# Sharpe



## Bakunin (May 16, 2009)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe_(TV_series)

I was randomly channel-hopping today when I happened across an old gem from the early/mid 1990's that I loved at the time and still think is top notch entertainment.

I don't think that the TV adaptations are as good as the books, but I'd have to say that, as a piece of historical entertainment, the 'Sharpe' series were great viewing and don't seem to have aged too badly, considering most of them were made 10 or 15 years ago now.

Probably not the most PC or 'right on' series that's ever been shown, but I really liked it all the same. The heroic Sharpe, the fearsome but kind-hearted Patrick Harper (especially when he used his seven-barrelled volley gun, known as 'Mr. Nock')), the selection of staggeringly pretty women he went through, the villains (especially the villainous Sergeant Hakeswill) and the epic battle scenes make for a cracking afternoon's viewing IMHO.

Are there any other 'Sharpe' fans out in internetland?


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## cybertect (May 16, 2009)

From casual observation, it seems to pass as history on the History channel and make up nearly half of their output.


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## DotCommunist (May 16, 2009)

Oi fuck me, Sharpe and Harper are the BIGGEST legends in that field. Sharpe battles constantly against the evil French and those bastard toffs, accompanied by the dirty fighter and big brawler with his massive gun: Irish Harper.

The books are OK but they are tight plotted stuff that doesn't evoke the despair on Sean Beans face when he draws his Commander lines and squares in order to make him get how War works with those weapons, 'I drew 'im drawings!'



> Here's forty shillings on the drum for those who volunteer to come
> To 'list and fight the foe today - Over the hills and far away


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## Bakunin (May 16, 2009)

cybertect said:


> From casual observation, it seems to pass as history on the History channel and make up nearly half of their output.



I noticed that. I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to take it as entirely historically accurate, as Bernard Cornwell openly admits that he has taken a few liberties with the facts from time to time (which I suppose is inevitable when you want to put a cast of fictional characters within documented historical events), but as a piece of entertainment on a wet Saturday afternoon I can think of worse things to watch, I must admit.

I think it's probably shown a fair bit on the History Channel as it's still a good ratings draw.


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## cybertect (May 16, 2009)

Bakunin said:


> I think it's probably shown a fair bit on the History Channel as it's still a good ratings draw.



Of that I have no doubt


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## DotCommunist (May 16, 2009)

'King George commands, and we obey
o'er the hills ad far away'


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## DotCommunist (May 16, 2009)

Sharpe always wins, gets the girl and takes the Eagle at Talavrera. 

Because he is awesome. He is like the Jack Bauer of the Old World


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## Bakunin (May 16, 2009)

DotCommunist said:


> the dirty fighter and big brawler with his massive gun: Irish Harper.



'Say Hello to Mister Nock...'







'PERFUMED PONCE!'


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## DotCommunist (May 16, 2009)

If you recall the scene where Sharpe fights Harper, it is proper brutal. Both of them go vicious and brutal in that ruck


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## Bakunin (May 17, 2009)

DotCommunist said:


> If you recall the scene where Sharpe fights Harper, it is proper brutal. Boyh of them go vicious and brutal in that ruck



It's not exactly the Queensbury Rules, certainly.

I seem to recall an especially wince-making kick in the bollocks going in at one point.


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## Gromit (May 17, 2009)

It's a guilty pleasure to be sure to be sure.


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## Stigmata (May 17, 2009)

Mighty show. Shame Hornblower was never as good.

Edit: and as some hero on youtube points out-



> Boromir would have survived if he had the ability to fire three shots a minute from his rifle in any weather


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## kained&able (May 17, 2009)

downloaded them all and finsihed watching em a couple of weeks ago. One of the episodes is proper proper shit but i enjoyed the rest.

well worth watching again i reckon.



dave


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## DotCommunist (May 17, 2009)

Stigmata said:


> Mighty show. Shame Hornblower was never as good.
> 
> Edit: and as some hero on youtube points out-





everynow and then youtube comment threads are pure gold


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## Bakunin (May 17, 2009)

There's only one thing about Sean Bean in that series that really, really, really annoys me.

He gets to play with guns and swords, brawl, charge about on horseback, wear some frankly rather terrific vintage clothes, film in exotic locations and bonk his way through a selection of quality love interests.

And he calls this 'work', presumably.

And, at the end of filming, he also gets a six figure wage packet.

LUCKY BASTARD!


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## DotCommunist (May 17, 2009)

Also: the camera work. Quality. Soft focused win


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## Balbi (May 17, 2009)

He kills James Bond


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## upsidedownwalrus (May 17, 2009)

Despite him being a Blunt, he was a fucking wicked Boromir and probably one of the best-casted characters in the LOTR films.


