The Masters of the Air series started in January and is the third entry to continue the 29-hour war epic by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Accompanying the flying Bombardier group into the air battles of the Second World War apparently also convinced the audience, because Masters of the Air set a streaming record right from the start.
War series as a record breaker: Masters of the Air takes off as the most successful Apple TV+ launch
Thrilling air battle scenes and the producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who have worked successfully together in the war genre since Saving Private Ryan, represent the quality of the worthwhile war series Masters of the Air. How great the interest was when the series started on January 25, 2024, where the first two episodes was published on Apple TV+, has now been revealed. Because as Variety reported, Never has a series launched more successfully on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+
Masters of the Air
Unfortunately, the streamer does not provide any specific figures, but apparently the bomber pilots around Austin Powers and Callum Turner even outstripped successful series such as Apple’s flagship The Morning Show, the aircraft thriller Hijack and all the acclaimed sci-fi series streaming service. The interest in the war format is so great that the… Apple TV+ viewership increased 65% worldwide is, compared to the week before the start.
A new episode of Masters of the Air is released every Friday. Episode 6 started this week. The last (ninth) episode will appear on March 13, 2024.
Let the Masters of the Air podcast convince you
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Will Masters of the Air be followed by a second season or a fourth war series from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg?
Masters of the Air is designed as a miniseries. So beyond its nine episodes is no further season of the completed war narrative is planned. It is unlikely that streaming success will change this project. Also because the big names associated with it don’t need it at all.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ previous World War II series, Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010), streamed on WOW, are still considered war series masterpieces decades after their releases. Nevertheless, they never resulted in direct sequels. However, Masters of the Air shows the ongoing interest in their approach to dealing with the world war in series that rely on realism and attention to detail. So maybe we get a fourth war series at some point?
Apple TV+
Masters of the Air
Masters of the Air and Band of Brothers were each based on different non-fiction war books by Stephen Ambrose * and Donald L. Miller *. It would be conceivable that another series on the Second World War would simply look for a different book template after the land, island and air war new story with a similar approach to tell. The part of the war on water, with (sub)boats, which Hanks and Spielberg have not yet examined, would be suitable, for example.
So far nothing is known about any further plans. If such a potential fourth war series sticks to the 10-year release rhythm, we probably won’t have clarity on it until the early 2030s at the earliest. However, we should don’t have too high hopes do, because Tom Hanks (69) and Steven Spielberg (77) are not getting any younger either. And sometimes you should just be happy with the highlights you already have.
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