For some reason I had an interest in seeing Rumpole Of The Bailey. The library had the set so I got them to loan me the first couple of series. The first series aired in April and May of 1978 and there were six 50 minute long episodes. The 2nd series had the same number of episodes and they aired May to July in 1979. The program is created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. He introduces each episode with a brief bit of info on why he wrote the story. Leo McKern plays Horace Rumpole, a barrister who mostly practices law at the Old Bailey. He always takes the defense cases, not liking the prosecution side at all. An interesting thing about the system there is that Rumpole could be defending a criminal and someone else from the same group of barristers could be the prosecution. That's different than the US. Once they get into the courtroom that's kind of the same. Rumpole isn't as smooth as Perry Mason, he's more blustery, but he's got a sharp mind and some good tricks up his sleeve.
The first series takes Rumpole from 1967 to 1977, each episode jumping ahead a year or two. The 2nd series dropped that concept and they set the stories in the time the show was aired. In each episode we get some new clients each with a different legal trouble. The show doesn't lack variety, the first episode introduces us to a family of crooks that will return again in a later episode. One of the younger members is in a spot of trouble. In the second Rumpole defends a young woman, who lives at a commune, on drug charges. In the third an Honourable Member has been charged with rape. Usually Rumpole wins but this time the man fesses up while in the witness box and gets 5 years. A later show puts Rumpole into the world of the theater and the following one has him defending a fascist. He reminds us that all men are due counsel.
In the last show of the second series Rumpole retires. In the 1980 TV movie, Rumpole Returns, a bonus on the 4th disc, Rumpole returns. After that it would be nearly three years before the 3rd series aired. I'm enjoying the series much more than I thought I might. The stories are interesting enough, there's plenty of people yakking and Rumpole's narration is nicely sarcastic. There's a good bit of humor and I got plenty of laughs out of the stories. If you were innocent when you got done for murder you'd want Rumpole on your side. I'm going to have to watch the rest of the series. I have them on my queue as well as the pilot movie that was out when I requested it.
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