Sharpe (TV series)
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox television
Sharpe is a British television drama series starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, with Daragh O'Malley playing his trusted companion, Patrick Harper. Sharpe and Harper are the heroes of the Sharpe series of novels by Bernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books. Produced by Celtic Films and Picture Palace Films for the ITV network, the series was filmed mainly in Crimea, with recordings of other episodes in Turkey, England, Portugal and Spain. The two final episodes were filmed in Jaipur, India.<ref name="drama" />
The series originally ran from 1993 to 1997. It consisted of fourteen episodes, each with a running time of around 100 minutes. In 2006, ITV premiered Sharpe's Challenge, a two-part adventure loosely based on his time in India, with Sean Bean continuing his role as Sharpe. Filming of Sharpe's Peril, also set in India, was produced by Celtic Film/Picture Palace in 2008.<ref name="southessex">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first part was broadcast on ITV and UTV on 2 November 2008, with the second part shown a week later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sharpe's Challenge and Sharpe's Peril were broadcast in the US in 2010 as part of PBS's Masterpiece Classic season.
The complete series is available on VHS (excluding Sharpe's Challenge and Sharpe's Peril), DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes. The Blu-ray and iTunes releases have been remastered in HD widescreen from the original filmstrips, with the former format available in a special collector's edition box set.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Plot summary
At the beginning of the series, Richard Sharpe is a sergeant in the 95th Rifles serving in Portugal during the Peninsular War in 1809. When he single-handedly saves the life of General Sir Arthur Wellesley from three French cavalrymen, Wellesley gives Sharpe a battlefield commission, appointing him a lieutenant. Sharpe is placed in charge of a detachment of elite "chosen men" of the 95th Rifles. Patrick Harper eventually becomes his best friend and is promoted to sergeant and later sergeant major.
Wellesley and his various spymasters, first Major Michael Hogan, followed by Major Nairn, Major Mungo Monroe and Major General Ross, find Sharpe to be an extremely capable and cunning officer and give him progressively more important tasks. Despite their backing, he has to fight against the strong prejudice of aristocrats (who often owe their army positions to money and social connections rather than to military skill) against an uncouth commoner raised from the ranks. He makes a number of dangerous enemies, such as French Major Pierre Ducos and Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson, and encounters one from his prior service in India, Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. Sharpe's successes gain him steady promotion, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, at the Battle of Waterloo, he is promoted to lieutenant-colonel, joining the Prince William of Orange’s staff at Wellington’s request.
Along the way, Sharpe has a number of romances. He marries the Spanish guerrilla leader Teresa Moreno, with whom he has a daughter. Teresa is killed by Hakeswill. Sharpe then marries Jane Gibbons, who deserts him, squanders his money, and takes a lover. He finally settles down with Lucille Castineau, a Frenchwoman who dies some time after Napoleon's final defeat. (However, according to The Starbuck Chronicles, another series of Cornwell books, she outlives Sharpe.)
Casting
Initially, Paul McGann was cast in the title role; however, two weeks into filming of the first episode in Ukraine, McGann injured his knee playing football and was forced to withdraw.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="drama">Template:Cite web</ref> When production started again a month later, Sean Bean was given the role because he was the only suitable replacement available at short notice. (Cornwell was so impressed with Bean's portrayal of Sharpe that he dedicated the 12th book, Sharpe's Battle, to him and said "When I write Sharpe these days, I hear Sean's voice."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>)
The first actor cast was Daragh O'Malley as Harper. The character of Rifleman Harris, played by Jason Salkey, did not exist in the books and was created for the television series. The producers wanted a "clever one" and took inspiration from a real soldier who was illiterate but had dictated his own recollections of the war, which were published.<ref name="Hampshire College">Template:Cite news</ref>
Some actors have played multiple roles in the series. Peter-Hugo Daly portrayed first Sergeant Rodd in Sharpe's Gold and then Bickerstaff, another unruly sergeant who dislikes Sharpe. Julian Fellowes played Major Warren Dunnett in Sharpe's Rifles and also the Prince Regent in Sharpe's Regiment. Tony Haygarth was "Marshal" Pot-au-Feu in Sharpe's Enemy and Sir Willoughby Parfitt in Sharpe's Justice.
