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T2 WHATS UP! April 4 - 10, 2021 BY KYLA BREWER TV Media W hile there is no shortage of sto- ries about World War II, that doesn't mean that every story has already been told. In fact, a new miniseries explores the lit- tle-known story of two high- profile historical figures, and it's coming to North American audiences. Sofia Helin ("The Bridge") stars as Crown Princess Martha of Norway, who flees to the United States during World War II in "Atlantic Crossing," premiering Sunday, April 4, on PBS Masterpiece. The eight- part drama series also stars Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks") as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who invites Princess Martha and her three children to live at the White House as the war rages on in Europe. Inspired by true events, the program explores the relation- ship between Martha and Roo- sevelt as she struggles to con- vince the president to join the war effort at a time when many Americans were against be- coming involved in another war. Separated from her hus- band, Norwegian Crown Prince Olav (Tobias Santelmann, "Kon Tiki"), who stayed behind in England, Martha tries to find a way to help her country from afar. For his part, Roosevelt seems to be infatuated with the princess, testing the patience of those around him, including that of his wife, Eleanor (Harri- et Sansom Harris, "Desperate Housewives"). "Atlantic Crossing" has been billed as "a true story of passion and politics" in an official PBS release about the series, but it is important to note that the dra- ma is just that — a drama. It is a fictionalized account of the events written by Alexander Eik, who also directed the se- ries, and screenwriter Linda May Kallestein. They spent eight years researching the project, piecing the story to- gether using letters between the princess and the president and by speaking to various sources. In an October interview with Annika Pham for NordiskFilm- ogTVFond.com, Eik talked about the challenge of weaving historical facts with fiction. "Writing fictional drama in- spired by true events is always a delicate balancing act be- tween staying true to history and at the same time creating a compelling dramatization, and, not least, remaining respectful to the subjects, many of whom are still alive today," Eik ex- plained. "The main challenge was to imagine what went on behind closed doors." In the PBS series, Roosevelt first meets Princess Martha in 1939 when she and Prince Olav visit the United States just months before Nazi Germany invades Norway. Eik and Kall- estein claim there is some evi- dence that Roosevelt had feel- ings for the princess, but little seems to be known about how she might have felt about him. Regardless of the nuances of their relationship, it does seem that Princess Martha used her influence to convince Roos- evelt to get involved. Sofia Helin stars in "Atlantic Crossing" continued on page T10 TV FEATURE 5 x 5 Untold history Not a subscriber? No problem, subscribe today and receive an iPad with your subscription*. *iPad must be returned within 30 days of termination of account. now available on the digital replica! NEW INTERACTIVE PUZZLE PAGES Get the new puzzle pages on the digital replica, featuring puzzles daily! CROSSWORDS KIDS' GAMES SUDOKU WORD GAMES STRATEGY & MEMORY NUMBERS Call 479-684-5509 or visit nwaonline.com/nwaipad