# Foyle's War (2002)

> A stoic detective investigates crimes on the English south coast during the Second World War and its aftermath.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3006

## Facts

- Seasons: 9
- Episodes: 28
- Episode runtime: 120 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery, history
- Created by: Anthony Horowitz
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Nigel Terry, Maggie Steed, Sophia Myles, James McAvoy, Janine Duvitski
- TMDB rating: 8.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310455/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: measured, wistful, sober, dignified, atmospheric

## What critics say

Acclaimed for its meticulous period detail, literate scripts and steady lead performance, with audiences rating it highly across most of its run.

## Synopsis

Foyle's War (2002-2015) is a British period crime series created by Anthony Horowitz for ITV1. Michael Kitchen plays DCS Foyle, a principled detective who fights his own war on the home front, investigating murders and intrigues along the south coast of England during the Second World War. Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), a sharp young driver who becomes his partner, and DI Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) sharpen his investigations, while each case pulls him toward wartime secrets, bureaucratic pressures and moral compromise. The engine of the series is a steady, methodical search for truth in a community strained by rationing, blackouts, refugees and military urgency. Episodes are self-contained mysteries, a case-of-the-week format woven with a slow shift in the broader arc. Across nine seasons the show moves into the uneasy years after the war, when the detective takes on intelligence work for MI5. Its tone is measured, wistful and sober, with a strong sense of period atmosphere and quiet dignity. Fans of Midsomer Murders, Father Brown and Downton Abbey will find resonance in its British period setting and its gentle yet serious mysteries.

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