BBC One has announced a new drama, World On Fire, about the lives of ordinary people during the Second World War.
The multi-stranded drama – written by Peter Bowker – chronicles World War Two through the eyes of people on all sides of the global conflict.
The series takes viewers back to the summer of 1939 and looks at the first year of the war, from civilian life in Manchester to combat on the beaches of Dunkirk.
As the world starts to crash and burn, translator Harry (Jonah Hauer- King) falls in love with Polish waitress Kasia (Zofia Wichlacz) while working at the British Embassy in Warsaw.
But when German tanks invade Poland and Britain declares war on Germany, their love is put to the ultimate test and the war forces them to make devastating choices in order to survive.
Kasia’s life soon comes under threat and it’s clear escaping is the only way to stay safe.
Harry knows Kasia would be safe in Manchester, but what Kasia doesn’t know is that waiting in Manchester is girlfriend, factory worker and singer Lois (Julia Brown).
As the Nazi threat spreads across Europe, Kasia faces the dilemma of following her heart or fighting for her country, while Harry tries to find his place in this dangerous new world.
Back in Manchester, the war causes turmoil for Harry’s mother Robina (Lesley Manville), Lois’ pacifist father Douglas (Sean Bean), and her troublesome younger brother Tom (Ewan Mitchell), who joins the Navy to escape prison and ends up involved in one of the first major battles of the war.
Meanwhile in Berlin, outspoken American journalist Nancy (Helen Hunt), is addicted to war and determined to tell the truth about the Nazi regime despite it coming at a huge personal risk.
In Paris, Nancy’s medic nephew Webster (Brian J. Smith) wants to stay in Paris and fight the Nazi regime.
He teams up with French Nurse Henriette (Eugénie Derouand) and risks his life smuggling French prisoners of war out of the hospital under the Nazi’s noses.
Webster also faces the fight for his lover Albert’s (Parker Sawyers) freedom, a Parisian of West-African heritage who is imprisoned in a camp just outside of Paris.
The series delves into the impact of World War Two and the sacrifices that are made in order to survive the new world order.
World On Fire starts on Sunday 29th September at 9pm on BBC One.
