Sharpe - UKTV History - Anyone "Bean" Watching?

Moosh · 27-09-2007, 11:28 AM

Poor joke I know, but has anyone been watching the Sharpe reruns on UKTV History (9:00PM)?

I forgot how good this series was!

Cheers
Moosh

Battle · 27-09-2007, 5:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmahmed

Poor joke I know, but has anyone been watching the Sharpe reruns on UKTV History (9:00PM)?

I forgot how good this series was!

Cheers
Moosh

Virgin were flogging the whole series box set for £35 which was very tempting.

Its about the only show that Sean Bean is any good in, completly wooden in virtually everything else he does.

Moosh · 27-09-2007, 7:42 PM

I've not seen many films/TV series with him in. I can remember a British film, God knows how many years ago and he played some sort of king pin. The only other thing I remember was that some teenagers stole a police car and chainsawed the roof off.

The film was poor and so was Mr. Bean's acting.

I hope they release these in HD. It would be great to get the whole boxset!

Cheers
Moosh

*redwing* · 27-09-2007, 8:17 PM

Sharp is a excellent TV seris . Ive seen them all so many times now on UKGold UKDrama its on a lot but i love Sharp .

Battle · 27-09-2007, 9:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmahmed

I've not seen many films/TV series with him in. I can remember a British film, God knows how many years ago and he played some sort of king pin. The only other thing I remember was that some teenagers stole a police car and chainsawed the roof off.

The film was poor and so was Mr. Bean's acting.

I hope they release these in HD. It would be great to get the whole boxset!

Cheers
Moosh

His "death" scene in Lord of the Rings was a tour de force in overacting and the less said about his attempt at an American accent in Silent Hill the better.

The difference between him in Sharp and everthing else is massive - he was great in Sharp

brian s · 27-09-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmahmed

I've not seen many films/TV series with him in. I can remember a British film, God knows how many years ago and he played some sort of king pin. The only other thing I remember was that some teenagers stole a police car and chainsawed the roof off. Moosh

He was up against the excellent Jean Reno and Robert De Niro in Ronin. Poor beggar didn't stand a chance.

Cheers
Bri

Moosh · 28-09-2007, 8:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle

His "death" scene in Lord of the Rings was a tour de force in overacting and the less said about his attempt at an American accent in Silent Hill the better.

The difference between him in Sharp and everthing else is massive - he was great in Sharp

I forgot he was in Lord of the Rings!

That death scene must have left an impression.

Cheers
Moosh

Decadence · 28-09-2007, 2:11 PM

I think he's cool...don't think he's a bad actor at all, thought he made great Bond Baddie too. The thing I have noticed though its that he is sounding more and more menacing in those O2 adverts!

phillfyspoon · 28-09-2007, 6:38 PM

Sharpe is the the reference for writing and production for british tv drama. Brilliant series.

Moosh · 29-09-2007, 3:29 PM

Last night was the final one (well, the final one with the French), Sharpe's Waterloo. It's odd that UKTV History aren't showing Sharpe's Challenge (a two parter).

Does anyone have any information regarding new episodes being made?

Cheers
Moosh

**Garrett** · 29-09-2007, 4:23 PM

Bernard Cornwell who wrote the books originally wrote the stories up from him being promoted from sergeant to lieutenant. In if I remember rightly Sharps Eagle. The storys where then wrote in chronological order to Waterloo. Then whilst the series was being made went back and wrote some more slotting in between his original stories. The one where Sharps back home with the strikers was I believe not published before the TV film.
Cornwell also wrote later a number of prequels 3 in India 1 in Denmark and one onboard a ship.

So there are some stories there for our hero its just if they can work round Sean Bean being older and if any ones will in to make any more.

If you read pick some of the books up there better than the TV program and some not film. My personal favourite was Sharpe’s Honour.

