is another Band of Brothers alum, Graham Yost.

Spielberg, Hanks & Goetzman originally developed Masters of the Air at HBO, which had long been the home for the trio’s WWII historical work. It was envisioned as the final chapter in a trilogy, following Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Those two minis garnered a total of 43 Emmy nominations and 14 Emmy wins including Outstanding Limited Series for both of them.

However, HBO ultimately left the historical WWII event miniseries space. Masters of the Air eventually moved to Apple, which is building its programming portfolio and is better situated to make the requisite financial commitment.

Orloff adapted two Band of Brothers episodes from the Stephen Ambrose book. The author was a consultant on The Pacific.

This is the second statement-making deal in the latter part of this week for Apple, after its multi-year commitment to be the exclusive TV home of Oscar-winning Roma and Gravity director Alfonso Cuarón.

Masters of the Air will stream exclusively on Apple TV+, and it becomes the second project there for Spielberg after the anthology series Amazing Stories. The series will join Apple’s growing offering of sweeping international drama series including Pachinko and Shantaram.

https://deadline.com/2019/10/apple-masters-of-the-air-steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-gary-goetzman-wwii-limited-series-don-miller-1202757249/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/apple-launches-house-studio-band-brothers-pacific-follow-up-1246746

 

[mariomike]

It's a story worth telling. Especially considering of all the branches of the American armed forces, only their submarine crews in the Pacific had a higher fatality rate.

( The Canadian survival rate in Bomber Command was only matched on either side by the German submarine crews. )

 

[OceanBonfire]

... two-episode debut on January 26, 2024, and will continue with one episode per week until March 15.

Spielberg-Hanks WWII series ‘Masters of the Air’ gets premiere date

'Masters of the Air' is the third installment, alongside “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific," of the Spielberg and Hanks-led World War II trilogy.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[dimsum]

Spielberg-Hanks WWII series ‘Masters of the Air’ gets premiere date

'Masters of the Air' is the third installment, alongside “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific," of the Spielberg and Hanks-led World War II trilogy.

www.militarytimes.com

I’m surprised there isn’t a trailer out yet.

 

[OceanBonfire]

 

[Rifleman62]

Interestingly, it will tell the story of a shot down airman/POW also.

 

[mariomike]

Interestingly, it will tell the story of a shot down airman/POW also.

"Thousands of airmen were shot out of the skies over Europe while engaged in operations against the Third Reich on targets in occupied territory. A very large number, sucessfully evaded capture.
An airman who gets away from his wrecked aircraft in enemy territory finds himself in a position which is unique among fighting men. To continue his type of fighting against the enemy, he must first return home, and to do this, he ussually begins his travels alone; often in a state of shock, and sometimes wounded. He knows that the alternative to a long, difficult and nerve racking evasion will be captivity, interrogation and possibly death.
Above all, he wants, and is constantly looking for help."

General Carl A. Spaatz, Commander United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe.

Regarding civilian help received in France,

Massacre Over the Marne - The RCAF ( and RAF ) bombing raids on Revigny ( France ) in July 1944:
"One thing that I hope emerges from this book, quite apart from the day-to-day heroism of the average bomber crew, is the wonderful assistance given by the average French family to the airmen whose misfortune it was to be shot down. We might have our national differences today but, when the chips were down....well, let's just say that for the French it was all or nothing. It was their life not yours on the line, and that should never be forgotten."

 

[mariomike]

A couple of things held the Luftwaffe back, I believe.

Allied bombers were most vulnerable during their marshalling and dispatch for a raid. It was an exercise of the utmost complexity, calling for precision timing at every airfield in eastern England. LW fighter Intruders could have cause a great amount of destruction and chaos over and around British airfields.

But, Hitler considered that only Allied bombers shot down over Germany were of value in convincing the German people that they were being defended.

Also, as far as I know, unlike the RCAF, RAF and USAAF, the LW had no four-engine bombers during the Battle of Britain. They couldn't handle heavy bomb loads.

