I have to say that I have never been so beautifully and deliciously drawn into a tv series as I was with this gem from British broadcaster Meridian Television. It is based on the series of novels by C.S. Forester and majestically brought to life by the talents of Ioan Gruffudd as Horatio Hornblower, Robert Lindsay as Captain (and later Commodore and Admiral) Sir Edward Pellew, Paul Copley as Matthews the Bosun and Sean Gilder as Styles the Bosun's Mate. Ok there were others in there as well but these four really made this series for me.
The series consists of eight made-for-television movies though their high production values are obvious with beautiful scenery and the mouth watering galleons and frigates that grace the waters. My recommended episode would be The Frogs and the Lobsters in which Lt. Hornblower and his crew are sent to accompany a doomed royalist invasion of revolutionary France. The french royalists are played wonderfully by Antony Sher as Colonel Moncoutant (a tad bloodthirsty) and John Shrapnel as General Charette. Samuel West as the firstly pompous and ultimately likeable Major Edrington, commander of the British regiment sent to support the French. This episode overflows with espionage, intrigue, bloody murder, war and heroics, romance, prison breaks, you name it!
I highly recommend this series. Each episode is about an hour and a half long so you have 12 hours of fantastic period settings and did I mention the mouth watering galleons and frigates....
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