"Jericho" and "Foyle's War"

[ghost of miles]

I doubt many folks saw it, as it was going up against the finale of The Sopranos, but PBS ran new two-hour episodes of Jericho! the past two Sundays & will be broadcasting four new (to the U.S. market) epsiodes of Foyle's War over the course of the next month. Jericho is a still-new series, set in late-1950s London, starring Robert Lindsay; very noir-ish & nuanced. Foyle's War has been around longer; it's set in WWII-era Britain, with Michael Kitchen as a middle-aged detective solving crimes based on actual wartime circumstances and occurrences. Both shows are good "period" pieces, but in each case it's really the central actor (Lindsay, Kitchen) who carries the program... well worth checking out, if you're at all into this kind of TV.

[BFrank]

I was wondering what happened to Jericho. I saw the first episodes about a year ago (at least), and was wondering what happened to the rest of it.

[Guy Berger]

Foyle's war?

[Brad]

Foyle's War is excellent. I have all previously issued on DVD and love them. Are these really new?

[ghost of miles]

Foyle's War is excellent. I have all previously issued on DVD and love them. Are these really new?

Yes--new to us in America. They're Seasons 4 & 5, which have already been broadcast in the UK, but never over here. They'll be available on DVD for the U.S. market July 17. Episodes are "Invasion," "Bad Blood," "Bleak Midwinter," and "Casualties of War."

Season 6 has been filmed, but not sure when it will be broadcast--three new episodes, and then no more--series is ending.

[paul secor]

The two PBS stations where I'm at ran fund raisers on the past two Sundays. Looking forward to seeing the Jerichos and Foyles whenever they decide to run them.

[gslade]

I did catch a Jericho two weeks ago

It was very good (with Jane Horricks?? not sure about her name, little voice, absolutely fabulous)

our local pbs is also doing a fund raiser

and so no Mystery this last week

I loved the previous Foyle's War

cant wait to see season 4 & 5 of Foyles war

[ghost of miles]

Season 6 (billed over here as Season 5) of Foyle's War starts this week on PBS. Three episodes, was supposed to be the last, but the show's creator says he's now at work on another season that will take place in the months immediately following the end of the war.

It appears, sadly, that Jericho was not renewed, although I liked the new "Inspector Lewis" series that aired over the past several weeks.

[paul secor]

I'll be watching Foyle's War tonight.

Enjoyed the three Inspector Lewis episodes, but I miss Morse, & Kevin Whately is no John Thaw. Though Laurence Fox, who plays D.S. Hathaway is very good.

[ghost of miles]

I'll be watching Foyle's War tonight.

Enjoyed the three Inspector Lewis episodes, but I miss Morse, & Kevin Whately is no John Thaw. Though Laurence Fox, who plays D.S. Hathaway is very good.

Yes, Laurence Fox really stands out, I think. My wife pointed out that he played the young, wealthy British Nazi sympathizer in the Foyle's War episode "War Games" (season 2).

[AllenLowe]

thanks for the reminder - will watch tonight - I love Foyle's War -

[BruceH]

Happened to catch an episode of Foyle's War last week---very good. Seems like a good series.

[ghost of miles]

The U.S. broadcasts of Foyle's War cut out about 10-12 minutes to fit into PBS timeslots, so it's interesting (if you're a fan) to watch the DVDs when they come out; the episodes get even better. Last night my wife and I watched the last episode of the previous season ("Casualties of War") and felt that some of the little touches that had been deleted from the U.S. TV version--Milner's conversation with one of the murdered teacher's home-school pupils, for example--really helped round out the show and gave some of the minor characters a bit more nuance. I'm guessing that other British mysteries shown on PBS get the same edit/chop jobs as well.

[kinuta]

Foyle's War is great, a real pleasure to watch a skillfully crafted ITV classic.

Edited July 14, 2008 by kinuta

[BruceH]

The U.S. broadcasts of Foyle's War cut out about 10-12 minutes to fit into PBS timeslots, so it's interesting (if you're a fan) to watch the DVDs when they come out; the episodes get even better. Last night my wife and I watched the last episode of the previous season ("Casualties of War") and felt that some of the little touches that had been deleted from the U.S. TV version--Milner's conversation with one of the murdered teacher's home-school pupils, for example--really helped round out the show and gave some of the minor characters a bit more nuance. I'm guessing that other British mysteries shown on PBS get the same edit/chop jobs as well.

