| Sharpe | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Series DVD artwork featuringSean Bean as Richard Sharpe | |
| Based on | Sharpe byBernard Cornwell |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | Tom Clegg |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Dominic Muldowney John Tams |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Running time |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 5 May 1993 (1993-05-05) – 9 November 2008 (2008-11-09) |
Sharpe is a British television drama series starringSean Bean asRichard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in theNapoleonic Wars, withDaragh O'Malley playing his trusted companion,Patrick Harper. Sharpe and Harper are the heroes oftheSharpe series of novels byBernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books. Produced by Celtic Films and Picture Palace Films for theITV network, the series was filmed mainly inCrimea, with recordings of other episodes inTurkey,England,Portugal andSpain.[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 premieredSharpe's Challenge, a two-part adventure loosely based on his time in India, withSean Bean continuing his role as Sharpe. Filming ofSharpe's Peril, also set in India, was produced by Celtic Film/Picture Palace in 2008.[2][3] The first part was broadcast onITV andUTV on 2 November 2008, with the second part shown a week later.[4]Sharpe's Challenge andSharpe's Peril were broadcast in the US in 2010 as part ofPBS'sMasterpiece Classic season.
The complete series is available on VHS (excludingSharpe's Challenge andSharpe'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]
At the beginning of the series, Richard Sharpe is asergeant in the95th Rifles serving in Portugal duringthe Peninsular War in 1809. When he single-handedly saves the life of GeneralSir Arthur Wellesley from three Frenchcavalrymen, Wellesley gives Sharpe abattlefield 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 MajorMichael Hogan, followed by MajorNairn, 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 positionsto 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 MajorPierre Ducos and Colonel SirHenry Simmerson, and encounters one from his prior service in India, SergeantObadiah Hakeswill. Sharpe's successes gain him steady promotion, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, at theBattle of Waterloo, he is promoted tolieutenant-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 Spanishguerrilla leaderTeresa Moreno, with whom he has a daughter. Teresa is killed by Hakeswill. Sharpe then marriesJane 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 toThe Starbuck Chronicles, another series of Cornwell books, she outlives Sharpe.)
Initially,Paul McGann was cast in the title role; however, two weeks into filming of the first episode in Ukraine, McGann injured his knee playingfootball 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 wasDaragh O'Malley as Harper. The character of Rifleman Harris, played byJason 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 inSharpe's Gold and then Bickerstaff, another unruly sergeant who dislikes Sharpe.Julian Fellowes played Major Warren Dunnett inSharpe's Rifles and also the Prince Regent inSharpe's Regiment.Tony Haygarth was "Marshal" Pot-au-Feu inSharpe's Enemy and Sir Willoughby Parfitt inSharpe's Justice.
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 |
| Sharpe's Challenge | India | 1803 & 1817 |
| 16 |
| Sharpe's Peril | India | 1818 |
Over the Hills & Far Away: The Music of Sharpe was released in 1996 as a companion to the television series byVirgin Records.[10] The recording features performances by various artists, including Britishfolk musiciansJohn Tams (who played the supporting role of "Rifleman Daniel Hagman" in the series and wrote or arranged much of its music) andKate Rusby, composerDominic Muldowney, and The Band and Bugles of the Light Division, performing traditional songs along with selections of original music from the programmes.
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.