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## CyberRose (May 17, 2009)

Sean Bean is just ace


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## Stigmata (May 17, 2009)

Bakunin said:


> There's only one thing about Sean Bean in that series that really, really, really annoys me.
> 
> He gets to play with guns and swords, brawl, charge about on horseback, wear some frankly rather terrific vintage clothes, film in exotic locations and bonk his way through a selection of quality love interests.
> 
> ...



I don't think you can get a decent pint of bitter for love nor money on those long Spanish shoots.


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## Azrael (May 17, 2009)

kained&able said:


> One of the episodes is proper proper shit but i enjoyed the rest.


Was it _Sharpe's Gold_ by any chance?  (The one with Aztecs who live in Spanish caves and try to sacrifice Buxom Wench of the Week.)


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## kained&able (May 17, 2009)

no that was okay(ish) it was one of the later ones, which was banging on about his wifey(one after she ran away, with the dude from buffy/angel maybe???) and had very little shooting in it.

twas bollocks


possibly sharpes justice.

fuck didnt know about those two new ones!



dave


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## Balbi (May 17, 2009)

Thats the one with Phil Glenister in


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## DotCommunist (May 17, 2009)

the series sought to mirror Sharpes activities with whatever was historically accurate hence he spent time under the Sepoy general fighting the french in India


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## isitme (May 17, 2009)

sharpe was really big back in the day. it was on before soldier soldier. i think it was the last good thing ITV made that was good

it was good but i hated how he always won. i hate that


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## kained&able (May 17, 2009)

i fealt such pride when hre grabbed the eagle in taleverra.

which is weird cos im half french, but there ya go.

While i was watching the show i kept trying to rework some of the songs into football songs. I'm convinced over the hills would be doable.(or has been)


dave


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## Stoat Boy (May 17, 2009)

Always enjoyed them but found them much better after a few drinks.


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## DotCommunist (May 17, 2009)

isitme said:


> sharpe was really big back in the day. it was on before soldier soldier. i think it was the last good thing ITV made that was good
> 
> it was good but i hated how he always won. i hate that



I fucking love that. And the people he always wins over are aristo sadist wankers. He mugs them off, gets the bird and the medal for being awesome.

Love him for his unashamed win habit.


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## madzone (May 17, 2009)

There was one where he kicked the bedroom door in because his gf was being all silly and girly. Me and my bezzer proper swooned


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## Badgers (May 18, 2009)

Love it... 
Got the DVD box set a while ago and went through it pretty quick. 

Chosen men


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## Quartz (May 18, 2009)

DotCommunist said:


> I fucking love that. And the people he always wins over are aristo sadist wankers.



The unredeemed quality of almost all the aristos got very wearing. There were far too few prole baddies - Hakeswill is the only one I remember. It turned into overt left-wing propaganda.


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## DotCommunist (May 18, 2009)

Quartz said:


> The unredeemed quality of almost all the aristos got very wearing. There were far too few prole baddies - Hakeswill is the only one I remember. It turned into overt left-wing propaganda.



In the books there was this very puritan, decent scottish toff officer. A vegitarian as I recall.

Of course, sharpe frequently had to save him from peril.


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## Azrael (May 18, 2009)

DotCommunist said:


> In the books there was this very puritan, decent scottish toff officer. A vegitarian as I recall.
> 
> Of course, sharpe frequently had to save him from peril.


Yep, Colonel McCandless (East India Company). 



Spoiler: Sharpe's Triumph



Sadly he was gunned down by salt of the earth Obadiah.


Lieutenant/Colonel William Lawford and Capitan "Dally" D'Alembord were both decent blue bloods as well.


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## Pingu (May 18, 2009)

it was sharpe that rekindled my interest in the peninsular wars


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## Stigmata (May 18, 2009)

Wellington was a bit of a geezer


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## Portia (May 18, 2009)

I've never seen any episodes cos we don't have the History channel but I loved the trailer they were showing loads on Dave a while ago. 

The voiceover goes 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' and then Sean Bean shouts 'BARGH!'    which must actually mean 'FIRE!' but how the fuck do you try and shout 'fire' and come out with 'bargh'?

Me and my sister still lol about this.


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## Azrael (May 18, 2009)

Portia said:


> The voiceover goes 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' and then Sean Bean shouts 'BARGH!'    which must actually mean 'FIRE!' but how the fuck do you try and shout 'fire' and come out with 'bargh'?


Maybe Major Shape's been taking lessons from an ancestor of this fine example of martial rigour.


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## kittyP (May 18, 2009)

kained&able said:


> no that was okay(ish) it was one of the later ones, which was banging on about his wifey(one after she ran away, with the dude from buffy/angel maybe???) and had very little shooting in it.
> 
> twas bollocks
> 
> ...




