A Question for My Crisp and Lovely U.K. Pals...

[the_gneech]

...or anyone around here who may have watched a lot of Public Television in the '70s:

Have you ever see Rumpole of the Bailey or read any of the books it was drawn from? Are they any good? Please discuss!

Thank you!

-The Gneech

EDIT: Apparently the books were drawn from the show, not the other way around. Also, it sounds quite a bit like "Witness For the Prosecution: The Series" -- I'll definitely check it out!

Comments

[leoni2.livejournal.com]

I saw bits and pieces of the show on the local PBS station. But not enough to form an opinion. Sorry.

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

Rumpole's pretty good. Funny when he wants to be!

If you can get your hands on a copy of The Strand (new version), they usually have a Rumpole story in the issue, and sometimes BBC 7 broadcasts radio versions of the newer stories.

Highly recommended!

[frustratedpilot]

Immensely good. Rumpole himself is a character you fall in love with very quickly (and there's always She Who Must Be Obeyed). The dialogue is quite witty; the mysteries are well thought out and always interesting. And nobody writes courtroom scenes like Mortimer. The episode titled "The Tap End" is based on a real case Mortimer tried...and the twist at the end makes it all the funnier.

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

I've seen some. I think you'd probably like it.

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I watched it back when the series was running the first time, and read a few of the books.

It's very British.

It's been a long time, but i remember them as being well-crafted mysteries, and the characters are a lot of fun.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I saw many episodes of Rumpole of the Bailey on PBS even into the 1980s. It is generally quite good and I do recommend it. I can't say as to how the books are, but it would be a surprise if they were not at least as good at television series.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

'at least as good _as the_ television series'

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed Rumpole. It's very British Legal System.

Never Plead Guilty

[jamesb]

Rumpole is everything that US television dramas are not.

The earlier ones are better, but all are great television if you prefer a courtroom drama show based on clever writing rather than a production that seems to have been created purely to display fashionable offices and clothes. All star the late Australian actor Leo McKern (also played 'Number Two' in the second episode ('Chimes of Big Ben')' of 'The Prisoner') as Horace Rumpole.

You may also enjoy the earlier British courtroom comedy series "Misleading Cases".

[tr-wolf.livejournal.com]

I wasnt born till the mid 80s, sorry, hehe.

[oceansedge.livejournal.com]

Can't think of anything to add to others assessments here... accept to say, "I really enjoyed it."

[genecatlow.livejournal.com]

It's British television. What other recommendation does it need?

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Well, so is "Benny Hill" and "So Graham Norton" -- you've got to be careful!

-The Gneech

[maxgoof.livejournal.com]

Leo McKern is in it. He is marvelous!

P.S. If you can get a copy of "A Man For All Seasons" I highly recommend viewing it.

[mg4h.livejournal.com]

Everyone else has already said it, but I'll echo that it's a good story and fun to read/watch.

My mom likes it a lot as well, especially the jokes about She Who Must Be Obeyed ;)