Sharpe's Gold (TV programme)

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Sharpe's Gold is a 1995 British television drama, part of a series screened on the ITV network that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The drama has almost nothing in common with the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell. Scriptwriter Nigel Kneale explained, "I didn't use much of [the book]. I used the first ten pages, I think. Then I had an idea which would be more fun to do. It was all about magic by the time I was through with it."[1]

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[edit] Plot summary

Bess Nugent (Rosaleen Linehan) and her daughter Ellie (Jayne Ashbourne), visit their close relative Lord Wellington (Hugh Fraser) in Spain during the Peninsular War. They are there to search for Bess's husband, Richard (Peter Eyre). Wellington however refuses to assist their foolhardy mission, demanding they go home to Ireland.

Meanwhile, Major Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is assigned the task of handing over 50 rifles for some British deserters caught by a Spanish guerrilla leader named El Casco (Abel Folk). While on the way to the exchange, the two ladies catch up to Sharpe's party. With no other choice, he takes them along in order to protect them. The trade goes as planned. However, when he starts back without helping the Nugents, they ride off, forcing Sharpe to go after them.

The ladies encounter El Casco's men; Bess is killed and Ellie taken captive. When she is taken to El Casco's cave lair, she finds her father, though he has become deranged, presumably after witnessing atrocities committed by the Spaniards (they believe they are descendants of the Aztecs and cut out the hearts of French prisoners). Sharpe tracks them down, fights the Spaniards and rescues Ellie and her father. El Casco wounds Sharpe, but is killed by Sargeant Harper (Daragh O'Malley).

[edit] Cast

Actor Character
Sean Bean Richard Sharpe
Daragh O'Malley Sergeant Patrick Harper
Hugh Fraser Sir Arthur Wellesley
Hugh Ross Major Mungo Munro
Michael Mears Rifleman Francis Cooper
John Tams Rifleman Daniel Hagman
Jason Salkey Rifleman Harris
Lyndon Davies Rifleman Perkins
Rosaleen Linehan Bess Nugent
Jayne Ashbourne Ellie Nugent
Peter Eyre Will Nugent
Abel Folk El Casco
Philip McGough Provost Marshal
Ian Shaw Lieutenant Ayres
Julian Sims Lieutenant Barbier
Diana Perez Ramona
Philip Dowd Rifleman Skillicorn
Peter-Hugo Daly Sergeant Rodd
Nicholas McGaughey Tripper
Jake Abraham Donkin
Jonathan McGuinness Bewley

[edit] References

  1. ^ Murray, Andy (2006). Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale (paperback), London: Headpress, p. 175. ISBN 1-900486-50-4. 

[edit] External links