Foyle's War

My sister who lives in Minnesota, told me about this series after she started getting at the library.. I got Season 1 & 2 for her birthday, watched them and pre-ordered Season 3.. Everyone in my family now is watching it-that would be Minn, Washington state, and Florida. My Dad was a B-17 pilot during WWII, both he and my mother really enjoy this story. One really bonds with the characters and the added plus of learning about wartime Britain is fascinating. I highly recommend this series-really good stories and history too. Each DVD seems to have an extra about the actual events that take place in the story. More and more I find I am looking towards the UK, for quality entertainment both in movies and TV..Hope they keep it coming!

Foyle's War follows the life of a detective and his team based in Hastings in the south of England during the Second World War.

Although he is obviously called on to investigate crimes, the programme deals with so much more - there is a real feel for what it must have been like to be in Britain when it stood alone against Hitler, when the outcome was not just uncertain, but may well have meant invasion and persecution. The period is therefore much more than a "backdrop". For instance, Foyle's son is in the RAF, and his sergeant was seriously wounded in Norway.

The scripts are intelligent, the plots engrossing and, with casts drawn from the cream of British actors, the performances are impeccable.

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.

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 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.