Pakistani heartthrob, Ahad Raza Mir who made his Netflix debut with Resident Evil, has already bagged a role in another series, this time for BBC One’s World On Fire, leaving the audience and fans super excited. While the shooting has just begun for season two, here are some interesting facts you should know about the show and why it’s worth the watch.
1. Period Drama, Dating Back To The 1940s
The show is set in the 1940s, during the World War II era. It follows the lives of ordinary people and how they are affected by the war and its consequences. World On Fire puts focus on the events, rather than focusing on one character or plot in particular.
2. Historical Research Was The First Step!
The show’s writer, Peter Bowker, in an interview with BBC, stated that he worked with the head of history at Exter University and studied closely with other war time experts to get a better understanding of the war. This resulted in giving the viewers a realistic depiction of the WWII period.
“It was about narrowing down the abundance of material that was there and finding alleyways and places that I didn’t know about. Then it was finding stories, finding the little details that humanise it.”
Peter Bowker in conversation with the BBC
3. Characters, Lois And Connie Are Based On Bowker’s Family
Lois and Connie, two of the main characters of the show are based on Bowker’s grandmother and aunt and add to the show’s diversity. His grandmother and aunt were of a mixed race in Manchester. This is where the periodical drama gets its diversity from.
“Creating the characters of Lois and Connie was partly a desire to celebrate them and they became a starting point for telling hidden stories of diversity.”
Bowker on his inspiration for his characters
4. What Makes World On Fire Different?
The show has diversity in terms of the cast, race and stories. It has different stories, from a German family in the 40s with a disabled child, to life of soldiers fighting at Dunkirk. These stories and the diversity make the show a worth while watch
5. What’s On The Cards For Season 2?
The show’s creator, Peter Bowker had written the second season during the pandemic. The filming has also commenced and the cast has some great additions too. Ahad Raza Mir, Gregg Sulkin, and Mark Bonnar have joined Julia Bowen, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean, Jonah Hauer-King, and Parker Sawyers on the sets and we can’t wait to see what season two will bring.
Season one had 7 episodes and season two is set to have 6 episodes lined up. While the show will air on BBC One, in case you’ve missed season 1, you can watch it on Amazon Prime or on PBS Masterpiece.
Are you excited and will this be your potential weekend watch?
