Dick Turpin

Dick Turpin

ITV1 Ended Drama • Action

4 Seasons · 31 Episodes · Premiered January 6, 1979 · Ended March 6, 1982

Dick Turpin is a British television drama series starring Richard O'Sullivan and Michael Deeks. It was created by Richard Carpenter, Paul Knight and Sydney Cole and written by Richard Carpenter, John Kane, Charles Crichton and Paul Wheeler, it was made by Gatetarn, Seacastle productions in-association with London Weekend Television between 1979 and 1982. 26 half hour episodes and one feature-length episode were filmed on location at Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.The series is loosely based on the adventures of the real 18th century highwayman Dick Turpin.

Where to Watch: ITV1

Official Site

Next Air Time: No upcoming air date

Seasons & Episodes

Season 1

13 episodes
E01
Swiftnick
Sat, Jan 6 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Mary Smith, owner of the Black Swann inn is in debt to Sir John Glutton. Her son Nicholas tries to gather together the money by taking up the guise of the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin. Unfortunately for him, his first victim turns out to be the actual Turpin. When Nicholas is captured by Captain Spiker his mother, an old acquaintance of Dick, asks Turpin to take her son under his wing. The highwayman rescues the lad and gives him the nickname Swiftnick, after another rogue.
E02
The Capture
Sat, Jan 13 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Dick thinks Swiftnick isn't cutting it as a highwayman and bribes Tanner the gunsmith into taking the boy in as an apprentice. Glutton and Spiker have come up with a plan to use an actress called Jane Kelsey, who main claim to fame is a performance as Cleopatra, to lure Turpin into a trap.
E03
The Champion
Sat, Jan 20 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Turpin intends to find some rest in the little village of Mudbury, but Swiftnick starts bragging about Dick's skills as a prizefighter. An unsuspecting Dick soon finds himself facing the bully Hogg, the accomplice of bible thumping tax collector Father Nightingale. Dick decides to call a favor from an old friend, Tom "The Bristol Butcher" Bracewell, but he disappears shortly before the fight.
E04
The Poacher
Sat, Jan 27 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
A poacher has cut in on Dick Turpins territory. Dick and Swiftnick decide to bait the most obvious suspect, a stranger named Joshua Vizard. Meanwhile Captain Spiker is thoroughly annoyed by the Sir John Glutton's visiting nephew, the extremely foppish Willougby.
E05
The Pursuit
Sat, Feb 3 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
When Dick and Swiftnick find themselves robbed, they pursue this masked highwayman, only to find the trail leading to a country house belonging to Mrs Bedingfield and her two daughters Belinda and Abigail.
E06
The Blacksmith
Sat, Feb 10 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Dick decides to fetch some of the loot his friend Sam Morgan the blacksmith has been keeping safe for him. Unfortunately, Morgan has just been captured by Spiker. Their first attempt at rescuing the blacksmith only results in freeing an old scoundrel called Isaac Rag. Therefor, Dick decides to take a hostage of his own, Sir John Glutton.
E07
The Impostor
Sat, Feb 17 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Glutton hires a man called Miller to pose as Turpin and discredit his name. Soon, even Swiftnick has fallen for the scam, as it appears that Dick Turpin has shot Nick's uncle Amos and stolen a pair of pistols.
E08
The Upright Man
Sat, Feb 24 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Several members of 'The Brotherhood' have fallen into the hands of the law and been hanged. Suspecting betrayal by one of their own, Dick decides to visit the Brotherhood's leader, Tyson Sarney, aka the Upright Man.
E09
The Whipping Boy
Sat, Mar 3 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
The Duke of Hertford sends Colonel Moat to take care of Turpin after being robbed by him. Both Dick and Captain Spiker used to serve under Moat at Gibraltar. The old rivalry between the Captain and the Colonel soon rears up again, leaving Spiker demoted and Moat imposing a reign of terror.
E10
The Hero
Sat, Mar 10 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Glutton has arranged a marriage between Spiker and the wealthy Phyllida Tranter. However, her less than impressive suitor Nigel Ffoulkes-Withers has followed her in a fit of desperation. Dick takes pity on the man and develops a plan to unite the young lovers.
E11
The Turncoat
Sat, Mar 17 1979 12:00 PM GMT+0000 30 min
Sir John Glutton sends Spiker on an errand carrying a letter pledging his allegiance to Prince Charles, pretender to the throne, in the seams of his coat. Spiker is ambushed by Foxy and Nabber, who steal the coat. Glutton forces Dick Turpin to recover the letter by holding Big Nell of the Cock and Bull hostage.
E12
The Hostages
Sat, Mar 24 1979 11:00 AM GMT+0000 30 min
Swiftnick wants to get his name into songs as well and goes off on his own. He soon learns Glutton is terrorizing two children, Jem and Nan, at Rookham Hall. Meanwhile their mother, Glutton's niece, is being attacked by Foxy and Nabber, but Dick Turpin comes to the rescue.
E13
The Jail-Birds
Sat, Mar 31 1979 11:00 AM GMT+0000 30 min
By a strange order of events, Dick and Swiftnick find themselves thrown into jail at Slough together with Glutton and Spiker. Despite numerous attempts, the four of them seem to be done for, until by chance poor old Isaac Rag joins them in their cell.

Season 2

7 episodes

Season 3

5 episodes

Season 4

6 episodes
Richard O'Sullivan
Richard O'Sullivan as Dick Turpin
Michael Deeks
Michael Deeks as Swiftnick
Christopher Benjamin
Christopher Benjamin as Sir John Glutton
David Daker
David Daker as Captain Nathan Spiker

Similar Shows

User Reviews

Rate this show

Your star rating (required)