john key · 30-09-2007, 1:19 AM

The Sharpe story in books started, originally, with Sharpes Eagle, but when the series was televised Cornwell was asked to write Sharpes Rifles to explain how Sharpe became a Lieutenant from a Sergeant. Sharpes Rifles was therefore the first film in the series. When it became so popular, however, Cornwell decided to write a few prequels about Sharpes career in India and the beginning of the Napoleonic wars up to Sharpes Rifles. In these books Sharpe actually becomes an Officer before Sharpes Rifles, and as I'd read the Sharpes books years before they were filmed I couldn't understand how he managed to get from a Lieutenant back to a Sergeant so he could become a Lieutenant again! I recently bought the book of Sharpes Rifles again, and Cornwell has completely re-written the story to explain this. This means that if you read the current version of the book of Sharpes Rifles, then watch the DVD of Sharpes Rifles (as I did), you won't know whats going on as they're different in many ways (Sharpes future wife, for instance isn't even mentioned now in the book). Sharpes Challenge is based on the 3 books about Sharpes career in India, and some of the characters had to be changed as its mainly set after Waterloo, whereas the origional books were set before the Napoleonic Wars. Its a pretty good film, but the beginning is set when Sharpe is very young, while the rest is set when he's in his forties. Sean Bean, however, doesn't look any different!

**Garrett** · 30-09-2007, 10:16 AM

Think your right which book he got is promotion but I cannot remember Rifles not coming out before the book, the book was a very easy read and I read it in about 3 days which is very quick for me.
I read the vast majority before they ever were made into TV films. There was one where he met up with a true life navel hero I think second only to Nelson in his achievements but he was never shown in the TV series.

john key · 30-09-2007, 11:26 PM

It was Nelson, in Sharpes Trafalgar. I think this one might be a bit difficult and very expensive to make into a film.

WildeKarde · 01-10-2007, 1:48 PM

Sharpe Rifles (the book) starts with him as an Ensign in the rifle (quartermaster I think) and progresses in him taking over the company of rifles. The TV series sort of cuts that out and promotes him at the start by saving Wellington (which he did before Sharpe's Rifles).

In the books he gets his promotion to ensign over the 3 books set in India which was the basis for Sharpe's challenge storyline. I think he starts as a private in the first book but Sean Bean would be a bit old to play the part.

The new books then have been insterted to before Rifles and between the TV series episodes. There is one book after Waterloo (Sharpe's Devil) which they could probably make that as an episode

john key · 01-10-2007, 2:55 PM

No, the India books and Sharpes Trafalgar and Sharpes Prey were written after the original TV series had been made and televised. If you watch the DVD/Video of Sharpes Rifles you see the story as Cornwell originally wrote it, and Sharpe was promoted for saving Wellingtons life. Cornwell wrote the later books when Sharpe became so popular, and decided to have Sharpe save Wellingtons life and be promoted in India rather than in the Peninsular War. To explain this, he re-wrote Sharpes Rifles, which now bears little resemblance to the original book, and is the book you now buy in the shops. He's also wrote three books which slot in chronologically between the others in the peninsular (Havoc, Escape and Fury).

Sharpes Devil is set years after Waterloo and is set in Chile. Here theres another problem. Sharpes Devil is set, time-wise, after Sharpes Challenge, yet in Sharpes Challenge Sharpes wife is dead, whereas in Sharpes Devil she's still alive!

WildeKarde · 01-10-2007, 6:56 PM

I suppose all I can base my knowledge on would be the book I got in '98 - but that makes little sense as I thought the scene at the start of Rifle TV show was pretty weak.

Also some of the other books also make some references to prior to the Rifles book - and he didn't write the books in India till after he wrote Sharpe's Devil did he?

**Garrett** · 01-10-2007, 7:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garrett

I read the vast majority before they ever were made into TV films. There was one where he met up with a true life navel hero I think second only to Nelson in his achievements but he was never shown in the TV series.

Quote:

Originally Posted by john key

It was Nelson, in Sharpes Trafalgar. I think this one might be a bit difficult and very expensive to make into a film.

I think the person I was on about is Cuthbert Collingwood and could have been in Sharpe’s Siege.

And the one in Denmark was Prey.

john key · 02-10-2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildeKarde

IAlso some of the other books also make some references to prior to the Rifles book - and he didn't write the books in India till after he wrote Sharpe's Devil did he?

Thats right, he originally wrote Sharpes Rifles in 1987, but then re-wrote it after he wrote the prequel books, the first of which was written, I think, in 1997.

There were quite a few references to his earlier career in the original books, especially when Sergeant Hakeswell got into the story. This is why I think he decided to write the prequels, as after Sharpes Devil he was left with little to write about. The next significant "altercation" was the Crimea, and Sharpe would have been in his 70's by then!

Cornwell also wrote a series of books about the American Civil war, and Sharpes son/grandson (can't remember which) makes an appearance there.