Accidentally coinciding with the D-Day commemorations in June and going on for several weeks after, I managed to time a viewing of the trilogy of Band of Brothers shows - the original Band of Brothers, which was my second run through; the Pacific, which was the weakest of the three; and then Apple TV+’s latest offering Masters of the Air.

Band of Brothers is untouchable in scope and quality and although the other two try to do the same thing and follow in its footsteps, you can’t beat it. The first episode of BoB is a bit of a feat of endurance (both for the men and for us viewers!) but you need it to form the bonds that get you through the rest of the very emotional series. That episode with Doc Roe bouncing around foxholes has stuck with me for so long after both viewings.

The Pacific I didn’t rate so much. I guess there’s not so much that grabs me about the stories - that part of the history of the war has always felt quite far away and removed whereas a lot of the other two series actually takes place in the UK, or nearby Europe which is naturally a lot closer to home in all senses. But the characters didn’t grab me as much either, they didn’t have as much to do with each other or form the same kind of bonds, and it just felt more like an exercise in fact-as-fiction rather than exceptional storytelling.

I had high hopes for Masters of the Air because it was following in the same vein as the film Memphis Belle which was an enjoyable watch and taught me a lot, so I thought this would be a return to form. Thankfully it was, with an incredible cast at its heart. It’s amazing to me that Ncuti Gatwa, who was everywhere the last few months, didn’t even pop up until the last few episodes.

Rather than the more sprawling trek across Europe that the Band of Brothers shows seemed to be, this one felt more grounded as they had a base, went out and came back (or more often than not didn’t) and the impact that had on those left behind. Getting into life in prisoner of war camps was interesting too, and seeing what it was like for those who didn’t participate in the Great Escape. Very interesting.

Overall, it didn’t quite live up to the highs of the original series, but I fell more in love with Austin Butler and was more convinced than ever that I want to read all the associated memoirs with these three pieces of work. Two of them come highly recommended by me, and if you’re the completionist I am then you may as well do the one in the middle as well. All in, this Band of Brothers universe is a great tribute to the heroic actions of so many.