More Sharpe Tales from History Hack - Yes, Even Paul McGann

Paul McGann as Richard Sharpe

If you are a fan of the Sharpe TV series and haven't been listening to the History Hack Podcasts featuring the cast,crew, and producers of the series, what are you waiting for?

In the latest podcast the unimaginable happens. Paul McGann talks about what really happened on the Sharpe set, and about his injury that led Sean Bean to replace him as Richard Sharpe. Did any Sharpe fan ever expect to hear directly from Paul McGann!!!!

I listened last night and at the end I was even missing this:

Now all Sharpe fans know some of the story of how Sean Bean ended up as Sharpe, but there was a lot that I didn't know. It was a pleasure to listen to Paul McGann.  

(I confess I have a soft spot for his brother, Stephen McGann)

In addition in this podcast we get Brian Cox unplugged, telling it like it is, or was. 

I may have to sign up for HBO again to watch Succession. 

I wish we had more from the Wellingtons, Hugh Fraser and David Troughton.  Maybe they'll come back in the next podcast to share more.  And I felt we needed more about the real Wellington from the historians on the podcast, but there just wasn't time.

It was also interesting to hear Assumpta Serna's stories about the
women in the cast of the very male-centric set of Sharpe. Why do women always have to struggle to be heard! And also representing Spain's side of the Peninsular War/Spanish War of Independence.  

(I know the feeling of being sidelined in history, the Spanish American War is part of the Cuban War of Independence.)

History Hack and Jason Salkey have promised more Sharpe cast and crew podcasts in our future. 

Oh yes, of course, I can't end this post without a reminder that Jason Salkey's book, From Crimea with Love, is getting closer to publication. 

https://unbound.com/books/from-crimea-with-love/

To find the other great History Hack Sharpe Podcasts click HERE

Happy Birthday Sean Bean! And Sharpe Reunion Podcast

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN BEAN

To celebrate Sean Bean's birthday today, April 17, 2020, I encourage all Bean fans to listen to the wonderful recent Sharpe reunion podcast interview (4/12/2020)with Sean and Jason Salkey. See below:

Sharpe love from Beano.

Sharpe the TV Series Starring Sean Bean Starts Today on WETA UK

The TV series that made Sean Bean a legend comes to Public Television starting tonight, February 15 at 10:00pm thanks to WETA UK.   

Based on the book series by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe   follows the life of British soldier Richard Sharpe and the 95th Rifles during the Peninsular War (1807-1814). 

If you are in the Washington DC Metro Area and don't know WETA UK go to the link below on how to watch this fantastic PBS channel we have the good fortune to have access to in our viewing area:

https://weta.org/tv/uk/faq

If you are new to the Sharpe TV series and want to know a little more about it, I wrote a series of posts about the series episodes back in 2012.  But beware of spoilers and follow the posts in chronological order:

http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/search?q=Sharpe+Sundays&max-results=20&by-date=true

There was a time when I was very involved in the Sharpe fandom, and even with some of the people that worked on the Sharpe series.  Alas, those days are long gone, but I have good memories of those times.  (For the most part 😊).  For the memories:

http://www.reenactor.net/index.php?topic=1251.0

For Sean Bean fans in the DC area who know him from The Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones, or his wonderful series last year, Broken, but are not aware of the Sharpe series, this is a great opportunity to catch up.  

Sean Bean is Richard Sharpe, and always will be. 

Graham McTavish Mentions Sean Bean at Hobbitcon

If you listen to Graham McTavish and his first audio clip at link below, audio from Hobbitcon, about halfway he mentions working with Sean Bean and filming in India (Sharpe's Challenge).

http://thorinoakenshield.net/hobbitcon-actor-panels-audio/#comment-5086

Link and audio from Heirs of Durin

Sharpe's Peril On Sharpe Sundays: The Long and Winding Road Home

Sharpe’s Peril

Having finished their mission in India Sharpe and Harper are on their way home to England.  On a stop along the way Sharpe is talked into taking a detour and escorting precious cargo to the fort of Kalimgong. The cargo turns out to be high maintenance bride-to-be  Mademoiselle Bonnet on her way to meet her fiancé, Major Joubert.

On the road they run into a group of traveler’s including members of the East India Company army, the King’s army, and an Indian princess and her group, who are also on the way to the fort.  While Sharpe and Harper are there the group is attacked by followers of the bandit Chitu.  The traveling group commander is seriously wounded and Sharpe is asked to help them by taking command. Despite Harper’s misgivings, Sharpe agrees.

The East India company troops are commanded by the very young Ensign Beauclere who worships his deceased soldier father. He has to deal with the very shady character of Colour-Sergeant Wormwood who has his own personal agenda. Sharpe is protective of the young Ensign, but he knows he has to keep an eye on Wormwood.  Sharpe’s biggest ally seems to be the company engineer Major Tredinnick. 

 

There’s also a prisoner among the group, a soldier named Barabbas with a family connection Sharpe knows way too well.  Who is he and why is he there?

