Summary
- Masters of the Air, the sequel to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV+, a departure from its predecessors that aired on HBO.
- Despite concerns about platform differences, Masters of the Air still has a built-in audience and a talented team behind it, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman.
- The show’s success on Apple TV+ may be affected by its release on Fridays rather than occupying the coveted Sunday night time slot on HBO.
Apple TV’s upcoming war drama series Masters of the Air will serve as a sequel to the iconic series Band of Brothers and The Pacific, but one key difference between the new show and its predecessors is worrying. The third WWII-focused series from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg will follow the actions of the 100th Bombardment Group of the US Army Air Forces, which flew over 300 combat missions across Europe during WWII. Like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, it will feature an ensemble cast, which will be headlined by Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, and Callum Turner.
Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific are considered to be the gold standard in WWII cinema/television, and both were extremely successful for HBO when they aired on the network in 2001 and 2010, respectively. Both shows have maintained a following in subsequent years due to their overall quality, so naturally, a third series from the same creators is being met with open arms. However, there is one key differentiating factor for the upcoming Masters of the Air show that could be a problem.
Masters Of The Air Is On Apple TV+ (Despite Band Of Brothers & The Pacific Being HBO)
Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific aired on HBO, and can still be found there. The two series are often referred to as benchmarks for HBO to have built its reputation as the apex producer of quality drama series. Given the level of success of the two shows, it seems odd that the third entry would wind up on another platform, and yet that’s exactly what happened – Masters of the Air will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.
Why Masters of the Air is taking so long is complex. The show has been in development at HBO as early as 2013 when Apple TV signed Spielberg, Hanks, and others as part of their plan to bring major talent to the platform. Masters of the Air represents the first in-house production for Apple TV’s Masters production team as well. Tom Hanks’s production company, Playtone, has a deal in place with Apple TV, which made the pivot to Apple TV+ an easy one for the WWII war drama.
Why Masters Of The Air Being On Apple Instead Of HBO Is Worrying
Given that much of the same production team from Band of Brothers and The Pacific will be involved with Masters of the Air, concerns about the show’s quality are likely unfounded. Apple TV has thus far not been afraid to shell out major dollars for their TV productions, which they needed for Masters of the Air. What is concerning is whether the show will carry the same level of prestige on Apple TV+ as its predecessors did on HBO. Apple TV+ has a number of huge TV hits already on its resume, but very few have reached the dizzying heights of popularity that are often associated with HBO dramas.
HBO’s most popular shows shows include Band of Brothers, The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones. The closest comparison for Apple TV+ is likely Ted Lasso, but a light-hearted comedy is certainly a far cry from the violence and tension that will come with Masters of the Air. If Masters of the Air were to occupy the coveted 9 PM Sunday night time slot on HBO, its success would be all but guaranteed. A typical Friday drop on Apple TV+ simply doesn’t carry the same weight when it comes to appointment viewing and could have an impact on the overall level of discussion and viewing of the show as it airs.
Why Masters Of The Air Will Still Likely Be A Big Success
Streaming platform aside, Masters of the Air still has a laundry list of positives going for it. First, it has a built-in audience given its stature as a sequel to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Fans of the first two shows, along with really any WWII buffs, will be immediately interested in the series and likely won’t let the difference in platform stop them from consuming the content. Most importantly, much of the ultra-talented team behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific will be producing the new series in similar roles.
Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman were all instrumental in the creation of Band of Brothers, and they will be returning as executive producers for Masters of the Air. John Orloff, who wrote the screenplay for Band of Brothers will be on hand to write Masters of the Air as well. There will also be some new and exciting faces in the director’s chair as well, including Cary Joji Fukunaga who was responsible for the epic first season of True Detective in addition to the acclaimed films No Time to Die and Beasts of No Nation.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
