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Why was Foyle's War cancelled? Find out details here

The ITV drama ran for eight series

Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
October 21, 2020
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Foyle's War may have come to an end five years ago, but the War drama is still hugely popular today, and many continue to tune into repeats of the show on ITV. The show, which starred Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks, ran for eight seasons across nearly fifteen years on screen. So why did it come to an end? Find out here...

MORE: Where are the cast of Foyle's War now?

Writer and creator of the show Anthony Horowitz spoke about the show coming to an end in 2016. He told Digital Spy: "It had to come to an end sometime. We went from 1940 all the way through to 1947 – and I told countless true stories about the war.

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Writer Anthony Horowitz created the series

"I felt that there were no more true stories to tell about that period, I'd sort of covered pretty much every area. I'm sad to see it gone, but it's still out there and people are still watching it. That's one of the wonders of the digital age." 

But while the writer and novelist explained that he wouldn't necessarily create a whole new series, he did state that a Christmas special could be on the cards.

MORE: Where is Foyle's War star Michael Kitchen now?

MORE: Is Foyle's War returning for a new series?

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The drama ran for eight seasons

Chatting to Radio Times, he said: "I'd certainly be up for a Christmas special or two if anybody asked." He added that he could address the "missing year" in 1944, saying: "It would actually make a whole series!" 

He continued: "Foyle’s War was a passion project for me from start to finish and I miss it to this day... I wrote the last episode of Foyle's War in 2014, but no matter where I am in the world people still tell me how much it means to them. And the repeats still get high viewing figures." 

The series, which starred Michael Kitchen as DCS Christopher Foyle, ran from 2002 to 2007 before it was cancelled. It was then brought back due to fan demand in 2008, and aired four more series until it finished in 2015.

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