THE COMPLETELY MADE-UP ADVENTURES OF DICK TURPIN Review: Daft, Silly, Madcap Adventures

Oh, you silly little thing.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
The first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes will premiere every Friday. I've seen all six episodes of the limited series.

In an age of overblown, overproduced, overdone productions mounted for the small screen, it's quite refreshing to watch a silly little show about silly little people that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's like British TV of days gone by, in the days when shows like The Mighty Boosh brightened the nights during the 2000s, and then got off the stage before everyone tired of their exploits.

Running a trim six episodes, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin enters 18th century England in the days when highwaymen stalked carriages and robbed the rich, making travel perilous. Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding, The Mighty Boosh), son of a butcher, finds himself in need of a trade after his father gives him the boot.

He ends up the leader of a gang of bloodthirsty murderous not terribly competent yet entirely likable, somewhat goofy thieves, namely, Moose (Marc Wooten), Nell (Ellie White), and Honesty (Duayne Boachie). Dick is a terrible thief and in no way fit to lead the gang, but there you have it.

The gang finds support in a barkeeper Little Karen (Kiri Flaherty) and a (beginning) warlock named Craig (Asim Chaudhry) and opposition from corrupt lawman Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville) and his constantly distracting son Christopher (Samuel Leakey), who sniggers every time his father refers to "Dick," as in, imagine every possible childish joke any kid could made about "Dick," and there you have it.

And there you have the set-up, along with an enterprising reporter (Dolly Wells) and the leader of a corrupt lawless council (Tamsin Greig) and other characters from Merry Old England who are only too happy to join in the ridiculous exploits of Dick Turpin and his gang of thieves.

Created by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis, and Stuart Lane, who've teamed up for years (The Job Lot, We Can Be Heroes), the series takes full advantage of its brevity and the familiarity of the setting to thrown in a wild assortment of gags and witticisms and visual jokes and anachronisms, a madcap brew that doesn't always work yet it all goes down easy.

It's a fine formula for a half-hour comedy show and is highly recommended for certain people who like this kind of thing. You know who you are, Christopher.