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FOYLE'S WAR Series Two   
Released by Acorn Media UK. 2 x 2 Disc sets, Available separately to buy now.

Foyle’s War, created by Anthony Horowitz turned out to be one of the nicer surprises of TV in 2003, this new release from Acorn Media UK brings us the four feature length episodes that made up season two (available in two separate two disc sets).

Set during the early days of world war II the always excellent Michael Kitchen stars as Chief Superintendent Nicholas Foyle. Foyle is actually desperate to fight in the forces but is considered more useful on the force, he works with a couple of offsiders in the shape of detective sidekick Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) who has been invalided out of the force and their army driver Samantha Stewart (the wonderful Honeysuckle Weeks).

The four stories are: - Fifty Ships, Foyle investigates the discovery of a body on a beach and finds himself tangling with both a German spy and an old flame; Among The Few sees Foyle involved with trouble in an RAF regiment; War Games concerns a businessman who is secretly dealing with the Germans and The Funk Hole sees Foyle trying to investigate a murder in a strange hotel. Guest stars include Joanna David, Nicholas Farrell, Adrian Lukis, Corin Redgrave, David Troughton, Amanda Root and Tom Georgeson.

Foyle’s War is an excellent series, high on period charm but the war time setting allowing for a grittier edge than you would get in similar period material. Kitchen of course, is fantastic (but then again have you ever seen him turn in a bad performance) and Honeysuckle Weeks is also worthy of mention with her character Samantha always ready to get involved in Foyle’s cases but never quite getting the opportunity to shine. Not only that but the mystery factor is quite high too, Horowitz, having contributed to such detective fare as Midsomer Murders and Poirot certainly knows how to keep you guessing. Very entertaining.

EXTRAS: Interview with Honeysuckle Weeks, production notes, cast filmographies and a picture gallery.