Sharpe-Tv Series

edited January 2013 in General Movies & TV Posts: 161
Sharpe is a British series of television dramas starring Sean Bean about Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is the hero of a number of novels by Bernard Cornwell. It was hit and miss but when it was great it was really good. A young Daniel Craig, Mark Strong and Paul Bettany all played villians (the late great Pete Postlethwaite stole the show as the evil Hakeswill) in it and Elizabeth Hurley got her boobs out (it caused a bit of scandal at the time) plus rian Cox although only for two films and then disappears sadly. The big battles looked cheap but Bean was a really good lead and his group of men especially Harper played by Frank o Malley were great. Got the boxset recently and some of it really holds up.

anyone a fan?

Comments

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2013 Posts: 12,480
    I absolutely love Sharpe! Hasn't there been a thread on this? I haven't seen it. I have read all the books and I really enjoyed every Sharpe film. So love Sean Bean in that. One of my favorite series. Sharpe and Harper had great chemistry.
  • edited January 2013 Posts: 344
    Oh yes indeed! Quality television. So good in fact that the author Bernard Cornwell turned his literary creation Richard Sharpe into a Yorkshireman because of Sean Bean's portrayal.

    I think the Daniel Craig episode 'Sharpe's Eagle' was certainly one of the better ones. I thought it was quite fun to see 006 fight with a 007 from a different era! Although not quite 'old man' Craig's constant 'old boy' comments even reminded me a little of Red Grant in From Russia With Love.

    You can't beat a bit of Sharpe.

    "There's forty shillings on the drum, for those who volunteer to come....."
  • Absolutely love Cornwell's Sharpe novels and enjoyed many of the made-for-TV movies.

    The first couple of telefilms are marred, however (IMO), by the ridiculous false nose --made of putty, it looks like -- worn by the actor playing Wellington. The role was later recast.
  • I quite agree. I never really bought David Troughton (son of the first Doctor Who) as Wellington. As well as the aforementioned hooter I just didn't think he had the presence necessary to portray the character.

    I much preferred Hugh Fraser. Quite a promotion for him that - from a humble captain in Poirot, to general - and the Iron Duke himself, no less!
  • Posts: 5,994
    Jones, David is the son of the second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), not the first (William Hartnell).

    Unfortunately, that series has, to the best of my knowledge, failed to appear in France. I really don't know the reason why.
  • You are quite right @Gerard. I stand corrected. My Doctor Who knowledge is quite woeful.

    Odd that Sharpe has never appeared in France considering the subject matter. I believe you can find most of the films on YouTube. The Daniel Craig appearance occurs in 'Sharpe's Eagle', the second in the series, which is based around the Battle of Talavera.
  • Posts: 161
    odd that Sharpe has never appeared in France considering the subject matter. I believe you can find most of the films on YouTube. The Daniel Craig appearance occurs in 'Sharpe's Eagle', the second in the series, which is based around the Battle of Talavera.

    One of the best of the series casue it has Brian Cox in it plus Craig plays a right evil bastard in it. The only thing that lets Sharpe down in the early years was the battle scenes they looked very cheap and not epic as they should have been plus they are poorly directed. They got better as the years went on especially Waterloo went the producers pumped more money into it. I personally didn't like the storyline with his second wife swindling him out of his money. But overall i taught ITV did great job
    until those awful ones in India 10 years later which i happily will ignore.
  • Posts: 12,526
    Brilliant show and hope to see abit more of Bean hopefully in this show! He is fantastic in the role. :-bd
Sign In or Register to comment.