The Full Trailer for 'World on Fire' Season 2 Conveys the Series' Epic Scope

It's been four years since the first season of World War II drama World on Fire premiered, promising to reinvent the way we tell stories of the war by focusing on the day-to-day lives of the ordinary people fighting, dying, and trying to survive during it. Its sprawling setting and massive A-list ensemble cast helped make the series a surprise pandemic hit for PBS's Masterpiece, and viewers everywhere eagerly awaited its return. At long last, that moment is almost here, with Season 2 officially arriving in the U.S. in October.

The series' first season ended with the Battle of Britain. Season 2 picks up in 1941, as RAF pilots are scrambled to destroy the German bombers prowling the skies above Manchester and rescue operations underway in the streets below. But not only has the true reality of war arrived in Britain at least, but the field of battle has also expanded beyond that shown in Season 1, with stories taking place in occupied France, Nazi Germany, and the North African desert, where British troops join forces with Indian Sappers and Australian Diggers.

But despite its still-sweeping scope, Season 2 will, by necessity, look a bit different from its predecessor due to the fact that production coincided with the pandemic. As a result, several of the show's most high-profile stars will not be taking part, including Sean Bean (Time), who played pacifist Douglas Bennett, Helen Hunt (Blindspotting), who played journalist Nancy Campbell, Arthur Darvill (Broadchurch), who played RAF pilot Veron, and Brian J. Smith as American doctor Webster O'Connor. How (or even if) their absences will be explained in the new season remains to be seen.