Sharpe's Rifles (TV programme)
| Sharpe's Rifles | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Eoghan Harris |
| Directed by | Tom Clegg |
| Starring |
Sean Bean Brian Cox Daragh O'Malley Assumpta Serna David Troughton |
| Theme music composer |
Dominic Muldowney John Tams |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Sharpe's Eagle |
Sharpe's Rifles is the first of the Sharpe television dramas, based on the Bernard Cornwell novel of the same name. Shown on ITV in 1993, the adaptation stars Sean Bean, Daragh O'Malley and Assumpta Serna. It began a long series of successful and critically acclaimed television adaptations of the novels.
The drama tells the story of Richard Sharpe, an ambitious and hardened soldier from Yorkshire. The story follows the exploits of Sharpe and his band of chosen men through Spain after they survive an ambush by French cavalry.
Filming took place in the Crimea, Portugal and England, during which Paul McGann who was the original actor cast for the role of Richard Sharpe, broke his leg playing football and was quickly replaced with Sean Bean.
In 1809, Sir Arthur Wellesley (David Troughton), the commander of the British army fighting the French in Portugal, is saved from three pursuing French cavalrymen by Sergeant Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean). Wellesley rewards Sharpe with a field commission to lieutenant and command of the "chosen men", a handful of sharpshooters previously led by Rifleman Patrick Harper (Daragh O'Malley). The two men take an instant dislike to each other.
Wellesley has no money to pay his men; however, he has arranged for a loan from the Rothschild family. James Rothschild has set out from Vienna with a badly needed bank draft, but is overdue. Sharpe, his men, and a company under Major Dunnett (Julian Fellowes) are sent out to search for him. While Sharpe and his men are out scouting the terrain, the company is surprised and wiped out by enemy cavalry led by Colonel de L'Eclin (Malcolm Jamieson) and a man in dark civilian clothes (Anthony Hyde), with only Perkins and a gravely wounded Captain Murray as survivors.
...
Wikipedia