'Masters of the Air' Episode 1 Deep Dive

Welcome to the first episode in our Story Archives podcast coverage of ‘Masters of the Air’, now streaming on Apple TV+. In the first episode, we are introduced to a few of our protagonists in the 100th Bomb Group, Major Gale Cleven and Major Bucky Egan. Both of whom are best friends deploying to Europe in 1943 to kick off American involvement in World War II in a major way.

Starring Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan and executive produced by the likes of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, ‘Masters of the Air is a 2024 American war drama streaming television miniseries created by John Shiban and John Orloff and developed by Orloff for Apple TV+. It is based on the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller and follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit in the Eighth Air Force during World War II; the unit was nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” due to the heavy losses it suffered in combat missions. The series serves as a companion to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). It is also the first series to be produced by Apple Studios, in cooperation with Playtone, and Amblin Television.’