Foyle's War (series 6)

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Foyle's War
Season 6
No. of episodes3
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Series 6 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first aired in 2010, beginning Sunday 11 April; comprising three episodes, it is set in the period from June to August 1945. [1]

Contents

Episodes

"The Russian House"

Writer: Anthony Horowitz Director: Stuart OrmeAirdate: 11 April 2010 (UK)Net duration: 93 minutesSet: June 1945Viewers: 7.08 million
Guests: Eleanor Bron, Christopher Good, Tim Pigott-Smith, Marcel Iureș, Tom Goodman-Hill, Giles Taylor, Michael Elwyn, Dimitry Drannikov, Rob Heanley, Polly Maberly, Marek Oravec
In the prelude to the 1945 General Election, Foyle is pressured to remain in his job given the absence of a replacement. His former CO asks for his help finding an escaped Russian prisoner of war, Ivan Spiakov, who had fought with the Germans in Normandy. Spiakov, seeking refuge, meets a former POW colleague, Nikolai Vladchenko, then heads to "The Russian House" in London. Despite being moved to a safe house, the location is raided by the army and he is captured. Milner, now a newly promoted detective inspector in Brighton, is called to Redwood Lodge to investigate the death of Sam Stewart's new employer, a famous artist. Milner appears cool and distant when Foyle arrives at the scene following on the trail of the Russians. Foyle's investigation into the Russians then leads him to the supposed safe house, which leads to an attempted hit. Foyle learns of forced repatriations to the Soviet Union, which if exposed, could reveal complicity by the British government.

Cast and characters

Foyle is still chasing retirement after his resignation at the end of "All Clear," but his superiors are finding it hard to find his replacement. He gives them four weeks before he steps down for good. His former WW1 CO, Brigadier Timothy Wilson, arrives from the War Office to enlist his help with the search of a German sympathiser and ethnic Russian POW. Meanwhile, Milner, keen to step out of Foyle's shadow and prove himself as a detective, is now in Brighton with his new wife, Edie, and their recently born daughter, Clementine Elizabeth. Stewart has returned to civilian life and had just started working as a domestic for the well-to-do artist, Sir Leonard Spencer-Jones, before considering another offer from Adam Wainwright to work at a guest house. Also at the house is another anti-communist Russian POW who is now the groundsman and serves as a witness to murder.

Background and production

The major theme of this episode is the emerging effects of the Cold War in post-war Britain, and the commencement of the repatriation of enemy combatants from the UK. For Russian combatants, particularly for enemy sympathisers, anti-communists, and those with knowledge of atrocities, the pending deportation situation was bleak. Part of the plot, therefore, centres on members of the Russian Liberation Movement (aka "White Russians"), who are seeking to avoid repatriation to the USSR. In this context, mention is also made of the Almanzora, a ship used by the British to transport returnees to Odessa, during the repatriation of Cossacks after World War II (and in which ex-troops from the West Indies immigrated to Britain in 1947). [2] The show should not be confused with the 1989 novel, The Russia House , by John le Carré.

"Killing Time"

Writer: David KaneDirector: David RichardsAirdate: 18 April 2010 (UK)Net duration: 92 minutesSet: July 1945Viewers: 7.09 million
Guests: Obi Abili, Adam James, Andrew Hawkins, Max Brown, Zoe Telford, Christopher Mellows, Sam Spruell, Neil McCaul, Nicholas Shaw, Trevor White, Victoria Lennox, Nicholas Gleaves, Joseph Long, Nick Dunning, Charlotte Riley, John Sharian
Stewart and Wainwright are now running a dilapidated local guest house together, where Mandy Dean, an unmarried mother with a mixed-race child, is one of the residents. Dean, who had been disowned by her mother, struggles to make ends meet and her situation is complicated by the return of her former boyfriend, a boxer named Tommy Duggan who was sent to Scotland as a conscientious objector. Foyle investigates a series of nighttime holdups against apparent war profiteers, leading him to the nearby US military base run by Major Wesker. Dean's lover, Private Gabe Kelly, an African-American, appeals to Wesker to let him marry Dean, but is later set up as the prime suspect in her murder. Foyle uncovers evidence of Wesker's deputy, MP Sergeant Calhoun, and his corrupt, collusive, and racist activities at the base, and of Wesker's complicity in murdering Dean after extorting sexual favours from her in return for supposed favourable treatment of her visa case.

Cast and characters

Foyle continues his work at the Hastings Police Station, where he opposes a racial segregation order at the town council, and in his spare time, continues his hobby of fly fishing. Foyle is supported by a new assistant detective, DC Hadley; Milner (who is now working in Brighton) does not appear in this episode. Stewart and Wainwright continue their work running and organising the guest house, and slowly they begin to become closer as they help Dean and her baby.

