War Miniseries Fans Call 'Perfect Band of Brothers Replacement' is Apple TV's New Hit

Summary

• On January 26, a new military drama produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg debuted on Apple TV+.
• The series, called Masters of the Air, tells the story of the pilots of the 100th Bomb Group.
• Only 3 episodes have been released so far, but the series has already become a new hit, highly acclaimed by audiences and even Hideo Kojima.

Since its launch in 2019, the Apple TV+ library has managed to fill up with more than a few historical series, many of which have become some of the streaming service's main draws. The comedy-drama Dickinson, the award-winning drama Pachinko, the main rival to Prime's The Man in the High Castle in the alternate history genre For All Mankind, as well as many original series from the History Channel have all found their place here.

But now it's time for the long-awaited World War II-set war drama, Masters of the Air. The series is a new project executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and the hype has only grown because of the star-studded cast. Now, just three episodes after its premiere, Masters of the Air is one of Apple's most popular shows, receiving high ratings from critics and viewers alike.

From the Creators of Band of Brothers and The Pacific

After the colossal success of 2001's Band of Brothers and 2010's The Pacific, which were based on the archives and memoirs of participants in the events, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have unveiled a new war drama that has moved from HBO to Apple TV+.

However, Masters of the Air was also created by other people who worked on Band of Brothers and The Pacific. The creators and showrunners of the new show are John Shiban and John Orloff (who was a writer on Band of Brothers as well). In other words, if you're a big fan of the 2001 and 2010 TV series and are still hesitating about the new project, the answer is clear: Masters of the Air is an equally spectacular story.

The Story about the 100th Bomb Group

The plot, based on the book of the same name by historian Donald L. Miller, chronicles the story of the members of the 100th Bombardment Group, nicknamed the Bloody Hundred. This was a unit of heavy bomber crews stationed in eastern England during WWII. Throughout the war, the unit courageously demonstrated its military prowess, effectively confronting Third Reich forces in the air.

A special feature of the series is an incredibly talented cast. Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle and Barry Keoghan star in the movie. Ncuti Gatwa will also appear in a later episode.

After Just One Week, the Show Became Apple TV's New Hit

The ratings for Masters of the Air have already proven to be quite impressive. On Rotten Tomatoes, Masters of the Air has an 86% rating from critics and a 71% rating from viewers. This is certainly not as high as Band of Brothers and The Pacific, which scored 97% and 91% respectively, but things could change for the better as future episodes are released.

Many appreciated how meticulously the creators approached the adaptation of real events, providing an incredibly moving reconstruction of the lives of the bomber boys and their role in turning the tide on the Western Front.

Even none other than the greatest connoisseur of cinematography in the world of video games, Hideo Kojima, appreciated the series. The game creator noted the high quality, as he particularly liked the direction of Cary Joji Fukunaga for the first two episodes. What could be better than a promotion from such a popular media personality? It looks like the ratings for the series will skyrocket in the coming weeks.

Episode 4 will be available on Apple TV+ on February 9.

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