Foyle Foiled?

The three-episode “final season” of Foyle’s War, that extremely well-crafted British TV series starring Michael Kitchen as a police detective in World War II-era East Sussex, is scheduled to air in the States under PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery! umbrella on three successive Sundays in July, the 13th, 20th, and 27th. Meanwhile, Wikipedia leaves open the possibility that this won’t, in fact, mark the last appearance of Detective Inspector Christoper Foyle and his team:

After six series the show came to an end because it was getting too expensive. In April 2008, the final wartime chapter of Foyle’s story, “All Clear,” was aired. However, on 9 April 2008, [UK TV network] ITV announced that it was in talks with [Foyle’s War creator Anthony] Horowitz and Greenlit Productions to overturn the previous cancellation and revive the series, continuing Foyle’s adventures into peacetime, and some media observers saw high viewing figures for the penultimate episode (28% audience share) on April 13 ... as strengthening the case for a continuation. At the time the audience figures for the final episode were released (28% and an average of 7.3 million), ITV confirmed that it had entered and was continuing “early discussions” with Horowitz and Greenlit.

At a time when most shows on TV are unmitigated crap (and I say that in the kindest way possible), it would be a shame to see a crime drama as engaging as Foyle’s War disappear. My fingers are crossed for an agreement between all the parties that will let it continue.

Foyle’s War fans should know, too, that the fifth season of that series will become available on DVD come August 5.

And more news from the Mystery! schedule: Three more episodes of Inspector Lewis, the spinoff series from Inspector Morse starring Kevin Whately, are set to be broadcast on PBS right before Foyle’s War begins, on June 22 and 29, and July 6.