Let’s not forget Dragomirov and his men! Back at the attack from Chitu it was Dragomirov and his fellow cavalry soldiers that save the day.  But is Dragomirov to be trusted?

What big surprise will Sharpe find at Fort Kalimgong? What is Wormwood up to? Will it be a boy or a girl for Major Tredinnick’s younger wife? Will Barabbas live up to his name? Will Sharpe deliver Miss Bonnet to her fiancé?

Please join new and longtime Sharpe fans for the Global Sharpe Watch this Sunday, October 14, 3:00pm EST/US, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent on Tweet Chat.  For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

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

Peril is the last episode in the Sharpe series and so we bid farewell this Sunday to Sharpe Sundays. It has been a wonderful experience to watch this legendary series together with an interesting, knowledgeable and fun group of new and veteran fans. 

Thank you to all who shared their knowledge of the Sharpe books and the Sharpe series with us.

We even had Paul Trussell, Rifleman Tongue, drop by on one Sharpe Sundays watch. Thank you sir.  

Thank you to my Sharpe Sundays partner Sin/iz4blue/Fanny or Sharpe Lives for coming up with the original idea and for organizing us all so well. 

A special Thank You to our steadfast group of Sharpe Sundays regulars.  A pleasure to share this journey with you every Sunday.

Will there be another Sharpe episode to give closure to the series? There have been rumors since Peril aired in 2008 that there is one in the works. Some have speculated that it will be somewhat based on Sharpe's Devil.  (Devil is the last (chronological) novel of Cornwell's Sharpe series.)  Some have speculated that Sharpe will go on an adventure to find his daughter Antonia who he hasn't seen since she was a baby.  All fans hope there will be one more episode and that Sharpe and Harper will march again. 

Thank you all who dropped by and read the Sharpe Sundays posts. Hope it will encourage all to watch the Sharpe series and read the novels by Bernard Cornwell. 



Thank you to Sean Bean Online and The Mighty Bean and many others for all the screencaps and pics used for the Sharpe Sundays posts. 

Sharpe's Justice: Sharpe Goes Home Next Sharpe Sundays

Sharpe's Justice

It's 1814 and Richard Sharpe is posted to the last place on earth he wants to be: Yorkshire.  "Bloody Yorkshire to find some Bloody Yeoman." Sharpe is going back to the home he left as a different person 20 years before.

Europe is temporarily at peace and Napoleon is in exile at Elba. Sharpe is posted to his native Yorkshire to head the Scarsdale Yeomanry. There he encounters the overdressed and overconfident George Wickham who has been in command of the Yeomanry before Sharpe’s arrival.  

Wickham seems to be allied with two prominent cotton mill owners in town. (They need better looking cotton mill owners in this town.) One of them, Parfitt, has come up from the business ranks to become a wealthy man. He and Sharpe seem to have much in common, though appearances can be deceiving.  

Sharpe  finds out he’s expected to put down post-war unrest.  Now that the war is over England is flooded with unemployed men, including Dan Hagman.  This flood of unemployed has given the mill owners an excuse to lower wages. This is opposed by a rebel in town, Truman, who incites the unemployed to protest and demand better wages.

Sharpe has already encountered Truman on the way into town when he and the Yeomanry are ambushed on the road. But Sharpe and Truman discover they have a very close connection.

Sharpe is also trying to get his money back from his adulterous wife Jane and her new lover Rossendale. He doesn’t know that Rossendale has gambled away all his money.  He’s surprised to find that Jane is now at Rossendale’s ancestral estate near Sharpe in Yorkshire and goes seeking her there. 

To Sharpe’s rescue both in London and in Yorkshire comes his familiar “guardian angel” Lady Anne. She warns Sharpe about Wickham and Parfitt and also about Jane and Rossendale. She’s there to help Sharpe, but in exchange she hopes for more. But Sharpe is still yearning for Lucille who he left back in France.

Will Sharpe reconcile with his childhood in Yorkshire? Will he get his money back from Jane? Will he stay with Lady Anne or go back to Lucille in France?

A little history today. This episode was inspired by the Peterloo Massacre of 1819:

"On the 16th of August 1819 the huge open area around what's now St Peters Square, Manchester, played host to an outrage against over 60,000 peaceful pro-democracy and anti-poverty protesters; an event which became known as The Peterloo Massacre."
From www.peterloomassacre.org read more about it HERE.

For those in the UK or those around the world that watch British Television we have two very familiar faces in this episode:

Philip Glenister who plays Truman and many know from the hit show "Life on Mars" and many, many, other programs.

Wickham is played by Douglas Henshall known to many as Nick Cutter from the hit show "Primeval" and many other programs as well.

