Product Description

An immensely popular series broadcast on PBS from 1978 to 1992, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY set a new bar for all courtroom dramas to come. Balancing suspense and satire as deftly as the scale of justice, Horace Rumpole tirelessly defends the downtrodden while undressing the upper classes. A timeless mixture of comedy and drama, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY was one of television's most celebrated courtroom dramas. Flawlessly adapted by John Mortimer from his best-selling Edgar Award-winning novels, and starring the esteemed Leo McKern (A Man for All Seasons), this 14-disc DVD Megaset™ includes all 42 episodes from the seven seasons of RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY. DVD Features: Feature-Length Bonus Movie Rumpole's Return; Mortimer's Musings--An Interview with John Mortimer; McKern's Memories with Actress Abigail McKern (Daughter of Leo McKern); Episode Introductions with John Mortimer; Spot the Barrister-Highlighting John Mortimer's Impromptu Appearances; Newspaper Evidence; John Mortimer Biography; John Mortimer Bibliography and Selected Credits; About the Old Bailey; Official Executioners of Newgate Prison; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4868 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2006-02-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 14
• Dimensions: 2.80 pounds
• Running time: 2100 minutes

Features

• An immensely popular series broadcast on PBS from 1978 to 1992, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY set a new bar for all courtroom dramas to come. Balancing suspense and satire as deftly as the scale of justice, Horace Rumpole tirelessly defends the downtrodden while undressing the upperes. A timeless mixture of comedy and drama, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY was one of television's most celebrated courtroom drama

Amazon.com
Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the finest television series, and it has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. A determined and committed criminal defense barrister (whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others) at the Old Bailey (criminal court), esteemed actor Leo McKern portrays the antihero Rumpole. As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole loves to get in trouble with his wife Hilda, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. The upwardly mobile Hilda is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island, and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

Typical of British drama, production values are low while the caliber of scriptwriting and acting is unsurpassed. Rumpole is a rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging on its 10th viewing as it was on its first. A&E's 14-disc megaset includes all 42 episodes from the series' seven seasons, plus the 1982 two-hour special Rumpole's Return, introductions by and an interview with John Mortimer, and other bonus material. --Erik Macki

Customer Reviews

The Old Bailey Hack
'Rumpole of the Bailey' is one of my favourite book series, and is also one of my favourite television series of all time. Spanning well over a decade, Thames television produced over 40 episodes of the crusty old barrister's tales, penned both for book and screen by John Mortimer, who used to take delight in highlighting silliness in judicial judgements by putting those decisions into the guise of his own judges, perhaps most especially judge Bullingham.

Leo McKern, a well-known British character actor perhaps most famous internationally for 'A Man for All Seasons' and 'Shoes of the Fisherman', found this great role late in life, and became the quintessential image for Rumpole. He performed the role through all the episodes (presented in the UK originally starting in 1978, and continuing with a few gaps through 1992, and presented in the USA via the PBS Mystery series approximately the same time), joined by two different actresses portraying Hilda Rumpole (Peggy Thorpe-Bates and Marion Mathie), affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed'. Rumpole's mannerisms and penchant for the less genteel things in life are done by McKern in a perfect contrast to the others in Chambers, be they Guthrie Featherstone (played by Peter Bowles as an upper-middle, Conservative-Labour MP QC) or 'Soapy Sam' Ballard (Peter Blythe), Claude Erskine-Brown (Julian Curry) or Phyllida Erskine-Brown ne Trant (Patricia Hodge).

There are set pieces about these episodes, but they are far from formulaic. Unlike some American counterparts with which one might hazard a comparison, Rumpole does not always win the case, although he almost always solves the mystery. Rarely do cases turn on points of law (indeed, Phyllida Erskine-Brown, the 'Portia' of Chambers once remarked that Rumpole knew nothing of law, but did know how to win over a jury), but the cases usually involve issues of eccentricity, both among those in the legal profession as well as among those who have need of the legal profession. Most shows involve several subplots, and the line between victory and defeat is often blurry. However, there will always be an England, at least in certain ways: As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence - this is Rumpole's mantra, and his statement of faith.

Rumpole is always for the defense - even in the later story of 'Rumpole for the Prosecution', in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

This set includes the episodes from each series as well as the two-hour telefilm, 'Rumpole's Return', a re-introduction to Rumpole after the early run of shows which ended with Rumpole nearing retirement. The disc with 'Rumpole's Return' includes several other bonus features, including a brief biography of John Mortimer, a brief history of the Old Bailey, and a list of executioners of the Old Bailey neighbouring Newgate Prison, the last of whom performed his final duty in 1902.

This is a great set piece that fans of mystery, fans of legal drama (with more than a small hint of wit and, occasionally, the ridiculous) and fans of British television generally will find a joy to view. Sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

Fine Quality and a Good Value
Picture quality is good. Menu is fine and episodes seem to be organized in chronological order. Nothing about this collection surprised or disappointed me.

I don't know why Amazon doesn't list Leo Mckern as the principle actor - don't worry, this is the version you think it is.

Each episode is introduced by the author of the books, John Mortimer.
With all 42 episodes at about 50 min each, I think it is a pretty good value.

Even Better than I Remembered
I hadn't seen this excellant series since it was first shown on public television years ago. I was much younger then, and even though I quite enjoyed it, I don't think I appreciated just how good it was and still is. When I saw that I could purchase the entire series for some 40% off, I couldn't pass it up and I'm very glad I didn't. If you are an anglophile, or even not an anglophile, but are tired of the barrage of mindless mediocrity in entertainment that surrounds us, then treat yourself to hours of truly intelligent, wry, witty and sometimes poignant entertainment. I think you have to be over 40 to fully appreciate Rumpole. Also, I was quite satisfied with the remastering.