There’s already been bloodshed, tears and a lot of deaths, but BBC One’s World on Fire may not be over yet. At least, that’s according to writer Peter Bowker, who has said he plans for a second run of the WW2 drama.
But what exactly could happen in new episodes of the show? And who could star in them? Here’s everything you need to know…
Will there be a second series of World on Fire?
Although a second series of the drama hasn’t been officially greenlit by the BBC, it’s likely World on Fire will return to screen. With episodes being watched by audiences of four million and above, the drama has proved more popular than the likes of Peaky Blinders.
Fortunately, writer Peter Bowker has revealed he has detailed plans for more series, each of which will cover a year of the war.
“I know what happens over six series for the main characters,” he told RadioTimes.com and other publications. “If you pitch a show, people will often ask ‘What happens in series four, episode three? What happens to this character?’ You’ve got to know and not be English about it.”
Damien Timmer, Managing Director of Mammoth Screen, the production company behind the show tentatively added: “There’s more war and there are more years and it’s possible.”
When could World on Fire series two be on TV?
If recommissioned, don’t expect the second run of World on Fire to land on screens any time soon. After being greenlit, the first series took almost two years to finish. Following this form, a new show wouldn’t arrive until late 2021.
What could happen in the second series of World on Fire?
Although Bowker hasn’t revealed exactly what to expect from the characters, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what historical events could be portrayed in series two.
Expected to cover mid-1940 to mid-1941, episodes could feature several historical events. Such as…
- The Battle of Britain. This was the battle fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe for the skies above South England. The battle also covers The Blitz, Germany’s night-time bombing campaign on London and other industrial cities.
- The Axis attack on the Balkans. German and Italian troops invaded Yugoslavia, Greece and the island of Crete in early 1941.
- The war in Africa. From December 1940, Britain and its allies battled both the German and Italian forces in North Africa.
- Operation Barbarossa. Perhaps the most significant event of early 1941 was the German attack on Russia, an invasion that opened the bloody Eastern front.
We can also expect series two to follow characters in very different countries, with Bowker first inspired to write the series by 1970s landmark Second World War documentary series World at War.
“I always thought: ‘what if there was a fictional equivalent of that, that told the war from multiple international perspectives?’” he said.
Who could be in the cast of World on Fire series two?
There’s no word yet on whether the many many actors starring in series one would return. This includes Sean Bean (Douglas Bennett), Helen Hunt (Nancy Campbell), Julia Brown (Lois Bennett), Jonah Hauer-King (Harry Chase), Blake Harrison (Stan Raddings), Yrsa Daley-Ward (Connie Knigh), Zofia Wichłacz (Kasia Tomaszeski) and Arthur Darvill (Vernon).