 

[dimsum]

I haven’t finished the book so it might be in there, but adding in the Red Tails (the Tuskegee Airmen fighter squadrons) was an awesome nod.

 

[lenaitch]

Looking forward to this - I may sign up to Apple for a while to watch it. I thoroughly enjoyed BofB and re-watch it on occasion. Pacific was a little hard to follow because of the multiple story lines but still compelling.

 

[MacNav63]

Looking forward to this - I may sign up to Apple for a while to watch it. I thoroughly enjoyed BofB and re-watch it on occasion. Pacific was a little hard to follow because of the multiple story lines but still compelling.

Agreed. I've watched BofB almost annually but only ever watched The Pacific when it came out. Not that it wasn't good and gripping but it lacked the "band of brothers" quality that I think made the former so compelling, especially since so many of them were still alive and being interviewed, and had remained tight over the years. Possibly also that the war in Europe seems more "our war" than the Pacific island hopping campaign, with the "Canadian engineers" even getting a reference in the Market Garden episodes.

 

[mariomike]

Possibly also that the war in Europe seems more "our war" than the Pacific island hopping campaign, with the "Canadian engineers" even getting a reference in the Market Garden episodes.

I find the war in the Pacific more interesting, "there was nowhere to go."

"Nearly 50,000 American and 100,000 British soldiers deserted from the armed forces during the war. Some 80% of these were front-line troops. Almost all "took a powder" (as they said then) in the European theatres of war; there were practically no desertions from US forces in the Pacific, perhaps because there was nowhere to go."

https://www.amazon.com/Deserter-Untold-Story-Second-World/dp/0007345925

 

[MacNav63]

I find the war in the Pacific more interesting, "there was nowhere to go."

"Nearly 50,000 American and 100,000 British soldiers deserted from the armed forces during the war. Some 80% of these were front-line troops. Almost all "took a powder" (as they said then) in the European theatres of war; there were practically no desertions from US forces in the Pacific, perhaps because there was nowhere to go."

https://www.amazon.com/Deserter-Untold-Story-Second-World/dp/0007345925

Can't argue with that.

 

[mariomike]

Can't argue with that.

That was on the ground.

In the Air war over Europe, by the summer of 1944, there were 94 8th Air Force crews interned in Sweden, and 101 in Switzerland.

Enough to cause "serious controversy. "

 

[RangerRay]

I have both BoB and The Pacific and enjoyed them both. I did find the gore in The Pacific excessive, but that probably reflects the more brutal campaign fought in that theatre.

 

[dimsum]

I have both BoB and The Pacific and enjoyed them both. I did find the gore in The Pacific excessive, but that probably reflects the more brutal campaign fought in that theatre.

I think the gore is more than TV/movies can and will show more gore.

BoB was made in 2000 or so, while The Pacific was made in 2010. Saving Private Ryan was made in 1998. I haven’t seen the opening scene in a while and I don’t think it’s as bloody as The Pacific, but viewers weren’t used to that level of gritty realism.

Between 2000 and 2010, I would say that shows in general could get away with more gore.

 

[mariomike]

I think the gore is more than TV/movies can and will show more gore.

BoB was made in 2000 or so, while The Pacific was made in 2010. Saving Private Ryan was made in 1998. I haven’t seen the opening scene in a while and I don’t think it’s as bloody as The Pacific, but viewers weren’t used to that level of gritty realism.

Between 2000 and 2010, I would say that shows in general could get away with more gore.

Missed the TV shows.

But, I think the casualty rate was five times higher in the PTO.

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Casualties

 

[OceanBonfire]

 

[dimsum]

As per this link, it looks like they will acknowledge RAF and RCAF bomber crews.

It makes sense since it’s the same folks who made Greyhound, which prominently included

 

[mariomike]

it looks like they will acknowledge RAF and RCAF bomber crews.

"Bomber" Harris put it this way,

As for the American bomber crews, they were the bravest of the brave, and I know I am speaking for my own bomber crews when I pay this tribute.