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Rumpole of the Bailey

  • TV-PG
  • 1975–1992
  • 7 seasons
  • Drama, Comedy
  • 7.1

TV's Best Loved Barrister

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It stars Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients, and has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.

Episodes

6 episodes
  1. 1Rumpole and the Old, Old Story

    60 minJan 19, 1987

    Rumpole defends a business man who is accused of trying to murder his partner. After a squabble with 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', Rumpole finally leaves home - but Hilda doesn't seem to miss him very much...

  2. 2Rumpole and the Blind Tasting

    60 minJan 26, 1987

    Yet another of the Timsons needs Rumpole's services as an advocate, this time to answer charges of fencing stolen liquor. Rumpole accepts Ms Liz Probert - a radical left-wing activist - as a pupil, though not without certain misgivings.

  3. 3Rumpole and the Official Secret

    60 minFeb 2, 1987

    Rumpole defends an elderly woman charged under the Official Secrets Act - she is claimed to have have leaked (so to speak) information revealing excessive British government expenditure on tea.

  4. 4Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow

    60 minFeb 9, 1987

    Rumpole defends a man charged with running massage parlours as brothels, and his former colleague in chambers Mr Justice Featherstone finds himself in an embarrassing position. The prospect of appointment as a Judge is dangled in front of Rumpole - and it is suggested that he might wish to handle the defense of his present case with suitable discretion, so to speak... The troublesome Heathstoke is working to move number 3 Equity Court into the twentieth century and tries to oust both Rumpole and Henry, the chambers clerk.

  5. 5Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim

    60 minFeb 16, 1987

    Rumpole travels to West Germany to defend a British soldier facing a court-martial charged with the murder of his sergeant.

  6. 6Rumpole's Last Case

    60 minFeb 23, 1987

    The Timsons are in trouble again, and in need of the services of their favourite 'brief'. The old firm is back in business, but as he unravels the mystery of who carried the gun in a bungled robbery Rumpole is unaccountably wearying of it all. After investing with his turf accountant on a valuable four-horse accumulator, Rumpole makes up his mind that it's time to hang up his wig for the last time - but not before telling a few home truths to his old adversary, Mr Justice 'Mad Bull' Bullingham. Meanwhile, the gods have ideas of their own. Hearthstoke is still giving Henry and Dianne a rough time and he even contrives to infuriate Phyllida.

Where to watch Rumpole of the Bailey

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Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB. Full listing for United States

Series cast

Leo McKernHorace Rumpole42 episodes
Jonathan CoyHenry36 episodes
Julian CurryClaude Erskine Brown35 episodes
Marion MathieHilda Rumpole24 episodes
Richard MurdochUncle Tom23 episodes
Maureen DarbyshireDianne23 episodes
Peter BlytheSamuel Ballard22 episodes
Patricia HodgePhyllida Trant20 episodes
Peggy Thorpe-BatesHilda Rumpole16 episodes
Peter BowlesGuthrie Featherstone16 episodes
Joanna Van GyseghemMarigold Featherstone14 episodes
Denis LillMr. Bernard14 episodes
Abigail McKernLiz Probert12 episodes
Denys GrahamHoskins10 episodes
Moray WatsonGeorge Frobisher9 episodes
Robin BaileyMr. Justice Gerald Graves7 episodes
Peter CartwrightKeith7 episodes
Christopher MilburnDave Inchcape7 episodes

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