Masters of the Air, thanks to VEE and VisitBritain

Were it not for Visit East of England and its successful bid for its Friendly Invasion project to VisitBritain’s Discover England Fund (DEF), a $275m mini-series from Tom Hanks’ and Steven Spielberg’s production companies may not have happened.

The nine-part Masters of the Air, based on the eponymous book by Don Miller and about the World War II Eighth Air Force bomb groups based mainly in Norfolk and Suffolk, will be streamed by Apple TV+ in January 2024… but it very nearly didn’t happen.

The third and last in a trilogy, Masters of the Air follows on from HBO series Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Despite innumerable awards for the first two, HBO decided not to finance Masters of the Air. Screenwriter John Orloff had been primed to write the series.

In late 2016, as part of the £220k DEF Friendly Invasion project, VEE, then Visit East Anglia, were able to bring to the region Don Miller, John Orloff, and from Tom Hanks’ Playtone, executive producer Kirk Saduski.

The Friendly Invasion project manager Ann Steward and Executive Director Pete Waters guided the group around the region, visiting memorial museums such as Thorpe Abbotts and Horham as well as The American Cemetery at Madingley. They spoke passionately at The Friendly Invasion launch at Imperial War Museum Duxford. The three went back to the US, reinvigorated to make Masters of the Air happen.

Soon afterwards, Apple TV+ came on board with finance and filming took place on a purpose-built set in Oxfordshire in Autumn 2021 before post-production in California.

‘Although filming didn’t happen here, you will see and hear our villages and town names mentioned in the series,’ said Pete Waters. ‘It is entirely our story, about the young servicemen who were here in Norfolk and Suffolk between 1942-45, their military activity to rid Europe of Nazi tyranny, but importantly also about their interaction with local people. We own this story.’

‘They brought with them peanut butter, donuts, chewing gum, Coca Cola and lots more,’ said Ann Steward. ‘And took back with them tens of thousands of wives and girlfriends!’

‘Myself, John Orloff and Don Miller came over to East Anglia at the invitation of Pete Waters and Ann Steward, toured the bases and had a spectacular time. The people were lovely, gracious and we were all struck by the enduring interest and passion that people in East Anglia have for the Eighth Air Force,’ said Kirk Saduski. ‘It was a real learning experience for us.’

An hour-long documentary, The Friendly Invasion, will accompany the series. ‘It focuses on the relationship between the Yanks and the Brits, the two cultures,’ said Kirk. ‘It’s a love story.’

When Band of Brothers aired 20 years ago, Normandy Tourism reported a 40% uplift in North American visitors. Today on the D-Day beaches there is an eco-system of museums, memorials, hotels and restaurants providing visitors with a memorable experience. And the Emmy-winning series is still showing on Netflix so there is a long tail to the tourism opportunity.

A second Friendly Invasion, of tourists, courtesy of Masters of the Air, would be of huge value to the visitor economy.