Here’s a poll result which does not surprise me in the least:
World War II police drama Foyle’s War tops list of 21st Century TV shows that Britons want to see back onscreen, ahead of Downton Abbey, Life on Mars, and Spooks
Of all the TV shows I’ve watched over the past decade or so, none has given me as much pleasure as Foyle’s War, and not just because I’m a history buff. I love the glimpse into wartime England, of course, and the gentle, almost leisurely pacing of the plots, but I also love the understated performance of the brilliant Michael Kitchen as DCS Foyle. Compared at least to the other shows listed above — even Life on Mars — it’s in a different league.
And yes, I have the entire series on DVD. There are dozens of worse ways to spend $80.
Finally, when I grow up, I want to dress like DCS Foyle:
…and drive around southern England in his 1936 Wolseley 14/56:
Life on Mars (both the British and the American version) were tremendous (and totally different shows). If you haven’t seen them you are missing out.
The British show was amazing, the US version less so (which is often the case).
I’m surprised you didnt mention his rather fetching driver, but then I recall you are recently remarried….
I find Honeysuckle curiously unsexy, actually.
I am shocked to discover that I have seen not even one episode of any show on that top 10 list.
And how could I have missed an actress named “Honeysuckle”. This will be remedied, presently.
Brilliant show – I also had to binge through it several times on Amazon. Off to DVD shop….
It was a great look into wartime life in Britain, usually in places unrelated to the main plot. Raffling off an onion…..
It’s an extremely well done series with great acting.
My only quibble is the occasional bit of lefty propaganda stuck into the dialog. Maybe I’m too sensitive, maybe people back then did say some of the stuff that the Foyle character spouts, but I doubt it.
British shows have gotten far worse about that in the last 20 years. An African bishop in small-town 1950s England (Grantchester, which my wife likes), a profusion of blacks and Indians and gays everywhere whether or not it’s historical. Everything has a leftist moral. It’s getting quite tiring.
You just want to have Honeysuckle Weeks at your beck-and-call.
The Brits, very occasionally, come up with a brilliant drama series. They do historical dramas particularly well, despite letting the occasional bit of PC dialogue creep in or casting totally inappropriate actors in key roles. (An African as Queen Victoria’s butler and discreetly suggested paramour? I don’t think so).
Another genre the Brits do well is the Cold War spy drama. Lots of grey backgrounds, sombre musical score, sad faced agents in oversized overcoats and trilby hats shuffling down rain soaked Berlin alleyways. You get the picture…..
Foyle’s War is one of the standout dramas from the last ten years, IMO.
My wife loved that show.
Me, not so much into TV, but it wasn’t bad.
I tried to watch it, being a World War II history buff.
The episode was series 4, episode 1, “Invasion”, set in March 1942, in which American troops arrive to build an airbase for the USAAF. Oops. The USAAF never had an airbase near Hastings. The nearest USAAF fields were three fighter strips around Ashford, 40 km to the NE, which were set up in late 1943 for D-Day.
And IIRC, the base in the show was to be for heavy bombers. All the bases for 8th AF’s B-17s and B-24s were in East Anglia, north and east of London. (Including the one my father served at.)
I could see why the writers did it – they wanted to depict the irruption of “the Yanks” (“overpaid, oversexed, and over here”) into British country life (thus the episode title). But I couldn’t accept the gross violation of history.