‘Masters of the Air’ could become Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ next Emmy masterpiece

When it comes to chronicling the bravery of the Greatest Generation during World War II, few if any can claim to have done it better than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. 

The Oscar-winning duo – whose first project about the Second World War, “Saving Private Ryan,” won Spielberg his second Best Director Oscar and landed Hanks a nomination for Best Actor. They have spent decades cataloging the sacrifice of American soldiers during WWII across multiple acclaimed television projects, including “Band of Brothers” (focused on Army paratroopers) and “The Pacific” (focused on Marines). 

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This year, Spielberg and Hanks are back again with “Masters of the Air,” the Apple TV+ limited series about the 100th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force (also known as the Bloody Hundredth) who flew deadly and dangerous missions over Germany during World War II. With its pedigree – both “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” won Emmy Awards for best miniseries, earning Spielberg and Hanks trophies as executive producers – and a buzzy cast of young stars like Oscar nominees Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, “Masters of the Air” could find itself as the next Emmy masterpiece for the longtime friends and collaborators.

Based on the Donald L. Miller nonfiction book of the same name and created by John Shiban (“The X-Files”) and John Orloff (“Band of Brothers”), the 10-part limited series from executive producers Spielberg, Hanks, and five-time Emmy winner Gary Goetzman (“Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”) debuted in January to strong reviews from critics and viewers and wraps up its run later this month. The show, with its impeccable crafts – particularly its costumes from four-time Oscar winner and two-time Emmy winner Colleen Atwood and its production design from Chris Seagers (“Saving Private Ryan”) – and strong ensemble, is already a popular contender for Best Limited Series at the 2024 Emmy Awards and could land multiple nominations later this year, particularly if history is any indication. “Band of Brothers” received 20 nominations and won seven total awards, including Best Miniseries, while “The Pacific” was nominated 24 times with eight wins, including Best Miniseries. As with its predecessors, “Masters of the Air” treats World War II and the soldiers who fought for America not with an unblinking nostalgia but a more nuanced approach to the cost of freedom for those brave enough to serve.

“[Some World War II projects] can be absolutely lost in fanciful nostalgia, which bores me to tears and, I think, also misses the point,” Hanks told the New York Times earlier this year.

“Here was a time in which there was just no question that a division was going to take place in the human condition,” he added. “You had truly evil empires that were murdering people and enslaving them in order to hold sway over their part of the world. Of course the world is completely different now. But you still come down to the core issue of what is the truth, and what is justice, and what is my part to play in that? Isn’t that what all literature is kind of based on one way or another? Isn’t that what all storytelling comes down to?”

For fans of “Masters of the Air,” the answer to Hanks’ last question is a resounding yes. Watch the show on Apple TV+.

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