World On Fire

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.

“World on Fire” hits the ground running and doesn’t let up. While it might take a bit of time to grasp everything onscreen, once you do you’re in for an emotional and jaw-dropping ride.

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.

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.

World On Fire is certainly a character-driven drama, but those characters, and the fine performances that shape them, are more than enough to work through the disjointed first episode and see where their lives go as World War II grows in scope and danger.

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.

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.

It’s an ambitious and broad look at the onslaught of war and the ugliness — as well as the occasional heroism, but mostly the ugliness — that it ushered in.

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.

The dense episodes — seven in total, each stretching nearly an hour — do eventually give way to satisfying character development and fresh complications.