Atlantic Crossing

There has been a lot of controversy with this series about whether the events are historically correct. What was said between the princess and Roosevelt is not known. Most of the series is based on rumors and speculation. The Norwegian royal family was related to the English royal family when Haakon's wife was an English royal. It was therefore natural that they would support England, but the Norwegian people were more divided on whether they should support Germany or England. Most chose to be indifferent. As a historical series, I think it is exciting and emotionally engaging. Much better than others Norwegian series that have described the war, which are mostly heroic epics. We could need more World War II series about those who sided wrong, and why they acted as they did?

Atlantic Crossing is not a documentary and should not be viewed as such. Nevertheless I was drawn into the drama of the exiled Norwegian Crown Prince and Princess, a family that were separated during the Second World War, due to duty and circumstances. Whilst living in seperate host countries and having absolutely no political influence and power, the drama portrays how the prince and princess, in very different ways, did everything they could to contribute to the war effort. The ultimate cost of their efforts placing an enormous strain on the royal marriage. Atlantic Crossing is well worth watching, but perhaps for a more mature audience.

The historical accuracy of Atlantic Crossing is debatable but comments that there was no TV in the U. S. in 1939 and 1940 are dead wrong. During the 1939 World's Fair David Sarnoff, president of RCA, unveiled the first commercial publicly accessible television broadcast. I know because I was there. During the opening ceremonies of the Fair on April 30th, FDR became the first president to be televised. TV sets went on sale to the public the next day and were featured in NYC store windows.

From May through December 1939, NYC NBC station (W2XBS) of RCA broadcast twenty to fifty-eight hours of programming per month, Wednesday through Sunday of each week. The programming was 33% news, 29% drama, and 17% educational programming, with an estimated 2,000 receiving sets by the end of the year. The coverage area for reliable reception was a radius of 40 to 50 miles (80 km) from the Empire State Building. In June 1940, W2XBS covered the Republican National Convention for 33 hours during a five-day period. W2XBS also began transmitting NBC News with Lowell Thomas on February 21, 1940.

This could have been a masterpiece of historical storytelling with a script that focused on the Norwegian peoples' suffering under Hitler and the Royal family's many efforts to free them. But after the first riveting episode, the script becomes stuck inside Sweden's politics, Buckingham Palace and Washington DC with boring storylines that go nowhere. Honestly, I was insulted for the brave Norwegians and their Royal Family. They deserved far better, especially from Masterpiece Theater.

I just watched Episode 6 of Atlantic Crossing. It has gotten worse each week.

This takes "inspired by true events" to a level of fantasy that is beyond ridiculous. I am now finding it truly appalling. I feel like I am watching a bad Hallmark TV movie, but this disaster wants to style itself as somehow based on facts when it is preposterous.

Really, who at Masterpiece thought THIS was a good idea? It cheapens WWII and FDR into a dime store romance novel and is an insult to anyone who actually learned about the Roosevelts by watching Ken Burns' true masterpiece documentary, "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History", also on PBS.

I would say it is almost funny in its absurd depiction of FDR, Eleanor and Missy LeHand - but I found it stupid, offensive and bordering on the bizarre.

I'm done with this drivel. Just makes me wonder why Masterpiece and WGBH had anything to do with this disappointing fiasco.