Please join new and longtime Sharpe fans for the Global Sharpe Watch this Sunday, September 23, 3:00pm EST/US, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent on Tweet Chat.  For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

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

Sharpe's Revenge this Sunday on Sharpe Sundays: The Peninsular War Comes to a Close

Sharpe's Revenge 

Wellington is winning and we’re coming to the end of the Peninsular War.   Sharpe is in a battle with the French forces led by General Calvet.  Who is that man with Calvet?  Sharpe’s enemy Ducos is back guarding Napoleon’s treasure.  What will happen when Sharpe meets Ducos? Who gets Napoleon’s treasure?

In the home front Jane convinces Sharpe to sign off his money to her in case he dies in battle. Sharpe is so in love he goes for it, and even promises Jane this next battle will be his last one. 

Can a man in the midst of war, a lifetime soldier, make such a promise? Jane has also become great friends with the conniving Lady Molly who covets some of Sharpe’s money.  

Poor Sharpe, Jane is still having dreams of being a grand lady back in England after the war.  Can Sharpe fulfill those dreams?

What does Sharpe dream about doing in peacetime?  He dreams about farming. 

Will Sharpe finally defeat Ducos? Why do we love Frederickson? 

What happens to Napoleon?

For the answer to all these questions join Sharpe Sundays this Sunday, September 16, to watch Sharpe's Revenge with fellow fans. We have a lot of fun and would love to have you join us. 

British Army Recruitment Poster

Please join new and longtime Sharpe fans for the Global Sharpe Watch this Sunday, September 16, 3:00pm EST/US, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent on Tweet Chat.  For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

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

Sharpe's Mission Next on Sharpe Sundays: Conflicts Abroad and at Home

Sharpe's Mission 

Wellington continues his advance into France in 1813.  Sharpe has been assigned by Wellington to work behind enemy lines with famous and glamorous officer Colonel Brand.  Exploring Officer Ross knows they need to find and enlist the services of explosives expert Major Pyecroft if they are to fulfill their latest mission to blow up a store of French gunpowder to thwart Calvet. 

Major Pyecroft has been disfigured by an accident and has his own personal issues to deal with.  He’s taken a young Gypsy woman under his protection.  Seems the young woman and her family observed a secret meeting between a double agent and some mystery men and now her life is in danger.

Meanwhile Sharpe has problems of his own at home. Seems Jane has a taste for the glamorous life and she’s becoming bored with life as a soldier’s wife.  

Can Sharpe learn the difference between a poet and a philosopher before he goes on his mission?  Sharpe enlists the special talents of Rifleman Harris to keep an eye on the home front while he’s away.

Is Colonel Brand really a hero? Will poor Pyecroft find happiness? Can Sharpe make Jane happy? Will Sharpe and the Chosen Men save the day once again?

I'm sure many of you recognize Colonel Brand. He is played by then up-and-coming star and now Hollywood villain extraordinaire Mark Strong.

To find out what happens please join us as we watch Sharpe's Mission together for Sharpe Sundays on Tweet Chat this Sunday and future Sundays at 3:00pm US/EST, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent and other time zones. 

If you have a Twitter account, or you can create one for the watch, go to Tweet Chat http://tweetchat.com/  and type in SharpeSundays at the appointed time to join the group. 


For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

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

On a Sharpe Theme - Link to New Interview with Series Director

Sean Bean and Tom Clegg

Continuing the Sharpe theme today, Sharpe Pointe has a brand new interview with series director Tom Clegg.

To read interview click on link below:

http://www.sharpepointe.com/Tom_Clegg_page_1.html

Sharpe's Sword: My Favorite Episode on Sharpe Sundays August 19

Sharpe's Sword 

Sharpe and the Chosen Men come upon a French patrol and take their captain prisoner. It seems the patrol was led by a colonel in the Imperial Guard that was killed in the fight.  Sharpe finds suspicious papers on the French captain, and suspects he may really be the colonel. He gives the papers to “resident scholar" Rifleman Harris to decipher.  

As they are ready to go back to camp a frightened young woman comes out from the trees and throws herself on Sharpe.  Seems she’s a novice that escaped when the French patrol attacked a carriage with a priest and several nuns. The priest and nuns were killed. The French wanted information from the priest because he knew the identity of El Mirador, Wellington’s top spy.  

Back in camp Sharpe meets a charming new friend, Captain Jack Spears, and an old enemy, Henry Simmerson.  This is an episode about trust, friendship, and love.  Who is the French captain really?  Who is El Mirador? Who is Candide? Who can Sharpe trust?

James Purefoy as Jack Spears

Jason Salkey, Sean Bean, Richard Rutherford Moore John Tams

Sharpe's Sword is my favorite episode and also my favorite book of Cornwell's Sharpe series. They are substantially different, the book and the series episode, but they have the same underlying theme: 

The meaning and the power of friendship 

The series episode also has Sean Bean saying "Lass" all the time. Makes me swoon every time.

Emily Mortimer and Sean Bean

Please join new and longtime Sharpe fans for the Global Sharpe Watch this Sunday, August 19, 3:00pm EST/US, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent on Tweet Chat.  For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

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