Rumpole of the Bailey

Welcome to the world of Horace Rumpole (the late Leo McKern), a bemused and curmudgeonly barrister (essentially a trial lawyer) in London's "Old Bailey" court, who is fond of quoting Wordsworth, enjoys his cheap wine and cigars, and can be as perspicaciously dogged in meting out justice as he is amusingly creative in thwarting the wishes of "she who must be obeyed" (his wife, Hilda, played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates for the first three seasons). Based on the popular novels by John Mortimer, Rumpole of the Bailey was--if I can mix my public television programming metaphors--the jewel in the crown of PBS's early Mystery series during the late '70s (it would run for a total of seven seasons spread across the years 1978-1992). Like any good ensemble TV series, the show had its share of memorable regulars besides the rascally McKern in "chambers" (i.e., the barristers' office), including Peter Bowles as Justice Sir Guthrie Featherstone, Julian Curry as the priggish Claude Erskine-Brown, and Patricia Hodge as his wife, Phyllida Trant Erskine-Brown. Offering a solid mix of high and low society cases for the half-detective, half-courtroom strategist Rumpole to argue before the bench, this initial compilation of 12 hour-long episodes from the first and second seasons (1978, 1979), along with the 1980 special "Rumpole's Return," will be manna to fans. Unfortunately, however, the video and audio qualities of this handsomely packaged four-disc set leave something to be desired (although, to be fair, BBC television circa the 1970s was never a thing of beauty). The production values improved considerably during the '80s and '90s, and it is best, perhaps, to pick up this first collection on faith, in anticipation of better things to come (technically speaking). Recommended. (R. Pitman)