Sharpe (TV series)

British television historical drama series (1993–2008)

Not to be confused with Sharp (TV series).

Sharpe

Series DVD artwork

Based on| Sharpe
by Bernard Cornwell
Written by|

* Eoghan Harris
* Russell Lewis
* Colin MacDonald
* Charles Wood

Directed by| Tom Clegg
Starring|

* Sean Bean
* Daragh O'Malley

Theme music composer| Dominic Muldowney
John Tams
Country of origin| United Kingdom
Original language| English
No. of episodes| 16
Production
Running time|

* 100 minutes
* 140 minutes (Sharpe's Challenge)

Original release
Network| ITV
Release| 5 May 1993 (1993-05-05) –
9 November 2008 (2008-11-09)

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 second in command, 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.[1]

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.[2][3] The first part was broadcast on ITV and UTV on 2 November 2008, with the second part shown a week later.[4] 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.[5][6]

## Plot summary

[edit]

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

[edit]

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.[7][1] 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."[8])

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.[9]

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

[edit]

The episodes are listed by first airing date.

No. | 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 |

* 23 April 2006 – Part 1
* 24 April 2006 – Part 2

| Sharpe's Challenge | India | 1803 & 1817
16 |

* 2 November 2008 – Part 1
* 9 November 2008 – Part 2

| Sharpe's Peril | India | 1818

## Cast and crew

[edit]

### Cast timeline

[edit]

Color key
Main cast (Opening credits)
Guest cast (Closing credits)
Role  | Actor

|

1993  | 1994  | 1995  | 1996  | 1997  | 2006  | 2008
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Richard Sharpe | Sean Bean
Michael Hogan | Brian Cox |
Patrick Harper | Daragh O'Malley
Teresa Moreno | Assumpta Serna |
Lord Wellington | David Troughton | Hugh Fraser |  | Hugh Fraser |  | Hugh Fraser |
Henry Simmerson |  | Michael Cochrane |  | Michael Cochrane |  | Michael Cochrane
Major Nairn |  | Michael Byrne |
Obadiah Hakeswill |  | Pete Postlethwaite |
Pierre Ducos |  | Féodor Atkine | Féodor Atkine |  | Féodor Atkine |  | Féodor Atkine |
Mungo Monroe  |  | Hugh Ross |
Jane Gibbons |  | Abigail Cruttenden |
Anne Camoynes  |  | Caroline Langrishe |  | Caroline Langrishe |
Hector Ross  |  | James Laurenson |
William Frederickson |  | Philip Whitchurch |  | Philip Whitchurch |  | Philip Whitchurch |
John Rossendale |  | Alexander Armstrong | Alexis Denisof |
Lucille Castineau |  | Cécile Paoli |  | Cécile Paoli |

### Main cast members

[edit]

