# World on Fire (2019)

> An ensemble drama that follows ordinary people from many sides of World War II as the conflict reshapes their everyday lives.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/70853

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, war
- Created by: Peter Bowker
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Jonah Hauer-King, Julia Brown, Helen Hunt, Zofia Wichłacz, Lesley Manville, Brian J. Smith, Parker Sawyers, Tomasz Kot
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8001092/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sombre, emotionally heavy, humane, intimate, melancholic

## What critics say

Audiences rate World on Fire positively for its ensemble cast and wide-ranging wartime stories, though some find its tone too distressing.

## Synopsis

World on Fire (2019-2023) is a British historical war drama series created by Peter Bowker and broadcast on BBC One. Spanning two seasons across thirteen hour-long episodes, it follows an ensemble of ordinary people caught on different sides of the Second World War, including Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King), Lois Bennett (Julia Brown), and Nancy Campbell (Helen Hunt), alongside Kasia Tomaszeski (Zofia Wichłacz) and Stefan Tomaszeski (Tomasz Kot). Their everyday lives are upended as the war presses into homes, workplaces, and borders, and each character pursues safety, loyalty, and a future while the conflict narrows their choices. The series moves between Britain, occupied Europe, and the wider world, with each episode pulling its threads tighter across the cast. Its tone is sombre and emotionally heavy, with moments of tenderness and human connection threaded through the grim historical texture. Viewers who enjoy Band of Brothers, Generation War, and The Night Manager will find a similar blend of scale and personal stakes. The show is a prestige period drama for adult audiences, and its cancellation left the wider story unfinished. Set in 1939 and the years of the war, it offers an intimate look at history from many vantage points at once.

## Shows like World on Fire

- [It's a Sin (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/96756)
- [Parade's End (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/36399)
- [A French Village (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/32245)
- [A Small Light (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/119333)
- [War and Remembrance (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/30072)
- [War Sailor (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/140090)
- [War of the Worlds (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73365)
- [World War II: From the Frontlines (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/150708)
- [Masters of the Air (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/42144)
- [Women at War (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/117951)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt