Sharpe (TV series)
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| Sharpe | |
|---|---|
 Title screen from Sharpe's Gold |
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| Genre | Historical drama |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Director(s) | Tom Clegg |
| Writer(s) | Bernard Cornwell (novels) John Tams (uncredited) |
| Starring | Sean Bean Daragh O'Malley |
| Music by | Dominic Muldowney John Tams |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | May 5, 1993–April 24, 2006 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Official website | |
- This article is about the television series. For the series of novels, see Richard Sharpe (fictional character).
Sharpe is a British series of television drama adaptations of the novels by Bernard Cornwell. Based around the character of Richard Sharpe, they focus on his adventures in the Napoleonic Wars. Produced by Central Independent Television for the ITV network, the series was shot mainly in Turkey and the Crimea, although some filming was also done in England, Spain and Portugal.
In 2004, as part of ITV's new set of drama, it was announced that ITV intended to produce new episodes of Sharpe, in co-production with BBC America, loosely based on his time in India, with Sean Bean continuing his role as Sharpe. Sharpe's Challenge is a 2 part adventure; part 1 premiered on ITV1 at 9.00pm on the 23rd April 2006, with part 2 being shown on the 24th at 9.00pm. More gory than earlier series, BBC America broadcast Sharpe in September 2006.
At a book signing in Bath (11th October 2006) Bernard Cornwell revealed that there were plans by ITV to film two more Sharpe episodes. Filming was supposed to start in April, but was postponed due to the resignation of ITV's chief executive at which point production was pushed back to September. However, Sean Bean was unavailable due to other commitments and so production has been postponed once more. When asked which stories were pencilled in, Bernard Cornwell said that he believed that they were producing two new stories specially for television.
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[edit] Plot summary
At the beginning of the series, Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is a sergeant in the British 95th Rifles serving in Portugal in 1809. When he singlehandedly saves the life of General Sir Arthur Wellesley (David Troughton in the first two films, then Hugh Fraser) from a group of French cavalrymen, Wellesley gives Sharpe a battlefield commission, promoting him to lieutenant. Sharpe is placed in charge of a group of elite riflemen ("chosen men"), among them Sergeant Patrick Harper (Daragh O'Malley), who eventually becomes his best friend.
Wellesley and his various spymasters, first Major Hogan (Brian Cox), then Major Mungo Monroe (Hugh Ross) and later Major General Ross (James Laurenson), 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 military skill) against an uncouth commoner raised from the ranks. He makes a number of dangerous enemies, such as French Major Pierre Ducos (Féodor Atkine) and Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson (Michael Cochrane), and encounters one from his prior service in India, Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill (Pete Postlethwaite). However, Sharpe's successes gain him steady promotion. By the end, he is Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe.
Along the way, Sharpe has a number of romances, particularly with the Spanish guerrilla leader Teresa Moreno (Assumpta Serna), with whom he has a daughter, and Jane Gibbons (Abigail Cruttenden).
[edit] Casting
Initially, Paul McGann was cast in the title role; however, two days into filming of the first episode, McGann injured his knee playing football and was forced to withdraw. By the time production was ready to start again, Sean Bean became available and took on the role.
Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe novels, was rumoured to have been unimpressed by the casting of Bean in the role, possibly due to obvious discrepancies from his novels, as detailed below. Bean's performances however, so impressed Cornwell that he dedicated one of the novels, Sharpe's Battle, "to Sean Bean".
[edit] Discrepancies
There are some differences between the series and the novels. For instance, in the books, Sharpe was born in Wapping in London and had dark hair. Sean Bean however is blond and is from Sheffield, so the character in the series speaks with a pronounced Sheffield accent, albeit Sharpe is revealed to be born in Keighley in Sharpe's Justice (although in the books, the issue with Sharpe's northern accent and roots has been addressed by having him flee from London to Yorkshire when he was a teenager to avoid vengeance for a murder that he had committed).
In the first episode of the series, Sharpe is a sergeant in the 95th Rifles in Portugal when he saves Wellesley's life. In the books, this occurs in India during the Battle of Assaye, while Sharpe was serving in the 33rd Foot.
In the most recent episode of the series, Sharpe's Challenge, Sharpe states that Lucille has died, despite previous books indicating that she outlives him. It should also be noted that the characters of Sergeant Bickerstaff and General William Dodd are killed off in this programme. Sharpe's Challenge is a composite of the three prequels that are set in India, creating a number of discrepancies since the TV version is set after the events at Waterloo. The counterpart of Bickerstaff in the books was Hakeswill, who was killed off in Sharpe's Enemy, which is why the rivalry between Sharpe and Bickerstaff is a little forced. This is made all the more confusing by the fact that the actor playing Bickerstaff, Peter Hugo-Daly, had previously played Sergeant Rodd in Sharpe's Gold, another unruly sergeant who took a dislike to Sharpe. However, this has happened in the past as Julian Fellowes played Major Warren Dunnett in Sharpe's Rifles and also the Prince Regent in Sharpe's Regiment. Tony Haygarth played "Marshal" Pot-au-Feu in Sharpe's Enemy and Sir Willoughby Parfitt in Sharpe's Justice.
The television series also makes more use of supporting characters in the soldiers Sharpe commands, whilst Harper is the only one such in the books. This led to the addition of Harris and Perkins as riflemen in later Cornwell books, notably Sharpe's Battle, which was written after the television series had commenced.
[edit] Cast & Crew
[edit] Chosen men
| Actor | Character | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Bean | Lieutenant–Colonel Richard Sharpe | 1993–1997, 2006 |
| Daragh O'Malley | Regimental Sergeant Major Patrick Harper | 1993–1997, 2006 |
| Michael Mears | Rifleman Francis Cooper | 1993–1995 |
| John Tams | Sergeant Daniel Hagman | 1993–1997 |
| Jason Salkey | Sergeant Harris | 1993–1996, 1997 |
| Paul Trussell | Rifleman Isiah Tongue | 1993 |
| Lyndon Davies | Rifleman Ben Perkins | 1993–1995 |
[edit] Supporting characters
[edit] Production team
- Directed by: Tom Clegg
- Produced By: Malcolm Craddock, Muir Sutherland
- Writing Credits:
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- Novels: Bernard Cornwell
- Screenplays:
- Eoghan Harris (8/15)
- Charles Wood (3/15)
- Russell Lewis (2/15)
- Nigel Kneale (1/15)
- Colin MacDonald (1/15)
- Patrick Harbinson (1/15)
[edit] See also
- 95th Regiment of Foot
- South Essex Regiment
- Over the Hills and Far Away (traditional) - the theme song of the series
[edit] External links
- The offical SharpeFilm.com website
- 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot - Battle Re-enactment and Living History
- 1st Battalion, 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot (1/95) - 95th Rifles Living History Society An affiliate of the Napoleonic Association, UK
- 2nd Battalion, 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot (2/95) - Living History and Battle Re-enactment
- Celtic Films Entertainment, co-producer of the TV dramas
- Drama - Sharpe at itv.com
- Sharpe Appreciation Society
- The Video Diaries of Rifleman Harris
- Trailers, Audio Clips, and Plot Summaries
- The 18th Century Club
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| Sharpe's Rifles • Sharpe's Eagle • Sharpe's Company • Sharpe's Enemy • Sharpe's Honour • Sharpe's Gold • Sharpe's Battle • Sharpe's Sword • Sharpe's Regiment • Sharpe's Siege • Sharpe's Mission • Sharpe's Revenge • Sharpe's Justice • Sharpe's Waterloo • Sharpe's Challenge |
