Is World On Fire based on a true story? BBC One’s World War Two drama explained

WORLD On Fire became a huge success when it first aired in 2019.

With a second series set to return to screens, we take a look at if the BBC One drama is based on a true story.

What is World On Fire?

The BBC One series first hit screens on September 29, 2019, and averaged 6.7 million viewers.

Set in 1945, the first series explored the Second World War through the lives of ordinary people from Britain, France, Germany, Poland and the US.

Announcing the second instalment of the hit show, the BBC said: ”World On Fire series two will take viewers from the streets of Britain into occupied France, Nazi Germany, and to the sands of the North African desert, where British troops struggle alongside Indian Sappers and Australian Diggers to adapt to a very different kind of combat.”

World On Fire stars Lesley Manville and Jonah Hauer-King and was created by multi-award winning writer Peter Bowker.

The producers are Mammoth Screen, who have also made other period dramas such as Victoria, Poldark and Vanity Fair.

Is it based on real events from World War Two?

The series does take inspiration from the true events of World War Two, including a number of monumental landmarks and battles.

However, the characters are fictional – they were created by writer Bowker.

Bowker initially came up with the idea after becoming obsessed with the landmark 1970s documentary series, The World At War – and wanted to see if he could do something like that but on a bigger scale.

What did Peter Bowker say about it?

Discussing the second series, Bowker said: ”The second season of World On Fire has been a long wait due to a certain pandemic and this makes the beginning of filming especially exciting.

”It has been a real joy to pick up the story with our inspirational cast, both our established regulars and new and exciting talent who have embraced the show’s scale and ambition.

”How the conflict played out in North Africa is a fascinating and little-explored history and we are aiming to redress that balance with stories of struggle and friendship. Our diverse cast will continue to reflect the global nature of the conflict.”

Series two is scheduled to commence on Sunday, July 16, 2023, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with series one available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer now.