Combining uncompromising historical accuracy with compelling mysteries, this acclaimed PBS series continues with three feature-length episodes. Michael Kitchen (Out of Africa) stars as DCS Christopher Foyle, investigating wartime crimes in an English coastal town. With the end of World War II slowly but inevitably approaching, Foyle and his fellow citizens learn the price of victory and face a peace that will transform their lives in unexpected ways.
Also starring Anthony Howell and Honeysuckle Weeks, and featuring Nicholas Day, Malcolm Sinclair, Nicholas Woodeson, Duncan Bell, Julian Ovenden, Mark Bazeley, Julian Wadham, and Phyllida Law.
ALL CLEAR?With final victory expected any day, Hastings looks ahead to a radically different post-war life. But the end comes too soon for two men?one a murder victim, the other an apparent suicide. DVD SEPCIAL FEATURES INCLUDE making-of documentary, cast member reflections, notes on a real-life Foyle, and cast filmographies.
No one was unhappy when World War II ended, but the demise of Foyle?s War is something else entirely. For fans of this first-rate British murder mystery series, set against the backdrop of that epic conflict, Set 5 represents something of a reprieve; although Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) retired at the end of Set 4, circumstances force him to return to action in "Plan of Attack," the first of three 90-minute episodes (each on its own disc) offered here. But by the end of this set, the war is over and Foyle has eased back into retirement. That?s lamentable. Smartly conceived and often quite masterfully executed, this show will certainly be missed. "History meets mystery" has been the concept from the beginning, as the low-key (like Peter Falk?s Columbo, he knows much more than he lets on), unfailingly decent Foyle and his assistants, Sgt. Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) and driver Samantha "Sam" Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), solve murders and various other crimes in and around bucolic Hastings, England, while WWII rages on at home and abroad. But this time out, the war provides much more than context, as the murders tend to be directly related to it. What?s more, Set 5 affectingly deals with combat?s heavy emotional psychological toll. It?s a burden we see carried by the cartographer who can?t bear knowing that his work is helping to kill innocent German civilians (in "Plan of Attack"); by the maimed former POW struggling to readjust to life at home, the teenager whose job it is to deliver bad news telegrams to soldiers? families, and the Jewish doctor, a refugee from Poland, whose survivor?s guilt leads him down a very dark path (all three in "Broken Souls"); and even by Foyle?s own son (Julian Ovenden, in "All Clear"). OK, so the mysteries may not be all that mysterious--perceptive viewers will have little difficulty identifying the culprits. But with its multi-layered storytelling (the scripts were written by creator Anthony Horowitz) and fine production values (the cinematography, editing, and music are all excellent), Foyle?s War is a whodunit that?s both a prime example of its genre and thoroughly successful on its own unique terms. Bonus features include a brief "making of" featurette and cast filmographies. --Sam Graham
Foyle's War: Set 5 Accessories
Foyle's War - Set 4
Foyle's War - Set 3
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Series 6
Midsomer Murders Set 11
Foyle's War: Set 2
Foyle's War - Set 1
Inspector Lewis: Pilot & Series 1
Midsomer Murders, Set 10
Inspector Lewis Series 1
Cranford
Foyle's War: Set 5 Reviews
It gives a point of view that I have seen nowhere else. The entire groop is very interesting.
Too bad the war is over. This series like the others that preceded it paint a vivid picture of rural England during and just after the Second World War. Who could have ever believed that all these intrigues and treachery existed so far from London and the Front and how Foyle and his band of faithful cohorts solved them all.
Season Five of Foyle's War was everything I wanted: questions answered, the war (WWII) ended, the characters accounted for. Now for the product. Highly recommended - especially for Anglophiles or anyone interested in WWII history. The bonus feature recounting a "real" Detective Foyle reminded one that, although the series was fiction, it was based on fact. Excellent series, excellent actors. First, my shopping experience with amazon.com was easy. My only regret is that it was the last. Being fans of the British television series may color my review.
This series is always excellent and such a treat from the commercial videos we have here. BBC and Public TV have done an excellent job.
Saw the last two episodes from the 5th season on the PBS station. There are generally multiple stories in each episode to keep your attention. I have watched them all now several times and will continue to do so. Went out/on line and purchased all five sets. All sets are excellent.
Would recommend them highly to anyone with a bit of the history, mystery buff in them. Never really guested who done it. The actors are superb as are the stories. Foyle's War is technically and historically accurate. Wish there were more series.
