"The Making Of: Sharpe's Challenge" & "Sharpe's Challenge" (Heads Up)

Two years after the Duke of Wellington crushes Napoleon at Waterloo, dispatches from India tell of a local Maharaja, Khande Rao, who is threatening British interests there. Wellington sends Sharpe to investigate on what turns out to be his most dangerous mission to date.

When a beautiful general's daughter is kidnapped by the Indian warlord, the tension mounts, leaving Sharpe no option but to pursue the enemy right into its deadly lair. Deep in the heart of enemy territory he also has to keep at bay the beautiful but scheming Regent, Madhuvanthi, who is out to seduce him.

The fate of an Empire and the life of a General's daughter lie in one man's hands...

Sharpe's Challenge premieres on BBC America, Saturday, Sept. 2nd at 9PM Eastern, and concludes Sunday, Sept. 3rd at 9pm et.

Michael Cochrane as Sir Henry Simmerson (Sharpe's Eagle, Sharpe's Sword, Sharpe's Regiment)

I post this on the off chance that I'm not the only fan of the "Sharpe's" series here at Free Republic.

Previews of "Sharpe's Challenge" look pretty darn good.

Note: The image host (Tinypic.com) seems to be a bit slow today (at least for me). If you're unable to see all of the above pics, try holding down the "shift" key while hitting "refresh/reload" on your browser.

I've never seen the series but I've heard good things about it and I really enjoy Sean Bean.

I first saw some episodes 10+ years ago on PBS' "Masterpiece Theater".

I now own the first 14 episodes ("Challenge" is #15) on DVD.

You (and others not familiar with the series) may want to do a bit of Googling to familiarize yourself with the characters, etc.

Briefly:

In "Sharpe's Rifles" (the first episode), Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is a sargeant in General Arthur Wellesleys' (soon to be the Duke of Wellington) 95th Rifles. Sharpe saves the Generals life from French dragoons.

Out of gratitide, Wellesley makes Sharpe an officer, and gives him command of the "Chosen Men".

The "Chosen Men" are elite riflemen, selected for their exceptional skill and bravery. The "Chosen Men" wear a white arm band on their riflemans' green uniform, signifying courage.

The series, of course, follows the adventures of Richard Sharpe and his "Chosen Men".

Note: In previous episodes, Sir Henry Simmerson became an enemy of Sharpe. Simmerson detested Sharpe because of his low birth (being a commoner, raised from the ranks).

In a disastrous attack on French forces, Simmerson lost the Kings' colors. He attempted to blame the fiasco on Sharpe, but failed. This has added to the animosity between the two.

For those who haven't seen any of the "Sharpe's" series, I strongly suggest purchasing or renting the first four episodes (at least):

Sharpe's Rifles
Sharpe's Eagle
Sharpe's Comapny
Sharpe's Enemy

Note: Most of the Chosen Men died during the Napoleonic War, with the exception of Sgt. Patrick Harper (O'Mally).

I've read all the books and seen about half the films. As is often the case, I think the books are much better. Furthermore, you can tell they've skimped on production costs. We're talking about the clash of battalions, divisions and armies...and half the time you're lucky to see 50 people on the screen. The real advantage held by the books is that they really provide the history of the Peninsula War as well as explain the men, weapons, tactics and strategy involved. Plus, Sharpe and Harper are great characters.

That usually seems to be the case. To do the "Sharpe's" books justice would require the budget of a Hollywood big-screen release, rather than a made-for-TV movie.

Still, I've enjoyed the movies immensely. E.G. Pete Postlethwaite's performance as the evil "Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill" in "Sharpe's Company" and "Sharpe's Enemy" was unforgettable.

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