Background and production

The primary theme in the episode is prejudice and segregation imposed by the US military on its soldiers and in locations visited by soldiers near to its bases (as seen in incidents such as the 1943 Battle of Bamber Bridge in Lancashire and the 1944 Park Street riot in Bristol). Another theme is that of the "conchies", or conscientious objectors, returning to civilian life along with demobilised soldiers. Underlying all of these is the social stigma against unplanned single motherhood and a tension (particularly among US troops of the time) against interracial relationships.

"The Hide"

Writer: Anthony Horowitz Director: Stuart OrmeAirdate: 25 April 2010 (UK)Net duration: 89 minutesSet: August 1945Viewers: 7.40 million
Guests: Max Brown, Georgie Glen, Richard Goulding, Anastasia Hille, Will Keen, Steven Pacey, Joseph Kloska, Hugh Ross, Andrew Scott, Maggie Service, David Yelland, Dominic Jephcott, Kirsty Besterman, Rupert Frazer Chris Wilson as DCS Clarke.
Foyle finally leaves Hastings Police Station to his successor, DCS Clarke. As he returns home, he sees a headline about James Devereaux, the son of a distinguished local family arrested for joining the British Free Corps, a unit supporting Nazi Germany during the war. Based on an earlier connection of Foyle to the family, he undertakes a personal investigation of the case. He visits Devereaux's lawyer and then Devereaux in his cell, and he finds a damaged young man unwilling to fight his treason case. Meanwhile, DI Milner is investigating the murder of Agnes Littleton, a researcher for Sir Charles Devereaux. The cases soon merge through Jack Stanford, a comrade of Devereaux in the Free Corps, who assumes the identity of "Jack" and murders Littleton, Devereaux's childhood friend and the recipient of his coded intelligence letters. The final revelation is that Devereaux's father murdered his wife (as their young son, nicknamed "Jack", watched unnoticed from a bird hide) to avoid the family shame of a divorce.

Cast and characters

After his resignation, Foyle makes plans to go to the US aboard the Queen Mary to "tie up some loose ends" an oblique reference to his determination to bring Howard Paige to justice, since he was unable to do so in the episode "Fifty Ships". We also learn of Caroline Devereaux's involvement as a nurse in Foyle's recuperation from injuries in WW1. This episode not only sees the final appearance of Anthony Howell as Milner, but also sees the budding relationship between Stewart and Wainwright bloom into an engagement at Hill House.

Background and production

The episode prologues with the firebombing of Dresden in February 1945 and ends by highlighting the role of Queen Mary in repatriating returning US troops. It also introduces MI9, whose primary role was to support available European Resistance networks. The Devereaux estate, referred to as Whitefriars in the episode, is fictional but loosely based on the life of William Devereux. In terms of production, there was a three-year gap before the next series aired in 2013.

International broadcast

Series Six was broadcast in the United States on PBS stations on Masterpiece Mystery! as Foyle's War VI on 2, 9 and 16 May 2010, [3] and on Netflix as of April 2014. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prisoner of war</span> Military term for a captive of the enemy

A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Free Corps</span> Foreign Waffen-SS unit

The British Free Corps was a unit of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, made up of British and Dominion prisoners of war who had been recruited by Germany. The unit was originally known as the Legion of St George. Research by British historian Adrian Weale has identified 54 men who belonged to this unit at one time or another, some for only a few days. At no time did it reach more than 27 men in strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prisoners of war in the American Revolutionary War</span>

During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), management and treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) were very different from the standards of modern warfare. Modern standards, as outlined in the Geneva Conventions of later centuries, assume that captives will be held and cared for by their captors. One primary difference in the 18th century was that care and supplies for captives were expected to be provided by their own combatants or private resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czechoslovak Legion</span> Volunteer armed force fighting on the side of the Entente powers during World War I

The Czechoslovak Legion were volunteer armed forces comprised predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting on the side of the Entente powers during World War I and the White Army during the Russian Civil War until November 1919. Their goal was to win the support of the Allied Powers for the independence of Lands of the Bohemian Crown from the Austrian Empire and of Slovak territories from the Kingdom of Hungary, which were then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the help of émigré intellectuals and politicians such as the Czech Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the Slovak Milan Rastislav Štefánik, they grew into a force over 100,000 strong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missing in action</span> Military term describing someone reported missing during service

Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, executed, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave have been positively identified. Becoming MIA has been an occupational risk for as long as there has been warfare.

<i>Foyles War</i> British television detective series (2002–2015)

Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by Midsomer Murders screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse ended in 2000. It began broadcasting on ITV in October 2002. ITV director of programmes Simon Shaps cancelled Foyle's War in 2007, but Peter Fincham revived the programme after good ratings for 2008's fifth series. The final episode was broadcast on 18 January 2015, after eight series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prisoner-of-war camp</span> Site for holding captured combatants

A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.

