Inspector Foyle

I have never been one for the sort of "crime drama" which is popular in the US. But I am a big fan of mysteries. In the past few years I have really become involved with historical mysteries and this seems to be one of the best. Notice history comes first - mystery second. Solving the crime though central to the plot of the Foyle's War stories it is not the key. The important part revealing how people "back then" felt about and reacted to what was going on. I think Foyle's War does an excellent job. You can feel the tension and weariness about the war. I also liked that though the various characters try to justify their actions because "there's a war on" you can tell that internally they know what they are dong is wrong or right. Though Kitchen and cast do an excellent job bringing out these feelings and ideas without words and without over acting, I think we also have to give credit to the Director and the cinematographers.

These shows do a great job of creating an image of the British Home Front that is very different from the one romanticized in the history books. We get a very real feeling that the British public "knew" the war was lost in the darkest hour, yet still kept a stiff upper lip. This tension, combined with wartime secrecy, energizes the drama. The war is like the weather is in other mysteries; criminals often use it as cover for their activities (blackmarket petrol, draft dodging, burglary, blackmail, and the like hidden by blackouts, bombing raids, and official secrets) and it's the job of the police to uncover all of the layers. In doing so, Chief Inspector Foyle asks hard moral questions - even in wartime, when thousands are being killed every day, is murder murder? The "bigger picture" is often cited as justification by the criminals, and, through association, this paints the leaders of the war with the same brush. A great show for children - this can spark interest in the period while also teaching moral lessons. Unlike some nihilistic modern fare, Foyle's War strives to show moral clarity through the confusion.

This series (to date rented from online rental rentflix company) builds credibility in all characters, intricate though typically British murder mystery confrontations, come-uppances to the antagonists who deign to impugn Foyle in the beginning of episodes (with excellent plot lines throughout) and a believable interplay between complex characters. The only question NOT answered to date is WHY Foyle does not drive. Fortunately because he doesn't, he gets to have Sam as a driver. Maybe that is the reason! Would buy this boxed set when it is available, have not seen it yet. The realism achieved by set design, as well as the opportunity to see a real spitfire flying in many scenes makes it a pilot's movie as well. The series musical theme is also hauntingly beautiful. Foyle's quiet calm and non-reactive traits are especially lovable.

The most derogatory remark I've ever heard an intelligent people make about this program is that it drags on a bit, but quite frankly that's only because ITV go and stick 25 minutes of adverts into a otherwise perfect fluid 95minute program. I suppose you could argue that the sheer lack of offended and dishearten viewers is testament to its boring nature, but that quite frankly is nonsense as well. You see the thing about this program is that it soothes you, it's relaxing to watch but doesn't insult your intelligence. I could go on for pages and pages about the acting, writing and attention to period detail but I won't bother because by the looks of it many before me have done so already. The two simple and only facts you really need to know about this program are that Kitchen is an underrated genius and that as detective/murder mysteries go this is, and will remain, a timeless masterpiece.

This is a good idea for a mystery series and it is done well. Michael Kitchen gets a lot of acting mileage out of a slight tilt of the head or a raised eyebrow. He's definitely the master of delivering lines in a low key manner. All the episodes I saw were well constructed narratives and the WW II era was recreated very well. I hope this series continues on for it seems like the producers are capable of coming up with more intriguing stories. Credit must be given to the parents of Honeysuckle Weeks for not only producing a talented daughter but giving her such a charming name. It's a nice little touch to have her character drive Foyle around as he does not drive a car.