* Sean Bean as Sergeant (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Richard Sharpe
* Brian Cox as Major Michael Hogan (episodes 1–2)
* Daragh O'Malley as Rifleman (later Sergeant and then Sergeant Major) Patrick Harper
* Assumpta Serna as Comandante Teresa Moreno (episodes 1–4)
* David Troughton (episodes 1–2) and Hugh Fraser (episodes 3–15) as Sir Arthur Wellesley, Lord Wellington
* Michael Cochrane as Colonel (later General) Sir Henry Simmerson (episodes 2–16)
* Michael Byrne as Major Nairn (episodes 3–5)
* Clive Francis as Colonel Brian Windham (Sharpe's Company)
* Nicholas Jones as Colonel Fletcher (Sharpe's Company)
* Pete Postlethwaite as Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill (episodes 3–4)
* Jeremy Child as Sir Augustus Farthingdale (Sharpe's Enemy)
* François Guétary as Colonel Michel Dubreton (Sharpe's Enemy)
* Tony Haygarth as Marshal Pot-au-Feu (Sharpe's Enemy) and Sir Willoughby Parfitt (Sharpe's Justice)
* Elizabeth Hurley as Lady Isabella Farthingdale (Sharpe's Enemy)
* Nickolas Grace as Father Tomas Hacha (Sharpe's Honour)
* Alice Krige as La Marquesa de Casares el Grande y Melida Sadaba (Sharpe's Honour)
* Féodor Atkine as Major Pierre Ducos (episodes 5–12; guest episode 4)
* Matthew Scurfield as El Matarife (Sharpe's Honour)
* Jayne Ashbourne as Ellie Nugent (Sharpe's Gold)
* Peter Eyre as Will Nugent (Sharpe's Gold)
* Abel Folk as El Casco (Sharpe's Gold)
* Rosaleen Linehan as Bess Nugent (Sharpe's Gold)
* Hugh Ross as Major Mungo Munro (episodes 6–8)
* Allie Byrne as Lady Lucy Kiely (Sharpe's Battle)
* Oliver Cotton as Brigadier General Guy Loup (Sharpe's Battle)
* Jason Durr as Lord Benedict Kiely (Sharpe's Battle)
* Ian McNeice as Wagonmaster-General Colonel Runciman (Sharpe's Battle)
* Patrick Fierry as Colonel Philippe Leroux (Sharpe's Sword)
* John Kavanaugh as Father Patrick Curtis (Sharpe's Sword)
* Stephen Moore as Colonel Berkely (Sharpe's Sword)
* James Purefoy as Captain Jack Spears (Sharpe's Sword)
* Abigail Cruttenden as Jane Gibbons Sharpe (episodes 9–14)
* Nicholas Farrell as Lord Simon Fenner (Sharpe's Regiment)
* Julian Fellowes as Major Warren Dunnet (guest, Sharpe's Rifles) and The Prince Regent (Sharpe's Regiment)
* Mark Lambert as Lieutenant Colonel Bartholomew Girdwood (Sharpe's Regiment)
* Caroline Langrishe as Lady Anne Camoynes (episodes 9, 13)
* James Laurenson as Major General Hector Ross (episodes 9–12)
* Norman Rossington as Sergeant Horatio Havercamp (Sharpe's Regiment)
* Christian Brendel as Comte de Maquerre (Sharpe's Siege)
* Christopher Villiers as Colonel Horace Bampfylde (Sharpe's Siege)
* Philip Whitchurch as Captain William Frederickson ("Sweet William") (episodes 10, 12; guest episode 4)
* Andrew Schofield as Sergeant Pope (Sharpe's Mission)
* Mark Strong as Colonel Brand (Sharpe's Mission)
* John Benfield as General Jean-Baptiste Calvet (Sharpe's Revenge)
* Alexis Denisof as John Rossendale (episodes 12–14)
* Cécile Paoli as Lucille Castineau, Madame la Vicomtessa de Seleglise (episodes 12, 14)
* Philip Martin Brown as Saunders (Sharpe's Justice)
* Philip Glenister as Matt Truman (Sharpe's Justice)
* Douglas Henshall as Captain George Wickham (Sharpe's Justice)
* Paul Bettany as Prince William of Orange (Sharpe's Waterloo)
* Neil Dickson as Lord Uxbridge (Sharpe's Waterloo)
* Oliver Tobias as Colonel Rebecque (Sharpe's Waterloo)
* Toby Stephens as Major William Dodd (Sharpe's Challenge)
* Padma Lakshmi as Madhuvanthi (Sharpe's Challenge)
* Aurélien Recoing as Gudin (Sharpe's Challenge)
* Lucy Brown as Celia Burroughs (Sharpe's Challenge)
* Alyy Khan as Mohan Singh (Sharpe's Challenge)
* Caroline Carver as Mrs. Tredinnick (Sharpe's Peril)
* Raza Jaffrey as Lance Naik Singh (Sharpe's Peril)
* Pascal Langdale as Major Philippe Joubert (Sharpe's Peril)
* Jonathan Moore as Reverend Watkin (Sharpe's Peril)
* David Robb as Major Tredinnick (Sharpe's Peril)
* Steve Speirs as Colour Sergeant Silas Wormwood (Sharpe's Peril)
* Velibor Topić as Col. Count Vladimir Dragomirov (Sharpe's Peril)
* Luke Ward-Wilkinson as Ensign the Hon. Percival Beauclere (Sharpe's Peril)
* Beatrice Rosen as Marie-Angelique Bonnet (Sharpe's Peril)

### Supporting cast members

[edit]

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

* Martin Jacobs (episodes 1–2) and Benedict Taylor (Sharpe's Regiment) as Colonel William Lawford
* Kerry Shale as James Rothschild (Sharpe's Rifles)
* Simón Andreu as Major Blas Vivar (Sharpe's Rifles)
* Tim Bentinck as Captain John Murray (Sharpe's Rifles)
* Daniel Craig as Lieutenant John Berry (Sharpe's Eagle)
* David Ashton as Major Lennox (Sharpe's Eagle)
* Neil Dudgeon as Lieutenant Christian Gibbons (Sharpe's Eagle)
* Gavan O'Herlihy as Captain Thomas Leroy (Sharpe's Eagle)
* Marc Warren as Captain Rymer (Sharpe's Company)
* Benedict Taylor as William Lawford (Sharpe's Regiment)
* Diana Perez as Ramona Gonzalez Harper (episodes 4–15)
* Emily Mortimer as Lass (Sharpe's Sword)
* Olivier Pierre as General Jean-Baptiste Calvet (episodes 10–11)
* Alexander Armstrong as Lord John Rossendale (Sharpe's Mission)