I really want to know who was in Sharpe that was also in Buffy or Angel now?

We love Sharpe in this house. 
Have the whole lot on box set


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## kained&able (May 18, 2009)

the bloke who ends up with sharpes wife and then dies in warterloo. Fairly sure he's wesley windom price(the other giles) in buffy/angel.

Liz hurley is also in it for an episode which made me laugh. she looks well young.


dave


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## Bakunin (May 18, 2009)

kained&able said:


> the bloke who ends up with sharpes wife and then dies in warterloo. Fairly sure he's wesley windom price(the other giles) in buffy/angel.
> 
> Liz hurley is also in it for an episode which made me laugh. she looks well young.
> 
> ...



Alexis Denisof is his name. He played the unconscionably vile, cowardly and pathetic Lord John Rossendale and is currently married to fellow Buffy star Alyson Hannigan. They've just had their first child together, so I've heard.


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## DotCommunist (May 18, 2009)

Bakunin said:


> Alexis Denisof is his name. He played the unconscionably vile, cowardly and pathetic Lord John Rossendale and *is currently married to fellow Buffy star Alyson Hannigan. They've just had their first child together, so I've heard*.



All of a sudden I hate the lucky, lucky bastard


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## Bakunin (May 18, 2009)

DotCommunist said:


> All of a sudden I hate the lucky, lucky bastard



I feel your pain.


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## kittyP (May 18, 2009)

Bakunin said:


> Alexis Denisof is his name. He played the unconscionably vile, cowardly and pathetic Lord John Rossendale and is currently married to fellow Buffy star Alyson Hannigan. They've just had their first child together, so I've heard.



OOOh thank you. 

I will have to back and have a look


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## Bakunin (May 18, 2009)

I was never quite satisfied with how Rossendale was killed off, at least not in the film version anyway.

I'd far rather have seen Rossendale taken somewhere quiet and given to Sergeant Harper to play with, as a form of ritual sacrifice, personally.


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## Pieface (May 19, 2009)

I accidentally caught this one saturday morning at my mate's house and we came over all fucking stupid and giggly.  I LOVED it.  I came home and tried to find Lady Chatterley's Lover to read while I had Sean Bean in my head and couldn't and was furious.  THEN I started looking into Sharpe box sets on Amazon.  It was like I went crazy on historical drama drugs.  I needed a fucking slap


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## kittyP (Feb 25, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Oi fuck me, Sharpe and Harper are the BIGGEST legends in that field. Sharpe battles constantly against the evil French and those bastard toffs, accompanied by the dirty fighter and big brawler with his massive gun: Irish Harper.
> 
> The books are OK but they are tight plotted stuff that doesn't evoke the despair on Sean Beans face when he draws his Commander lines and squares in order to make him get how War works with those weapons, 'I drew 'im drawings!'


 
We are watching it again for the xth time. 
I have to disagree with you DC. I dont see the French as depicted as the baddies. They are depcited as fighting the same futile war. And thats what I love about it. 
The only real baddies are some of the English officers are of course Obadiah Hakeswill, played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite.
For me that was one of his best roles and (just imho) better than him in The Usual Suspects, which is a big claim.


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## barney_pig (Feb 25, 2012)

the best ive seen bean in was Ronin; a film that is one of my all time favourites- sharpe always was let down when it tried to fight full scale battles with twenty four extras frantically swapping hats off camera.


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## Stigmata (Feb 25, 2012)

God! Save! IRELAND!
God! Save! IRELAND!
God! Save! IRELAND!
God! Save! IRELAND!
God! Save! IRELAND!

etc etc


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## DotCommunist (Feb 25, 2012)

kittyP said:


> We are watching it again for the xth time.
> I have to disagree with you DC. I dont see the French as depicted as the baddies. They are depcited as fighting the same futile war. And thats what I love about it.
> The only real baddies are some of the English officers are of course Obadiah Hakeswill, played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite.
> For me that was one of his best roles and (just imho) better than him in The Usual Suspects, which is a big claim.


 

largely true, but: Sharpes Sword. That french officer is an evil cunt


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## Badgers (Feb 25, 2012)

Love a bit of Sharpe. Seen it properly two (or three) times through since I got the box-set (£9.99 I think) a while back. 

Was I a bit wealthier then I _might _spend some money here but £595.00 is a bit much  

*95th Rifles Officers Tunic *
Made from Rifle Green Hainsworth wool with black velvet collar and cuffs,
All the lace is black russia wool lace as per original.


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## Spymaster (Feb 25, 2012)

Top notch stuff, right up there with _Hornblower_ for a bit of rollicking Napoleonic action.


