Rumpole, struggling grifter at law

[lyssie]

The weird thing (or maybe not so weird) thing about listening to Rumpole of the Bailey episodes (and by that, I mean the mp3 rips I've done off the BBC tv series that was done 80-90s with the amazing Leo McKern and the two Liz Proberts who are both still somewhat hot, though Samantha Bond has aged better, but then Abigail McKern was more the girl next door than the glam-Bond-girl)--but I'm digressing.

Anyway.

The thing about listening is realizing what a damned con artist and mastermind Rumpole is. He is like the male Sophie Deveraux without the lust for cash and sex appeal (I like Leo, but Rumpole is rather sexless in his way). He manipulates the fuck out of everyone around him (and Hilda, his wife, is a bit grifter, herself--but she'd have to be to survive him).

And he usually does it in similar ways to how Sophie and the Leverage team played on peoples' prejudices and perceptions (racism, sexism, ableism, etc). Usually, he mostly plays on the sexism to get people to do his bidding.

Which I suppose shouldn't surprise me, given my love of Justice and Revenge (Dark Justice wasn't watched for its plot, ok. And Leverage fills the same revenge-kink-niche that The Pretender).

But it does make me wonder what his reaction to the Leverage crew would be.

The above all said, I have also discovered that there have been recent radio plays about a younger Rumpole which have included both Benedict Cumberbatch and Julian Rhind-Tutt (and LET ME TELL YOU, listening to the opening of the one on youtube after having recently re-listened to some Green Wing and McKern-Rumpole was a bit jarring). Somehow, I must find more of these. sigh.

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

But it does make me wonder what his reaction to the Leverage crew would be.

A crossover that you need to write?? ;-)

(I don't know Rumpole of the Bailey in any format, though. Or Leverage, or Hustle, because I can't cope with people breaking the law on a weekly basis.)

[lyssie]

I have considered it, but I think I would end up unable to, because of the time differences (Rumpole is 80s-90s, unless you make him immortal, and Leverage is 2010+).

Sophie and Nate are old enough to have possibly run into him.

(I can understand that. I think.)

[thisbluespirit]

I feel that immortality is a legit option. At least with some characters!

[meganbmoore]

His being 100% grifter was a large part of why I liked the series.

I'll never forget the episode where he fake retired and his bosses were trying to figure out if they could get the retirement watch back.

ETA: Samantha Bond as the inevitable next Miss Marple 5-10 years from now, yes or no? (I want "yes" but as much as I love her, it's hard to imagine her playing a character who blends into the background. Patricia Hodge would also be great, on the subject of Rumpole actresses, but she would probably be old enough to not want to take on the lead role in a series by the time they do Marple again.)

[lyssie]

Ahhh, that episode. + all the times he retired but then got bored and came back (which, to be fair, happens a lot more in the books if memory serves).

I hadn't thought of that. o.O

But she would be the right age bracket for that, wouldn't she?

I'm torn (aside from thinking she'd be great at it), as she would either end up Hickson or McEwan - though I lean towards Hickson as Bond can't always pull off cute and sprightly, but she can pull off cold-blooded observer well.

(Abigail McKern would be the Julia McKenzie, I think, of the two Lizes).

[meganbmoore]

McKenzie is the Marple most like the book, though that's also part of why she isn't as popular. Marple is supposed to be someone who can blend into the background and is frequently not noticed, and Hickson and McEwan, while both excellent, were VERY noticable, if in different ways.

And yeah, Bond would be on the terrifying end as Marple, though she's also always on the witty and dashing side, no matter what the role is. She's just too good at the dry quips for the writers to pass on it.