The repatriation of the Cossacks or betrayal of the Cossacks occurred when Cossacks, ethnic Russians and Ukrainians who were opposed to the Soviet Union and fought for Nazi Germany, were handed over by British and American forces to the Soviet Union after the conclusion of World War II. Towards the end of the European theatre of World War II, many Cossacks forces with civilians in tow retreated to Western Europe. Their goal was to avoid capture and imprisonment by the Red Army for treason, and hoped for a better outcome by surrendering to the Western Allies, such as to the British and Americans. However, after being taken prisoner by the Allies, they were packed into small trains. Unbeknownst to them, they were sent east to Soviet territories. Many men, women and children were subsequently sent to the Gulag prison camps, where some were brutally worked to death. The repatriations were agreed upon at the Yalta Conference; Soviet leader Joseph Stalin claimed that the prisoners were Soviet citizens as of 1939, although there were many of them that had left the country before or soon after the end of the Russian Civil War or had been born abroad, hence never holding Soviet citizenship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Magic Carpet</span> Repatriation of over eight million American military personnel after WWII

Operation Magic Carpet was the post-World War II operation by the U.S. War Shipping Administration (WSA) to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European, Pacific, and Asian theaters. Hundreds of Liberty ships, Victory ships, and troop transports began repatriating soldiers from Europe to the United States in June 1945. Beginning in October 1945, over 370 United States Navy ships were used for repatriation duties in the Pacific. Warships, such as aircraft carriers, battleships, hospital ships, and large numbers of assault transports were used. The European phase of Operation Magic Carpet concluded in February 1946 while the Pacific phase continued until September 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oflag 64</span> World War II German prisoner-of-war camp

Oflag 64 was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers located at Szubin a few miles south of Bydgoszcz, in Pomorze, Poland, which at that time was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was probably the only German POW camp set up exclusively for U.S. Army ground component officers. At most other camps there were several nationalities, although they were usually separated into national compounds.

Series 1 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first broadcast in 2002; comprising four episodes, it is set in Spring/Summer 1940.

Series 2 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first aired in 2003; comprising four episodes, it is set in autumn 1940. Series 2 was broadcast in the United States on PBS on Mystery!, on 18 and 25 July, and 1 and 8 August 2004, as Foyle's War II, and on Netflix as of April 2014.

Series 3 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first aired in 2004; comprising four episodes, it is set in early 1941. Series 3 was broadcast in the United States on PBS on Mystery!, on 11, 18, and 25 September, and 2 October 2005 as Foyle's War III, and on Netflix as of April 2014.

Series 4 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first aired in 2006. It is the only series to be divided into two parts, one comprising two episodes screened in 2006, and the other comprising two from 2007. It was the last series of four episodes; later series had only three. It is set in the period from March 1942 to March 1943.

Series 5 of the ITV programme Foyle's War was first aired in 2008; comprising three episodes, it is set in the period from April 1944 to May 1945.

<i>Victims of Yalta</i>

Victims of Yalta or The Secret Betrayal is a 1977 book by Nikolai Tolstoy that chronicles the fate of Soviet citizens who had been under German control during World War II and at its end fallen into the hands of the Western Allies. According to the secret Moscow agreement from 1944 that was confirmed at the 1945 Yalta conference, all citizens of the Soviet Union were to be repatriated without choice—a death sentence for many by execution or extermination through labour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese prisoners of war in World War II</span>

During World War II, it was estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 members of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces surrendered to Allied servicemembers prior to the end of World War II in Asia in August 1945. Also, Soviet troops seized and imprisoned more than half a million Japanese troops and civilians in China and other places. The number of Japanese soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who surrendered was limited by the Japanese military indoctrinating its personnel to fight to the death, Allied combat personnel often being unwilling to take prisoners, and many Japanese soldiers believing that those who surrendered would be killed by their captors.

Series 7 of the ITV programme Foyle's War first aired in 2013, beginning Sunday 24 March; comprising three episodes, it is set in the period from August–September 1946.

Series 8 of the ITV programme Foyle's War, comprising three episodes, aired in January 2015 on ITV. Though most episodes were broadcast at 8 pm on ITV, the final one was transmitted at 9 pm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German prisoners of war in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of the imprisonment of German combatants in the UK during WW2

Large numbers of German prisoners of war were held in Britain between the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 and late 1948. Their numbers reached a peak of around 400,000 in 1946, and then began to fall when repatriation began. The experiences of these prisoners differed in certain important respects from those of captured German servicemen held by other nations. The treatment of the captives, though strict, was generally humane, and fewer prisoners died in British captivity than in other countries. The British government also introduced a programme of re-education, which was intended to demonstrate to the POWs the evils of the Nazi regime, while promoting the advantages of democracy. Some 25,000 German prisoners remained in the United Kingdom voluntarily after being released from prisoner of war status.

References

  1. "Foyle's War". Icon Movies. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  2. Fitzgerald, James (15 April 2017). "The West Indies Ships That Arrived Before The Windrush". The Londonist. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  3. "Foyle's War Series VI". PBS. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015.
  4. Thomas, Chet (2 April 2014). "More British TV Shows on Netflix: 'Foyle's War'". Netflix TV Shows Review. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014.