List of episodes
The episodes are listed by first airing date.
| Template:Abbr | Date Aired | Episode Name | Setting | Date Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 May 1993 | Sharpe's Rifles | Portugal / Spain | 1809 |
| 2 | 12 May 1993 | Sharpe's Eagle | Battle of Talavera | 1809 |
| 3 | 25 May 1994 | Sharpe's Company | Siege of Badajoz | 1812 |
| 4 | 1 June 1994 | Sharpe's Enemy | Portugal | 1813 |
| 5 | 8 June 1994 | Sharpe's Honour | Battle of Vitoria | 1813 |
| 6 | 12 April 1995 | Sharpe's Gold | Spain | 1813 |
| 7 | 19 April 1995 | Sharpe's Battle | Franco–Spanish border | 1813 |
| 8 | 26 April 1995 | Sharpe's Sword | Franco–Spanish border | 1813 |
| 9 | 1 May 1996 | Sharpe's Regiment | England | 1813 |
| 10 | 8 May 1996 | Sharpe's Siege | Bordeaux | 1813 |
| 11 | 15 May 1996 | Sharpe's Mission | Napoleonic France | 1810 & 1813 |
| 12 | 7 May 1997 | Sharpe's Revenge | Toulouse | 1814 |
| 13 | 14 May 1997 | Sharpe's Justice | Yorkshire, Peace of 1814 | 1814 |
| 14 | 21 May 1997 | Sharpe's Waterloo | Battle of Waterloo | 1815 |
| 15 | Template:Unbulletedlist | Sharpe's Challenge | India | 1803 & 1817 |
| 16 | Template:Unbulletedlist | Sharpe's Peril | India | 1818 |
Cast and crew
Cast timeline
- Color key
- Template:Color box Main cast (Opening credits)
- Template:Color box Guest cast (Closing credits)
- Cast notes
Main cast members
Supporting cast members
- Chosen men
- John Tams as Rifleman (later Sergeant) Daniel Hagman (episodes 1–14) – killed in battle in Sharpe's Waterloo
- Jason Salkey as Rifleman (later Sergeant) Harris (episodes 1–14) – killed in battle in Sharpe's Waterloo, in the novel he is not at Waterloo and presumably survives
- Lyndon Davies as Rifleman Ben Perkins (episodes 1–7) – stabbed by O'Rourke in Sharpe's Battle and dies in Harper's arms, in the novels he survives
- Michael Mears as Rifleman Francis Cooper (episodes 1–6) – disappears after Sharpe's Gold due to a disagreement with the production team (although he returned to narrate the clip show Sharpe the Legend)
- Paul Trussell as Rifleman Isaiah Tongue (episodes 1–2) – disappears after Sharpe's Eagle and never returns, in novels he is killed in Sharpe's Gold
- Other supporting cast members
Production team
- Directed by Tom Clegg
- Produced by Template:Comma separated entries
- Written by Template:Comma separated entries
Soundtrack
Over the Hills & Far Away: The Music of Sharpe was released in 1996 as a companion to the television series by Virgin Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The recording features performances by various artists, including British folk musicians John Tams (who played the supporting role of "Rifleman Daniel Hagman" in the series and wrote or arranged much of its music) and Kate Rusby, composer Dominic Muldowney, and The Band and Bugles of the Light Division, performing traditional songs along with selections of original music from the programmes.
See also
- South Essex Regiment
- Over the Hills and Far Away, the theme song of the series
Footnotes
External links
- The official SharpeFilm.net website
- Celtic Films Entertainment, co-producer of the TV dramas
- The Video Diaries of Rifleman Harris
- Trailers, Audio Clips, and Plot Summaries
- [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 12749392
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- Sharpe (TV series)
- 1993 British television series debuts
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- 1990s British drama television series
- 2000s British drama television series
- Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
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