Good God, that's horrible!

[ghost of miles]

I thought the first episode of the new season--"Plan of Attack"--was great, one of the best recent shows. (Season "4"--actually UK 4 and 5 combined--was a little uneven IMO.) Anyone interested in a contemporary look at the morality of the Allied bombing campaign should check out A.C. Grayling's book AMONG THE DEAD CITIES.

[BruceH]

Been watching Foyle's War lately, on DVD. Just finished the first season and started on the second. Great show. (My wife's really into it too.)

[ghost of miles]

Looks like it's definitely coming back--Anthony Horowitz has posted for a second time on his blog that he's writing new scripts. No confirmation yet of the cast returning, but I can't imagine that he'd be forging ahead unless ITV had some sort of commitment from Michael Kitchen.

Edited August 9, 2008 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

Confirmation for a new season of Foyle's War, via the Guardian:

ITV has confirmed the return of 1940s detective drama Foyle's War, reversing the decision by former director of programmes Simon Shaps to axe the series last year.

The new three-part series of Foyle's War, with Michael Kitchen returning in the lead role, will start production this spring, picking up after the final episode of the last series, set in the final months of the second world war.

Foyle's War will return to ITV1 with a "new style series" set in June 1945, after VE Day signalled the end of the conflict in Europe, but with the war against Japan in the Far East not yet concluded.

Peter Fincham, who took over from Shaps as ITV director of programmes in May last year, has decided to revive the popular ITV1 drama, which was created by Anthony Horowitz and is made by independent producer Greenlit Rights.

"Like everyone else, detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle needs to feel his way in this new world. Keen to retire, but bound to his old job by the shortage of senior men, Foyle is thrust into the dangerous worlds of international conspiracy and execution, military racism and national betrayal," ITV said.

The series producer, Jill Green, added: "This fascinating period post-VE day has rarely been featured on TV and once more Foyle's War will be unearthing true stories that reflect tougher, moodier times."

Edited February 20, 2009 by ghost of miles

[paul secor]

Good news!

[BruceH]

Sounds very good.

[kinuta]

Great, we need some good news !

[ghost of miles]

Kitchen's returning (obviously, I guess) but no word yet on Honeysuckle Weeks or the actor who plays Milner. (Though I think I read an interview with Weeks a few months ago in which she made it sound like she would be returning if they did do a new series.)

[ghost of miles]

According to this post, Honeysuckle Weeks and Anthony Howell (Milner) will be returning for the new series as well. Anthony Horowitz has mentioned working on a new script in several of his Twitter tweets (one with a scene involving Foyle being chased by a Russian spy, so evidently there'll be some Cold War intrigue in at least one of the new shows).

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Confirmation for a new season of Foyle's War, via the Guardian:

ITV has confirmed the return of 1940s detective drama Foyle's War, reversing the decision by former director of programmes Simon Shaps to axe the series last year.

The new three-part series of Foyle's War, with Michael Kitchen returning in the lead role, will start production this spring, picking up after the final episode of the last series, set in the final months of the second world war.

Foyle's War will return to ITV1 with a "new style series" set in June 1945, after VE Day signalled the end of the conflict in Europe, but with the war against Japan in the Far East not yet concluded.

Peter Fincham, who took over from Shaps as ITV director of programmes in May last year, has decided to revive the popular ITV1 drama, which was created by Anthony Horowitz and is made by independent producer Greenlit Rights.

"Like everyone else, detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle needs to feel his way in this new world. Keen to retire, but bound to his old job by the shortage of senior men, Foyle is thrust into the dangerous worlds of international conspiracy and execution, military racism and national betrayal," ITV said.

The series producer, Jill Green, added: "This fascinating period post-VE day has rarely been featured on TV and once more Foyle's War will be unearthing true stories that reflect tougher, moodier times."

David, Is Season 6 out yet on DVD?