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30 Days of TV - Day 13
( The Days )
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Dick Turpin was written by the same man responsible for Robin of Sherwood: Richard carpenter. IMDB says it began in 1979 and other sources agree, but that doesn't match my memory. I remember watching this show with my Dad and he died in April '79. Even if it aired in January '79, he would surely have been too sick by then to watch it with me.
But, memory issues aside, this was a really great television drama. First thing to note is that it's more a re-imagining of the legend than historically accurate. The real Dick Turpin was not a nice person, he didn't ride a horse called Black Bess and he certainly didn't ride from London to York in a night (that was someone else). He was hanged in 1739, in York.
This series begins a year later, 1740, with the premise that the man hanged in York was an imposter using Turpin's name and reputation. The "real" Dick Turpin returns to his old haunt in the south. He's a good guy who was forced into military service as a young man and who found on his return that the unscrupulous local landowner (with the Dickensian name Sir John Glutton) has stolen the land he should have inherited from his father. This forces him into highway robbery, but he has a bit of Robin Hood about him. In the first episode, he gets involved with an attempt to rescue a young lad who bungles a robbery in an attempt to steal money to save his mother's home, and winds up with an unwanted "apprentice". And that's your setup for three seasons of great, family entertainment.
I loved this show. I still do - they finally released the DVDs a few years back and it stands up remarkably well. Oh, you can see it was filmed on a low budget and the film isn't exactly up to DVD quality. The choreography of the fight and chase scenes looks forced to an eye accustomed to modern stunts and hand-held camera techniques. But the writing and the performances are still good.
The Characters (now with screencaps!)
1. Dick Turpin (Richard O'Sullivan)
Honourable highwayman with a heart of gold and a definite eye for the ladies, he is the hero of the show.
2. Nick Smith aka Swiftnick (Michael Deeks)
Turpin's "apprentice" and sidekick, Swiftnick has rather more enthusiasm than skill, but he's an optimistic counterpoint to Turpin's occasional cynicism and he does learn and grow as the series goes on.
3. Sir John Glutton (Christopher Benjamin)
Local sherrif and landowner, he's old, fat and rich on his ill-gotten gains. A bit of a caricature, but a great comic character.
4. Captain Nathan Spiker (David Daker)
Glutton's steward is somewhat obsessed with his quest to see Turpin hang. He has a secret, and Turpin's the only man who knows it. Lucky for him Turpin's on the wrong side of the law. Unlucky for him that he just can't seem to catch the man.
And there are some great recurring characters, too. My favourite is Isaac Rag, the filthy old footpad who occasionally gets in the way of our hero's schemes.
The episodes run the gamut from farcical comedy to angst and hurt/comfort. They're only 25 minutes an episode - this was an ITV early evening show - but they pack a lot into those minutes.
I imagine there's great slash potential in the show, too (Turpin/Spiker would be great for those who like enemy-slash and Turpin and Swiftnick do have rather a D/S relationship, especially in the beginning), but this is my childhood fave: I just can't see it that way.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Dick Turpin was written by the same man responsible for Robin of Sherwood: Richard carpenter. IMDB says it began in 1979 and other sources agree, but that doesn't match my memory. I remember watching this show with my Dad and he died in April '79. Even if it aired in January '79, he would surely have been too sick by then to watch it with me.
But, memory issues aside, this was a really great television drama. First thing to note is that it's more a re-imagining of the legend than historically accurate. The real Dick Turpin was not a nice person, he didn't ride a horse called Black Bess and he certainly didn't ride from London to York in a night (that was someone else). He was hanged in 1739, in York.
This series begins a year later, 1740, with the premise that the man hanged in York was an imposter using Turpin's name and reputation. The "real" Dick Turpin returns to his old haunt in the south. He's a good guy who was forced into military service as a young man and who found on his return that the unscrupulous local landowner (with the Dickensian name Sir John Glutton) has stolen the land he should have inherited from his father. This forces him into highway robbery, but he has a bit of Robin Hood about him. In the first episode, he gets involved with an attempt to rescue a young lad who bungles a robbery in an attempt to steal money to save his mother's home, and winds up with an unwanted "apprentice". And that's your setup for three seasons of great, family entertainment.
I loved this show. I still do - they finally released the DVDs a few years back and it stands up remarkably well. Oh, you can see it was filmed on a low budget and the film isn't exactly up to DVD quality. The choreography of the fight and chase scenes looks forced to an eye accustomed to modern stunts and hand-held camera techniques. But the writing and the performances are still good.
The Characters (now with screencaps!)
1. Dick Turpin (Richard O'Sullivan)
Honourable highwayman with a heart of gold and a definite eye for the ladies, he is the hero of the show.
2. Nick Smith aka Swiftnick (Michael Deeks)
Turpin's "apprentice" and sidekick, Swiftnick has rather more enthusiasm than skill, but he's an optimistic counterpoint to Turpin's occasional cynicism and he does learn and grow as the series goes on.
3. Sir John Glutton (Christopher Benjamin)
Local sherrif and landowner, he's old, fat and rich on his ill-gotten gains. A bit of a caricature, but a great comic character.
4. Captain Nathan Spiker (David Daker)
Glutton's steward is somewhat obsessed with his quest to see Turpin hang. He has a secret, and Turpin's the only man who knows it. Lucky for him Turpin's on the wrong side of the law. Unlucky for him that he just can't seem to catch the man.
And there are some great recurring characters, too. My favourite is Isaac Rag, the filthy old footpad who occasionally gets in the way of our hero's schemes.
The episodes run the gamut from farcical comedy to angst and hurt/comfort. They're only 25 minutes an episode - this was an ITV early evening show - but they pack a lot into those minutes.
I imagine there's great slash potential in the show, too (Turpin/Spiker would be great for those who like enemy-slash and Turpin and Swiftnick do have rather a D/S relationship, especially in the beginning), but this is my childhood fave: I just can't see it that way.