What is it good for? Quite a bit as it happens. (Foyles War)

Member Name: DMSharman

Product:	Foyles War
Date:	29/07/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality writing and a refreshing take on crime drama.

Disadvantages: Plot may not be quite driven enough for hardcore mystery fans.

Foyles War is part of that ever-expanding genre of crime drama. As with all these programmes, the plot hinges on its lead detective, the eponymous Christopher Foyle. The majority of these programmes' characters rely on a quirk, troubled mind, vice, or maverick approach so which of these does Foyle display? The answer, to be honest, is none of them. O.K, so he is a widower with a reserved manner who had a slight run-in with the Intelligence Service in series one, but none of these amount to the compelling flaws we are used to with our detectives. Then what is it that gives Foyles War its appeal?

The answer for me has to be the setting, the series span the entirety of the second World War and deals with a provincial police force trying to cope with domestic crime as war rages over Europe. This gives the programme a deep well of story-lines different from any other mystery drama currently available. Stories revolve around themes such as war profiteering, Nazi sympathisers, shell-shock, women's role in the war effort and conscientious objectors to name just a few. The other attraction of the production is Michael Kitchen. I must confess to being an unabashed fan of this actor ever since seeing him in the superb drama, "Caught on a Train". As already inferred, the performance needed for Foyle must be understated, but Kitchen is able to pull this off while exuding a charm and integrity that creates a realistic and admirable character. This could perhaps not be said of many crime drama performances. The supporting cast are no slouches either, but are maybe not too complex in their development. Anthony Howell plays Sgt. Milner, a returning war casualty who has to contend with an amputated leg. He is a sturdy enough sidekick and gives a convincing portrayal of a man dealing with a sense of misplacement in the war and coming to terms with his disability and his wife's reaction to it in a very British manner. The delightfully named Honeysuckle Weeks plays Sam Stewart, a female MTC member sent to be Foyle's driver as he doesn't drive himself. She injects a nice dose of humour into the proceedings due to a tomboyish bumbling manner that in dears her to Foyle. The character is also useful in depicting changing attitudes to women in wartime Britain.

The production values, as with all these ITV mystery series, are of high quality. Pastoral wartime Hastings is lushly depicted, and the sets and costumes seem authentic and superbly detailed. The writing is of good quality, with the series created and helmed by Anthony Horowitz, who you may know from his excellent children's literature or other television work. It has to be said however that if you're a murder mystery buff then the plots in some cases are not the most cryptic or surprising yarns. This is a minor niggle however, and more importantly this is still very well produced stuff that has a genteel attribute, capturing you in a wartime Britain that is very much an intriguing place to be.

Summary: Great wartime detective series that makes perfect Sunday night escapism viewing.