Above and Beyond (miniseries)


Above and Beyond is a four-hour 2006 miniseries aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on October 29 and 30, 2006. It stars Richard E. Grant, Jonathan Scarfe, Liane Balaban, Allan Hawco, Kenneth Welsh and Jason Priestley. The miniseries deals with the Atlantic Ferry Organization, tasked with ferrying aircraft from North America to Europe in the early years of the Second World War.

Plot

In 1940, Canadian weapons of war, including newly manufactured aircraft ordered by the British, have to be delivered to the United Kingdom. Lord Beaverbrook, head of the UK Ministry of Aircraft Production, also arranged for the purchase of aircraft from manufacturers in the United States. Aircraft were first transported to Dorval Airport near Montreal and then flown to RCAF Station Gander in Newfoundland for the transatlantic flight. The initial ferry flight of seven Lockheed Hudson bombers from Gander Airport in Newfoundland took place on November 10, 1940.
In 1941, the Atlantic Ferry Organization was set up, with civilian pilots flying the aircraft to the UK. The organization was handed over to the Air Ministry, becoming the RAF Ferry Command. More than 9,000 aircraft were ferried across the north Atlantic and, by the end of the war, the operation helped make transatlantic flying a safe and commonplace event.

Cast

Principal photography for Above and Beyond took place at Gander and St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Other locations included Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A period-accurate Lockheed Hudson Mk IIIA bomber belonging to the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander, Newfoundland, featured prominently in the filming. A Beech 18S on display at the museum was also used. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Mount Hope, Ontario, with an extensive collection of wartime aircraft, was another prominent filming location. All flying scenes were staged with computer-generated imagery.

Historical accuracy

Despite attention to detail, a number of historical inaccuracies in Above and Beyond were noted. The "B-24" used by the USAAF general is actually an RAF Avro Lancaster bomber. The DC-3 shown in the first hour is equipped with modern turboprop engines. One scene shows a de Havilland Chipmunk trainer in a hangar but there were none in service in 1940; the first one flew in 1946.
Other discrepancies include the American general wearing five stars indicating the rank of General of the Army, a grade only achieved during the Second World War by Army Air Corps officer Hap Arnold, in 1944. A modern dial tone could be heard during overseas telephone calls between Bennett and Lord Beaverbrook. Air-traffic control equipment under repair contained TO-3 transistors instead of thermionic valves.

Reception

Above and Beyond was well received. Reviewer Andrew Melomet noted, "If you're looking for a historical drama covering an overlooked and previously untold story, you'll enjoy Above and Beyond."

Awards