Hornblower (TV series)
| Hornblower | |
|---|---|
 DVD Cover | |
| Created by | C. S. Forester (stories and characters) |
| Directed by | Andrew Grieve |
| Starring | Ioan Gruffudd Robert Lindsay Paul McGann Paul Copley Sean Gilder Jamie Bamber |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 8 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Meridian Broadcasting |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 1998 – 2003 |
Hornblower is the umbrella title of a series of television drama programmes based on C. S. Forester's novels about the fictional character Horatio Hornblower, a Royal Naval officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
The series stars Ioan Gruffudd in the title role and is produced by the British broadcaster Meridian Television, and shown on ITV (and as of March 2008 is being shown on ITV3) in the UK and A&E Network in the U.S. In September 2009, ABC2 started broadcasting a rerun of the series in Australia.
Cast
- Ioan Gruffudd as Horatio Hornblower
- Robert Lindsay as Captain (and later Commodore and Admiral) Sir Edward Pellew
- Jamie Bamber as Lieutenant Archie Kennedy (5 episodes)
- Paul Copley as Matthews, Bosun
- Sean Gilder as Styles, Bosun's Mate
- Jonathan Coy as Lieutenant (and later Captain) Bracegirdle (5 episodes)
- Simon Sherlock as Oldroyd (4 episodes)
- Chris Barnes as Finch (2 episodes)
- Colin MacLaclan as Ship's Master Bowles (4 episodes)
- Paul McGann as Lieutenant William Bush (4 episodes)
- Lorcan Cranitch as Wolfe (2 episodes)
- Philip Glenister as Hobbs (2 episodes)
- Julia Sawalha as Maria Mason (2 episodes)
- David Warner as Captain James Sawyer (2 episodes)
Other well-known actors have appeared in guest roles, including Anthony Sher, Ian McNeice, Andrew Tiernan, Samuel West, Christian Coulson, Cherie Lunghi, Greg Wise, Ian McElhinney and Ronald Pickup.
Episodes
The series consists of eight made-for-television movies, which are notable for their high production values. All were later released on DVD. In the US, the series was retitled Horatio Hornblower, and some of the episodes were known by different titles. The eight movies cover the events of just three novels (Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, and Hornblower and the Hotspur), and various alterations and additions are made to the source material. Hornblower's ship, the Indefatigable, is represented by the Grand Turk, a modern replica of the sixth-rate frigate HMS Blandford built in 1741. The Baltic trading schooner Julia was used to represent all the smaller vessels. Eleven scale models were used for the battle scenes, with the largest weighed 3,000 lbs, and made with working rigging and cannons that were fired by remote control.
- The Even Chance (AKA: The Duel) Released in 1998
- The Examination for Lieutenant (AKA: The Fire Ships) Released in 1998
- The Duchess and the Devil Released in 1999
- The Frogs and the Lobsters (AKA: The Wrong War) Released in 1999
- Mutiny Released in 2001
- Retribution Released in 2001
- Loyalty Released in 2003
- Duty Released in 2003
Episode Cast List
Hornblower - Episode 1 of 8 - The Even Chance (1998)
Ioan Gruffudd: Midshipman Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Captain Sir Edward Pellew
Dorian Healy: Midshipman Jack Simpson
Michael Byrne: Captain Keene
Robert Bathurst: Lieutenant Eccleston
Duncan Bell: Midshipman Clayton
Paul Copley: Matthews
Sean Gilder: Styles
Simon Sherlock: Oldroyd
Chris Barnes: Finch
Jamie Bamber: Midshipman Archie Kennedy
Colin MacLachlan: Master Bowles
Roger May: Lieutenant Chadd
Vincent Grass: Captain Forget
Richard Lumsden: Midshipman Hether
Hornblower - Episode 2 of 8 - The Examination for Lieutenant (1998)
Ioan Gruffudd: Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Captain Sir Edward Pellew
Denis Lawson: Captain 'Dreadnought' Foster
Ian McNeice: Tapling
Andrew Tiernan: Bunting
Jonathan Coy: Lieutenant Bracegirdle
Ian McElhinney: Captain Hammond
Paul Copley: Matthews
Chris Barnes: Finch
Sean Gilder: Styles
Simon Sherlock: Oldroyd
Colin MacLachlan: Master Bowles
Rupert Holliday-Evans: Steward
Frank Boyce: Midshipman Cleveland
Peter Corey: HM Consul Duras
Hornblower - Episode 3 of 8 - The Duchess and the Devil (1999)
Ioan Gruffudd: Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Captain Sir Edward Pellew
Cherie Lunghi: Duchess of Wharfedale
Christopher Fulford: Midshipman Hunter
Ronald Pickup: Don Massaredo
Jamie Bamber: Midshipman Kennedy
Jonathan Coy: Lieutenant Bracegirdle
John Woodvine: Sir Hew Dalrymple
Paul Copley: Matthews
Sean Gilder: Styles
Simon Sherlock: Oldroyd
Jean-Yves Berteloot: Etienne de Vergasse
Vincent S. Boluda: Spanish Lieutenant
Jolyon Baker: Captain Joubert
Colin MacLachlan: Master Bowles
Hornblower - Episode 4 of 8 - The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999)
Ioan Gruffudd: Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Captain Sir Edward Pellew
Antony Sher: Colonel Moncoutant
John Shrapnel: General Charette
