The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin takes a quirky look at the life of the legendary 18th-century highwayman.
In the six-part Apple TV Plus comedy, airing from Friday, March 1, comedian and The Great British Bake Off co-host Noel Fielding takes center stage as Dick who, rather than a ruthless villain, is a violence-hating vegan with flair for fashion.
As the show begins, Dick quits his job as an apprentice butcher to pursue creative endeavors. But he gets caught up in a life of crime when he accidentally kills feared highwayman Tom King (David Threlfall), before becoming the new leader of King’s motley band of outlaws, known as the Essex Gang.
He soon clashes with corrupt Thief Taker General Jonathan Wilde (The Gold's Hugh Bonneville), however, who is determined to bring him to the gallows, while chilling crime boss Lady Helen Gwinear (Friday Night Dinner's Tamsin Greig) also has Dick in her sights.
Here, Noel Fielding and Hugh Bonneville tell What To Watch about The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin…
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin looks like a lot of fun. What drew you to the show?
Noel Fielding: “I got to wear amazing outfits, so I was happy! And it was so much fun. I have an absurd, surreal sense of humour and I want to preserve that in my writing. I’m always trying to emulate Monty Python, I love them, they’re like the Beatles for comedians, so Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a big reference point and Blackadder and The Princess Bride.”
Hugh Bonneville: “And for me, the draw was the opportunity to work with the great Noel Fielding, and to go down the rabbit hole of his whimsy. It was all about the fun of the writing. I think we all need a bit of daftness!”
Noel, tell us about your take on Dick Turpin…
Noel Fielding: “We have reimagined him, because the real Dick Turpin was probably a nasty character killing people, robbing stagecoaches and getting hanged. But his dad was a butcher, so we thought it would be great if Dick was a vegan! That evolved into the character being a kind, inclusive, laidback, pacifist dreamer who is ahead of his time. He is a dandy and more like the Adam Ant version of Dick Turpin.
“But he doesn't have any skills, he's not good at shooting or sword-fighting and he can't ride a horse. He's only got charm and creative ideas to get the gang out of trouble. But somehow, they keep following him.”
And Hugh, how do you see Jonathan Wilde?
Hugh Bonneville: “Jonathan Wilde did exist, he was a thief taker. In this, his ambition is to be like a Bond villain. But he has pomposity pricked at every turn and he is constantly being tripped up. He also has childcare issues, so his son Christopher [Samuel Leakey] has to come with him to most of his midnight assignations, which is a bit of a drag!"
What does he make of Dick Turpin?
Hugh Bonneville: “The fun is in seeing this skulduggerous character coming across a highwayman like Dick, who doesn't conform to type. Wilde is put off his stride by this floppy-haired bloke in a silk shirt. It’s frustrating for him and a wonderful cocktail for adventure!”
You have an amazing cast including Tamsin Greig, Mark Heap, Greg Davies, Jessica Hynes and Diane Morgan. What have they been like to share scenes with?
Noel Fielding: “All of the people in it I wanted to work with – [Friday Night Dinner's] Mark Heap [who plays Dick’s butcher dad John] is a real comedy genius and [The Cleaner's] Greg Davies [who plays rival highwayman Leslie Duval] was hilarious, he laughs a lot, which is very infectious, he made the whole crew giggle.”
And how did you find the action scenes?
Hugh Bonneville: “Whenever you see more than two stunt men gathered together, you start to worry. And for a scene when Noel and I jumped off a bridge, there were probably about 12 stunt people! I thought I had conquered my fear of heights, but I realised as we got to the top of this ladder to do this jump that I was wrong.”
Noel Fielding: “My knees were knocking too! It was scary. It is a literal leap of faith jumping off a bridge, you don't know if the wires are going to stop you from hitting the floor. And by take seven it didn’t get any easier!”
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin airs on Apple TV Plus from Friday March 1. The first two episodes will be available at launch and the rest of the season will air weekly.
