Coming to Apple TV+ on March 1

Apple TV+ has today unveiled the first images from Noel Fielding’s upcoming series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

The first two episodes of the comedy-adventure show will premiere globally on Friday, March 1, the streaming service has announced, followed by a new episode on each of the subsequent four Fridays, through to March 29. 

In the series, Fielding’s highwayman and his band of outlaws have to outwit corrupt lawman and self-appointed thief taker Jonathan Wilde, played by Hugh Bonneville, pictured above with Fielding. 

Apple says: ‘In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Dick is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Dick rides the highs and lows of his new endeavours, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying to escape the clutches of the Thief Taker.'

The ensemble cast features a raft of familiar comedy names, including Asim Chaudhry, Joe Wilkinson, Greg Davies, Tamsin Grieg, Mark Heap, Diane Morgan, Ellie White, Jessica Hynes, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan and Hollyoaks star Duayne Boachie,

Ellie White, Noel Fielding, Marc Wootton and Duayne Boachie

As Chortle previously reported, here are some of their character descriptions:

• Duayne Boachie as Honesty Courage, one of Dick’s Essex Gang. Honesty lives in the moment, it’s just not the same moment as everyone else. While admittedly sometimes slow on the uptake in high stress situations, he can be prone to moments of brilliant, blinding insight. 
• Hugh Bonneville  as Jonathan Wilde, who has spent years climbing the greasy pole to become Thief Taker General. An utterly corrupt lawman with a vacuum where his morals should live, Wilde has a ferocious appetite to expand his criminal enterprise.
• Asim Chaudhry  as Craig the Warlock, who is petrified of being caught performing magic without a licence. He’s attempted to pass his official warlock exams multiple times and racked up hundreds of major errors.
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• Tamsin Greig as Lady Helen Gwinear, is the elected leader of the Syndicate, a union of organised crime groups with fingers in every pie from illicit eel husbandry to diamond smuggling. A working mother who fought her way up the greasy pole of the crime underworld, Helen is an uncompromising and brutal boss.
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• Mark Heap as John Turpin, Hempstead’s irascible butcher. Lover of meat; hater of vegetables. He hides his affection for only son, Dick, under a layer of cynicism so deep not even a meat cleaver could penetrate it.
• Ellie White as Nell Brazier, one of Dick’s Essex Gang, has dreamed of being a highwayman since she was a little girl. Brought up in luxury, Nell threw away dresses for ditches and ran away at sixteen to make it on her own.
• Joe Wilkinson as Geoffrey the Gaoler, the ultimate nihilist, who will tout his mediocre services to anyone in need of a jailer, security guard or general dogsbody – no questions asked.
• Marc Wootton as Moose Pleck, one of Dick’s Essex Gang, is a terrifying looking man-mountain; but on the inside he's just a big old softie. After years of being terrorised by various brutal gang leaders, he’s convinced he’s found his soulmate in Dick.

Additional series regulars are Michael Fielding (Noel’s brother who played Naboo in the Mighty Boosh) as Benny Turpin, Kiri Flaherty as Little Karen, Samuel Leakey as Christopher Wilde, Geoff McGivern as Lord Rookwood, and Dolly Wells as Eliza Bean.

Guest stars include Laura Checkley as Sandra, Greg Davies as Leslie Duvall, Jessica Hynes as The Reddlehag, Paul Kaye as Ratclyff, Guz Khan as Gow, Diane Morgan as Maureen, Connor Swindells as Tommy Silversides, and David Threlfall as Tom King.

A posed picture of Fielding in costume, below, was previously released, but these are the first images from the actual show.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin has been  created by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane who previously wrote ITV’s The Job Lot starring Russell Tovey and Sarah Hadland; Carters Get Rich, starring Kerry Godliman and James Van Der Beek for Sky One; and In The Long Run, which they penned with the series’ star and creator Idris Elba.

They were joined in the writing room by  Jon Brittain, the playwright and director who has worked with the likes of  John Kearns, Tom Allen, Tom Rosenthal, Mat Ewins and Richard Gadd; Fielding himself and Richard Naylor, a former producer on Red Dwarf, the sci-fi comedy co-created by his father Doug.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is made by Big Talk and directed by Ben Palmer and George Kane.

Published: 17 Jan 2024