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## Mungy (Feb 25, 2012)

kittyP said:


> The only real baddies are some of the English officers are of course Obadiah Hakeswill, played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite.
> For me that was one of his best roles and (just imho) better than him in The Usual Suspects, which is a big claim.


 
I still find that one difficult to watch, probably the best acted baddie on the small screen ever. so good was his acting that i didn't like anything he was in because of the taint of hakeswill. a damn fine actor that i was too late to the show to appreciate his talent.


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## Badgers (Feb 25, 2012)

Spymaster said:


> Top notch stuff, right up there with _Hornblower_ for a bit of rollicking Napoleonic action.


 
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/sharpe-vs-hornblower.82143/


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## Badgers (Mar 2, 2012)

We are missing the last couple of DVDs


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## likesfish (Mar 2, 2012)

My only problem is the battles seem rather short of actual people.
 You'd  need good cgi or serious cash to get the amount of bodies to make it realistic.
   The Waterloo movie was filmed using the soviet military.

Not sure how many conscripts ended up in Siberia from squaures breaking as the Calvary charged towards them


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## Badgers (Oct 14, 2012)

Sharpe Sunday's? 

http://distractedinreality.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/sharpe-lives-or-sharpe-sundays/


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## toggle (Oct 14, 2012)

Badgers said:


> Was I a bit wealthier then I _might _spend some money here but £595.00 is a bit much


 
if you keep checking through reinactors forums and stuff, you can eventually find them a LOT cheaper. foaf was selling one a few years back. 150 or so rings a bell.


just to add, i don't think bakunin owns any of the books anymore. my son stole them all


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## spitfire (Oct 14, 2012)

I started reading the Sharpe books about 3 months ago and I've been through 8 so far. Brilliant stuff, love it. 

Not exactly highbrow but great crack.


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## ViolentPanda (Oct 14, 2012)

toggle said:


> if you keep checking through reinactors forums and stuff, you can eventually find them a LOT cheaper. foaf was selling one a few years back. 150 or so rings a bell.
> 
> 
> just to add, i don't think bakunin owns any of the books anymore. my son stole them all


 
Gives him something to steal back.


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## Badgers (Oct 14, 2012)

toggle said:
			
		

> if you keep checking through reinactors forums and stuff, you can eventually find them a LOT cheaper. foaf was selling one a few years back. 150 or so rings a bell.



Need more info please


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## Badgers (Nov 1, 2012)

Badgers said:


> Need more info please


 
@toggle 

Hello


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## toggle (Nov 1, 2012)

oh gawds, ages ago. but i seem to have livinghistory.com bookmarked, don't know if it was there i read it or elsewhere. reinactors tend to be the sort so if you start sniffing about, then they will tell you where else to look.


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## Garek (Nov 1, 2012)

Badgers said:


> Love a bit of Sharpe. Seen it properly two (or three) times through since I got the box-set (£9.99 I think) a while back.
> 
> Was I a bit wealthier then I _might _spend some money here but £595.00 is a bit much
> 
> ...


 

I hope I never win a lot of money because otherwise that is exactly what I will buy and look a _right tit. _

Sharpe is fucking awesome*. Good to see this thread resurrected. 

* - well certain episodes. Some are appalling. And the politics of Sharpe's Justice are painful. 

So. Best episodes. Which are they?


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## Badgers (Nov 1, 2012)

Maybe we need a poll? 


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


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## Garek (Nov 1, 2012)

Off you go then.


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## Badgers (Nov 1, 2012)

Garek said:


> Off you go then.


 
I am limiting myself to one 'Sharpe' thread a day thank you


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## Garek (Nov 1, 2012)

Badgers said:


> I am limiting myself to one 'Sharpe' thread a day thank you


 
That sounds like something a _Frenchman _would say


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## Badgers (Nov 1, 2012)

Garek said:


> That sounds like something a _Frenchman _would say


 
I know how to stand before a French column. I know how to face fire without soiling my breeches and turning tail


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## Garek (Nov 1, 2012)

Badgers said:


> I know how to stand before a French column. I know how to face fire without soiling my breeches and turning tail


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## mrs quoad (Mar 2, 2013)

Sharpe the film is on TV RIGHT NOW. Hell yeah.


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## Bakunin (Mar 2, 2013)

Badgers said:


> I know how to face fire without soiling my breeches and turning tail


 





'Thinking of running away, are we..?'

'PERFUMED PONCE!'


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## Lo Siento. (Mar 2, 2013)

Badgers said:


> I know how to stand before a French column. I know how to face fire without soiling my breeches and turning tail


and fire 3 rounds a minute?


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