'Foyle's War' Season Premiere: Murder, Nazis, and a Familiar American Face

Foyle’s War has long been one of the more novel, clever, and well-acted of British mystery series. The chronicles of Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen), a World War II-era Senior Intelligence Officer, mingles war-time atmosphere with crime-solving. The new season of Foyle’s War begins this week, with the first of three episodes that can be seen on the Acorn TV streaming service.

The series is both critically acclaimed and a pop-culture favorite. Before he took his leave of The Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson used to give regular shout-outs to the excellence of Foyle’s War. In this new and final series as created by writer Anthony Horowitz, time has moved on for Foyle — it’s now post-war England, and in the first adventure, “High Castle,” the murder victim is a university professor who’d been working as a translator at the Nuremberg trials. As his investigation proceeds, he encounters everything from dishonest Nazi businessmen to Frasier’s John Mahoney, playing a cranky Texan.

Foyle is aided by his loyal driver, Sam, played by Honeysuckle Weeks. Sam is now pregnant, which doesn’t stop her from going undercover to glean information Foyle needs for his investigation. As always, the key to Foyle’s War’s charms reside with star Michael Kitchen. He plays Foyle as a buttoned-up fellow who nevertheless always manages to make his feelings known. Now working as an MI5 operative rather than for the police, Kitchen’s Foyle slips into the role of an intelligence officer with foxy ease.

This eighth season to air in America consists of three feature-length Foyle adventures. They’ll both satisfy long-time fans, and provide a good starting-point for new ones.

Foyle’s War is available now on Acorn TV.