How Long Did The Rumpole Series Run?
“Rumpole of the Bailey,” by barrister and author John Mortimer, started life in a 1975 BBC Play for Today. However, the BBC did not offer to make the character into a series despite his immediate popularity, so in the same year Mortimer was employed by rival ITV to write a “Rumpole” series. The popularity of the heavy-drinking, learned barrister remained very high, and in fact the series ran (with interruptions) until 1992 and was the first British TV drama to attract sponsorship. The interruptions occurred when Mortimer, who was quite sick of his fictional creation, attempted to retire him, but popular demand always brought him back. Rumpole was beloved for his sardonic wit and underlying integrity, both portrayed with complete conviction by Leo McKern; audiences also enjoyed the revelations of his private life, bullied by his terrifying wife She Who Must Be Obeyed, and bewildered by the antics of the younger generation.
