LITTLE ROCK — What is it? Foyle's War, sets 1-5, 19 100-minute episodes on 19 discs from Acorn Media.
When is it available? Tuesday.
How much? $149.99
What is it about? This series follows Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) as he solves crimes in and around Hastings in southern England.
Sounds like your typical English country mystery series. It might sound that way, but it isn't. This series is set between 1940 and 1945 as World War II simmers, swirls and explodes all around.
Helping Foyle in his mission is Detective Sergeant Paul Milner (Anthony Howell), a former soldier who lost his leg in battle in Norway and is no longer fit for active duty.
Then there's his driver, Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), reassigned from the Mechanised Transport Corps. She's young, bright and extremely eager to help, frequently stepping beyond her assigned role to do a little undercover work.
What makes this one so special? The mysteries are your usual British puzzles full of hidden agendas and emotions. And Kitchen and the rest of the cast are fabulous in their roles.
But what really makes this series stand out is the attention to detail. Everything has been scrupulously researched from the papers on desks to the Spitfires in the sky, so watching the episodes is like immersing yourself in WWII England. After a marathon viewing, you might find yourself randomly talking about ration books and blackouts.
Even when the mysteriesaren't entirely war-related, air raids, black-market trading, spies, politics and the fear of invasion are always looming. It's alternately humorous, deadly serious and poignant.
Any bonuses? Extra features are spread out over the five sets. Each set includes a collection of text-only features including production notes, cast reminiscences, the stories behind historical events in different episodes and so on. There are also video interviews with creator Anthony Horowitz and one with actors Weeks and Howell. Three short documentaries provide behind-the-scenes footage and interviews involving specificepisodes.
I already own Foyle's War DVDs. Does this set offer anything new? The extras appear to be the same as the individual season sets. It's just new, slimmer packaging so you can own them all in one box.
Also new: How I Met Your Mother, Season 4; The Unit, Season 4; CSI: NY, Season 5; Life on Mars (U.S.), complete series; The Patty Duke Show, Season 1.
Coming up: Bones, Season 4; Nip/Tuck, Season 5, Part 2; The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Season 5; Blood Ties, Season 2; Ally McBeal, complete series; Medium, Season 5.
Style, Pages 56 on 09/27/2009