Samuel West: Major Edrington, Earl of Edrington
Peter Vaughan: Admiral Lord Hood
Jean Badin: Fauré
Jamie Bamber: Acting Lieutenant. Archie Kennedy
Paul Copley: Matthews
Jonathan Coy: Lieutenant Bracegirdle
Sean Gilder: Styles
Ian Lindsay: Collins
Colin MacLachlan: Master Bowles
Simon Sherlock: Oldroyd
Estelle Skornik: Mariette
Hornblower - Episode 5 of 8 - Mutiny (2001)
Ioan Gruffudd: 3rd Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Commodore Sir Edward Pellew
David Warner: Captain James Sawyer (HMS Renown)
Nicholas Jones: 1st Lieutenant Buckland
Paul McGann: 2nd Lieutenant Bush
Jamie Bamber: 4th Lieutenant Archie Kennedy
Philip Glenister: Gunner Hobbs
Paul Copley: Boatswain Matthews
Sean Gilder: Boatswain's Mate Styles
David Rintoul: Dr. Clive, Ship's Surgeon
Terence Corrigan: Midshipman Wellard
Gilly Gilchrist: Seaman Randall
Paul Brightwell: Marine Sgt. Whiting
Hornblower - Episode 6 of 8 - Retribution (2001)
Ioan Gruffudd: 3rd Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower
David Warner: Captain James Sawyer (HMS Renown)
Robert Lindsay: Commodore Sir Edward Pellew
Nicholas Jones: 1st Lieutenant Buckland
Paul McGann: 2nd Lieutenant Bush
Jamie Bamber: 4th Lieutenant Archie Kennedy
Terence Corrigan: Midshipman Wellard
Philip Glenister: Gunner Hobbs
David Rintoul: Dr. Clive, Ship's Surgeon
Sean Gilder: Styles, Boatswain's Mate
Paul Copley: Matthews, Boatswain
Paul Brightwell: Marine Sergeant Whiting
Katia Caballero: Señora Ortega, Colonel Ortega's Wife
John Castle: Captain Collins, Member of Court
Antonio Gil: Colonel Francisco Manuel Ortega, Spanish Commander
Gilly Gilchrist: Seaman Randall
Ian McElhinney: Captain Hammond, Member of Court
Hugh Quarshie: François Le Fanu, Rebel Leader
Hornblower - Episode 7 of 8 - Loyalty (2003)
Ioan Gruffudd: Commander Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Paul McGann: Lieutenant Bush
Lorcan Cranitch: Wolfe
Tony Haygarth: Master Prowse
Julia Sawalha: Maria Mason
Barbara Flynn: Mrs. Mason
Paul Copley: Matthews
Sean Gilder: Styles
Greg Wise: Major Côtard
Ian McElhinney: Captain Hammond
Christian Coulson: Midshipman John 'Jack' Hammond
Ron Cook: Steward James Doughty
Jonathan Forbes: Midshipman Charles Orrock
Jim McManus: Pawnbroker
Hornblower - Episode 8 of 8 - Duty (2003)
Ioan Gruffudd: Commander Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay: Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Paul McGann: Lieutenant Bush
Lorcan Cranitch: Wolfe
Tony Haygarth: Master Prowse
Julia Sawalha: Maria Mason
Barbara Flynn: Mrs. Mason
Paul Copley: Matthews
Sean Gilder: Styles
Jim Carter: Etheridge
Ron Cook: Steward James Doughty
Jonathan Coy: Commander Bracegirdle (HMS Grasshopper)
Jonathan Forbes: Midshipman Charles Orrock
David Birkin: Jérôme Bonaparte
Camilla Power: Betsy
Awards
- Emmy Award (1999) for Outstanding Miniseries
- Emmy Award (1999) for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
Future episodes
Ioan Gruffudd has said that he would be glad to participate in more Hornblower films.[1] However, there are no plans for future episodes.
On 20 February 2007, Gruffudd also said he is planning to make a big-screen version of Hornblower, and is attempting to gain the rights to the books by C.S. Forester. He was quoted as saying "A&E decided that since it's such an expensive venture to make these movies for television, they're not going to make any more at this point. So it's down to me, I think, to try to bring it back to life."[2]
On the The Graham Norton Show on 22 March 2007, Gruffudd confirmed that the producers had decided to end the series due to its high production costs.
A New Direction
An effective way to tell stories about the War of 1812 is through a popular and established vehicle, like the fictional character Horatio Hornblower. However, crossing the Atlantic to fight in a war, in the America's, represents a significant departure from the C. S. Forester Horatio Hornblower novels.
SCREENPLAY CONCEPT: It is early-1813 and there is a lull in Napoleonic Wars in the European theatre. Horatio Hornblower is re-assigned to Upper Canada to fortify British Naval forces fighting in the War of 1812 against the Americans.
Horatio Hornblower arrives in Upper Canada in late-April, 1813 to witness the aftermath of the Burning of York (now Toronto) by American forces. Two months later, Horatio Hornblower is involved in rescuing survivors of the USS Hamilton and USS Scourge which were lost in a storm on Lake Ontario, some 20 miles south of York (Toronto).
In August 1814, in retaliation for the burning of York, Horatio Hornblower joins British Army General Robert Ross and the Royal Navy task force, composed of the HMS Royal Oak and a dozen vessels, in the orderly Burning of Washington, including the White House and most major US government buildings. It will be the only time, since the Revolutionary War, that a foreign power has captured and occupied the United States capital. -ph
--74.14.48.198 (talk) 16:37, 2 January 2012 (UTC)
