|
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION | ||
|
Positive:
14
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
|
Watch Now
| Stream On |
|
Critic Reviews
Apr 2, 2020
Season 1 Review:
There are parts of “World on Fire,” a 2019 work written for the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, that aren’t equal to the whole, and some characters that don’t ring true, but their number is negligible. As is their impact on this extraordinarily affecting series, so clearly powered by its passion for the history it represents, and by a remarkable cast.
Read full review
Oct 16, 2023
Season 2 Review:
Like Season 1, there are a few times when the coincidences that put everyone in the right place at the right time can strain credibility. But somehow, the series never feels like it's trying to do too much, even when it is obviously straining VFX budgets to the limit.
Read full review
iJul 17, 2023
Season 2 Review:
In the wrong hands, World on Fire could well be very boring – the Second World War is not exactly new narrative territory. But Bowker makes both the grand narratives and the minutiae equally vivid and stirring, and it becomes impossible not to be enraptured by at least one of them.
Read full review
The GuardianJul 17, 2023
Season 2 Review:
I have been slightly spoiled for second world war dramas by the gregarious SAS: Rogue Heroes, and this does not share that bounce or spirit. But it does have an immaculate grasp of tension and character. As this is war, people come and go; they live and they die. By the end of the opening episode, I was fully invested in their fates.
Read full review
Apr 6, 2020
Season 1 Review:
It’s true that not every story line gets equal attention or succeeds equally well, and it does take a little while for authentic characters to emerge from artificial scene-setting. But emerge they do, and my growing desire to peek at the end — as a TV critic, I have that power — was a sign that I had become deeply invested in their fates.
Read full review
The GuardianDec 20, 2019
Season 1 Review:
There is plenty of action, for those who want it, but this is far from the standard wartime miniseries. It is a beautifully turned ensemble piece, with everyone getting their time in the spotlight as we move between locations without anybody’s characters or storylines feeling underbaked.
Read full review
Apr 7, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
Season 1 Review:
The themes and outlines of “World on Fire” are firmly middle of the road — you imagine a good share of the audience watching it over tea and a biscuit — but Bowker has worked conscientiously to make the manifold subplots a little different from the norm for World War II dramas.
Read full review
Apr 3, 2020
Season 1 Review:
A a chillier and occasionally provocative rumination on how hard it can be to navigate an altered world. These characters are full of ambivalence, doubt and occasional resignations to their fates. ... The writing is brisk and efficient, but it does take a few more episodes (there are seven in all) to make the best use of actors as talented as Hunt, Bean and Manville.
Read full review
Apr 6, 2020
Season 1 Review:
World on Fire” plays like a mainstream broadcast network miniseries circa 1988. That’s not a knock. It’s kind of cool to have this sort of story back on TV, an old-school format that follows disparate characters in desperate times. If you liked “The Winds of War,” this should be a nice reminder of that ABC classic.
Read full review
The TimesJul 19, 2023
Season 2 Review:
I'm not sure how many viewers will stick it through six episodes, which is a shame, because it gets better as the series progresses, the finale making a clear nod to another series. Luckily the performances of Wichlacz, Manville and Jonah Hauer-King as Harry are enough of an incentive to keep watching for now. And here's another: Mark Bonnar will be in it soon.
Read full review
Radio TimesJul 14, 2023
Season 2 Review:
The truth is, if you were a big fan of the first season or are an avid connoisseur of World War Two dramas, then you'll still almost certainly find a lot to like here, not least in the immersive nature of the piece. It's just that for the rest of us, a series such as this needs a strong USP – and attempting to do everything may not cut the mustard.
Read full review
TV Guide MagazineApr 6, 2020
Season 1 Review:
The ambitious seven-part Masterpiece series World on Fire covers a lot of ground in its first season, but it still can't help feeling like every World War II drama you've ever seen. [30 Mar - 12 Apr 2020, p.8]
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score