Portugal, 1809. After saving the life of Sir Arthur Wellesley, Sgt Richard Sharpe is rewarded with the field commission of lieutenant. His first mission is to go behind enemy lines to Casa Antiga to locate a missing agent, James Rothschild, who carries a banker's draft for badly needed funds for the British army. Sharpe is given command of the 95th Rifles under Capt Murray, but soon finds that they are an undisciplined bunch of louts. Neither Murray nor the men of the Rifles are prepared to accept Sharpe's command as 'proper' officers are not raised from the ranks.
Spain 1809 - Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson arrives with his new regiment, the South Essex, and Wellesley decides to keep in Simmerson's good graces by arranging for the South Essex to blow up the bridge at Valdelacasa. Aware that Simmerson is incompetent, Wellesley orders Sharpe to see that the mission is a success in exchange for a promotion to captain.
Spain 1812 - After victory at Ciudad Rodrigo, Wellesley (now Duke of Wellington) sets his sights on Badajoz. Sharpe is reunited with Teresa and learns that he is the father of a baby girl, but is alarmed to learn that the baby is in Badajoz. As new men arrive from England, Sharpe discovers that his old nemesis, Obadiah Hakeswill is among them. Adding insult to injury, Sharpe learns that he is to be demoted from captain as the regiment now has a full complement of captains. Sharpe volunteers to lead the attack on Badajoz in an attempt to secure his captaincy, but he is refused.
Portugal 1812 - The Spanish village of Adrados has been overtaken by a horde of French, Spanish and British deserters and they have taken two English women hostage, Sarah Dubreton and Lady Isabella Farthingdale. Captain Sharpe is assigned the task of delivering the ransom, much to the disgust of Sir Augustus Farthingdale.
1813 - A grieving Sharpe is challenged to a duel by a Spanish Marques who demands an apology for having forced his attentions on his wife. Dumbfounded, Sharpe protests that he has never met La Marquesa and is innocent of any wrongdoing. Sharpe refuses to apologize and the duel goes ahead.
Summer 1813 - An angry Sharpe goes in search of the British infantry who failed to prevent the French retreat from a recent battle. Sharpe discovers that the infantry men are deserting and is unable to prevent it. Meanwhile, Ellie Nugent, a relative of Wellington, rides into camp accompanied by her mother. They are searching for Ellie's father who has gone missing while looking for Aztec gold in hills nearby.
Sept 1813 - While in the Spanish hills, Sharpe and his men come across a scene of devastation in the town of Casa Antiga. The town has been sacked by the fearsome French commander, Brigadier General Guy Loup and his Wolf brigade. Perkins rescues a young woman from two of Loup's soldiers and they are arrested. When Loup rides into town demanding they be released, Sharpe refuses and has them executed in front of him. Loup vows revenge. Back at camp, Wellington gives Sharpe command of the Royal Irish Company and orders him to knock them into shape.
The Franco-Spanish Frontier 1813 - Napolean has sent a French colonel to capture a British agent called El Mirador. Sharpe is ordered to go to Villafranca to kill the colonel. At Villafranca, Sharpe is dismayed to discover that an old enemy, Sir Henry Simmerson, is in charge of the town.
June, 1813 - The South Essex is seriously short of men and when Wellingtion is informed that there are no recruits available, he orders Sharpe to go to England to investigate.
Winter 1813 - Wellington is informed by the debonair Comte de Maquerre that Bordeaux is ready to rise in rebellion against Napolean. Wellington's spy master, Ross, is suspicious and tests Maquerre by suggesting that they use Maquerre's own castle as a base. Maquerre reluctantly agrees, but informs them the castle is in Napolean's hands. Wellington appoints Col Bampfylde to lead the attack on the castle with Sharpe in support.
France 1813 - The war is entering its final stages and the French formulate a desperate plan to capture Wellington's spy master, Major General Ross. Sharpe is ordered by Wellington to accompany Colonel Brand, who is intent on destroying the French's main powder supply in the caves of Rocha. Wellington and Ross are both suspicious of Brand's loyalty, but they do not reveal this to Sharpe.
A 25 minute documentary which gives us a behind the scenes look at the making of 'Sharpe's Mission'.
After the last battle has been fought, the Peninsula war is finally over for Britain and her allies, but the action does not end here for Sharpe. He is set up by his long-time enemy, Ducos, and is accused of stealing Napoleon's priceless treasures.Sharpe is also abandoned by his wife, Jane, who returns to England, where she meets the handsome Lord Rossendale. On the run from both the English and the French, Sharpe must find a way to prove his innocence.
The war over, Sharpe returns to England with his reputation restored. He is ordered to the North of England to command a local militia force in his home town which is troubled with unrest.Sharpe soon finds himself torn between the gentry, Lord Willoughby Parfit, the yeomanry captain Wickham and the locals, while discovering secrets from his own past.Sharpe also has the chance to confront Jane, when Lord Rossendale inherits a mansion near where Sharpe is stationed.
Sharpe has settled down to an idyllic lifestyle with Lucille on her French farm, when the news of Napolean's escape from Elba compels him to return to the army to fight at Waterloo. There, he joins the staff of the Prince of Orange. Reunited with his Chosen Men, Sharpe abandons the inept prince and organises the defence of key British positions on the farm of La Haie Sainte.
Sharpe The Legend, a reminisce which brings back the mysteriously departed Rifleman Cooper (Michael Mears) as he sits in a pub telling a friend (the viewer) about the stellar escapades of one Richard Sharpe, chronicling the original episodes from Rifles to Waterloo. It’s the typical tongue and cheek of this series and fans will delight in the actions, duels, loves, and losses from almost 25 hours of Sharpe television.
In 1817 -- two years after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo -- the Duke of Wellington sends Sharpe to India to check out an Indian prince who appears to threaten British interests. The mission becomes dangerous when a general's daughter is kidnapped and Sharpe must find her.
The adventures of Sharpe and Harper in India, 1817, continue with the rescue of Miss Celia Burroughs from a dangerous Indian prince. Meanwhile, Sharpe has old scores to be settled with the bully Simmerson.
It's India, 1818, and Lt Col Richard Sharpe and Sergeant Major Patrick Harper are travelling across India, escorting the beautiful Marie-Angelique Bonnet to meet her fiancée. While in bandit-plagued badlands, they come across the very dregs of the Crown's troops; an ill disciplined, rag-tag unit led by boy soldier Beauclare. As Sharpe and company sit down to have dinner with their hosts, the camp comes under attack by the notorious bandit Chitu. As the dust settles, it becomes apparent there have been many casualties and Sharpe realises that he is the only person now capable of getting this wagon train to the safety of the next army garrison. Little does Sharpe know that the adventure has only just begun and that he has inadvertently stumbled across a massive opium trafficking ring...
ITV3’s exclusive 60-minute documentary is a fascinating look behind the scenes of ITV’s latest big budget drama. Sharpe’s Challenge …Behind The Scenes features in-depth interviews and stunning location footage. During ITV’s exclusive programme, Sean Bean talks viewers through the history of the series, and reveals why he thinks audiences respond so favourably to the character of Sharpe. Only a handful of the cast and crew have been involved in all of the 15 Sharpe films. ITV3’s fascinating documentary illustrates the strong bond which has developed amongst them as they once more take on the roles which are part of ITV1’s successful drama.