### Production team

[edit]

* Directed by Tom Clegg
* Produced by Malcolm Craddock, Muir Sutherland
* Written by Bernard Cornwell (novels), Eoghan Harris (7 episodes), Charles Wood (4 episodes), Russell Lewis (3 episodes), Nigel Kneale (1 episode), Colin MacDonald (1 episode), Patrick Harbinson (1 episode)

## Soundtrack

[edit]

Soundtrack cover art

Over the Hills & Far Away: The Music of Sharpe was released in 1996 as a companion to the television series by Virgin Records.[10] 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

[edit]

* South Essex Regiment
* Over the Hills and Far Away, the theme song of the series

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ a b "About Sharpe". Drama. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015.
2. ^ "Sharpe news". The South Essex. Archived from the original on 21 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
3. ^ "Sharpe's Peril". Compleat Sean Bean. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
4. ^ Vickers, Judy (1 November 2008). "Jimmy Gardner - Fighting to make an impact on screen". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012.
5. ^ "Sharpe". iTunes. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
6. ^ "Sharpe's Classic Collection Blu-ray Release Date April 12, 2011". Retrieved 30 August 2020.
7. ^ Ferrier, Morwenna (15 March 2009). "My body & soul: Paul McGann, actor, 49". The Guardian. "I had been filming Sharpe and injured my leg. I woke up in London's Cromwell Hospital to a call from Sean Bean. He'd been drafted in to take over the part."
8. ^ Sarah Hughes (23 June 2014). "Sharpe is an action-packed alternative to the World Cup". The Guardian.
9. ^ "Alum Actor Jason Salkey Uses TV Role Inspiration to Follow in His Father's Footsteps". Hampshire College. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
10. ^ "Over the Hills and Far Away: The Music of Sharpe - Original TV Soundtrack". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 February 2012.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Sharpe (TV series).

* 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
* Sharpe (TV series) at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Works by Bernard Cornwell

Bibliography

Sharpe|

* Sharpe's Eagle (1981)
* Sharpe's Gold (1981)
* Sharpe's Company (1982)
* Sharpe's Sword (1983)
* Sharpe's Enemy (1984)
* Sharpe's Honour (1985)
* Sharpe's Regiment (1986)
* Sharpe's Siege (1987)
* Sharpe's Rifles (1988)
* Sharpe's Revenge (1989)
* Sharpe's Waterloo (1990)
* Sharpe's Devil (1992)
* Sharpe's Christmas (1994)
* Sharpe's Battle (1995)
* Sharpe's Ransom (1995)
* Sharpe's Tiger (1997)
* Sharpe's Triumph (1998)
* Sharpe's Fortress (1999)
* Sharpe's Skirmish (1999)
* Sharpe's Trafalgar (2000)
* Sharpe's Prey (2001)
* Sharpe's Havoc (2003)
* Sharpe's Escape (2004)
* Sharpe's Fury (2006)
* Sharpe's Assassin (2021)
* Sharpe's Command (2023)

The Warlord Chronicles|

* The Winter King (1995)
* Enemy of God (1996)
* Excalibur (1997)

The Grail Quest|

* Harlequin (aka The Archer's Tale) (2000)
* Vagabond (2002)
* Heretic (2003)
* 1356 (2012)

The Saxon Stories|

* The Last Kingdom (2004)
* The Pale Horseman (2005)
* The Lords of the North (2006)
* Sword Song (2007)
* The Burning Land (2009)
* Death of Kings (2011)
* The Pagan Lord (2013)
* The Empty Throne (2014)
* Warriors of the Storm (2015)
* The Flame Bearer (2016)
* War of the Wolf (2018)
* Sword of Kings (2019)
* War Lord (2020)

Other novels|

* Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) (1989)
* The Starbuck Chronicles series (1993–96)
* Gallows Thief (2001)
* Azincourt (2008)
* The Fort (2010)
* Fools and Mortals (2017)

Non-fiction|

* Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles (2014)

TV adaptations|

| Sharpe|

* 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
* Sharpe's Peril

|

Other|

* The Last Kingdom
* Seven Kings Must Die
* The Winter King

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