''Hornblower'' is a series of British

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

s based on three of C. S. Forester's ten novels about the fictional character Horatio Hornblower, a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer during the

French Revolutionary The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...

and

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. The series ran from 7 October 1998 until 6 January 2003, with

Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd (; (born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' (1997), and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the '' Hornblower'' series of television films ...

in the title role. It was produced by the British broadcaster

ITV Meridian ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned ...

, and was shown on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

in the UK and A&E in the US. It is often repeated on

ITV4 ITV4 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The channel h ...

Main cast

as Midshipman (and later Lieutenant and Commander) Horatio Hornblower * Robert Lindsay as Captain (and later Commodore and Admiral) Sir

Edward Pellew Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother ...

Jamie Bamber Jamie Saint John Bamber Griffith (born 3 April 1973), known professionally as Jamie Bamber, is a British actor, known for his roles as Lee Adama in ''Battlestar Galactica'' and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin in the ITV series '' Law & Order: ...

as Midshipman (and later Lieutenant) Archie Kennedy (Films 1, 3-6) *

Paul McGann Paul John McGann (; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...

as Lieutenant William Bush (Films 5-8) *

Paul Copley Paul Mackriell Copley (born 25 November 1944) is an English actor and voiceover artist. From 2011 to 2015 he appeared as Mr. Mason, father of William Mason, in 16 episodes of ''Downton Abbey'', and from 2020 to 2021, he appeared in the ITV soa ...

as Matthews,

Boatswain A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...

Sean Gilder Sean Brian Gilder (born 1 March 1964) is an English stage, film and screen actor, he is also a playwright Gilder was born in Brampton, Cumberland, England. He is best known for his portrayal of Paddy Maguire on '' Shameless'' from 2005 to 2010 ...

as Styles, Boatswain's Mate *

Jonathan Coy Jonathan Coy (born 24 April 1953, in Hammersmith, London) is a British actor. He has worked since 1975 largely in television, notably as Henry in the long-running legal series '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' and as Bracegirdle in the television ser ...

as Lieutenant (later Commander) Bracegirdle (Films 1-4, 8) *

Dorian Healy Dorian Healy (born 11 February 1962) is a British actor, best known for his role as Capt/Maj Kieran Voce in the award-winning drama series ''Soldier Soldier'' (1993–1994). He conceived and co-wrote the TV series ''Masculine Mescaline'' with ...

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

Jack Simpson (Film 1) * Simon Sherlock as Oldroyd (Films 1-4) * Chris Barnes as Finch (Films 1-2) *

Ian McElhinney Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include ''Taggart'', '' Hornblower'', ''Cold Feet'', and ''T ...

as Captain Hammond (Films 2, 5-7) * Colin MacLachlan as Ship's Master Bowles (Films 1-4) *

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

as Captain James Sawyer (Films 5-6) *

David Rintoul David Rintoul (born David Wilson; 29 November 1948) is a Scottish stage and television actor. Rintoul was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, and won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ...

as Dr. Clive, Ship's Surgeon (Films 5-6) * Nicholas Jones as Lieutenant Buckland (Films 5-6) *

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William ...

as Hobbs (Films 5-6) *

Lorcan Cranitch Lorcan Cranitch (born 28 August 1959) is an Irish actor. Born in Dublin, Lorcan Cranitch became involved in drama while a student. In 1980 he moved to London, where he trained at RADA. Career His first major role on British television was as ...

as Wolfe (Films 7-8) *

Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress who played Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous''. She is also known for her portrayal of Lynda Day, editor of the ''Junior Gazette'', in ''Press Gang'', as ...

as Maria Mason (Films 7-8) *

Barbara Flynn Barbara Flynn (born Barbara Joy McMurray, 5 August 1948) is an English actress. She first came to prominence playing Freda Ashton in the ITV drama series '' A Family at War'' (1970–1972). She went on to play the milk woman in the BBC comedy ...

as Mrs. Mason (Films 7-8) * Jonathan Forbes as Midshipman Orrock (Films 7-8) Other well-known actors appeared in guest roles, including Michael Byrne, Denis Lawson,

Antony Sher Sir Antony Sher (14 June 1949 – 2 December 2021) was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a four-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 a ...

Ian McNeice Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. He found fame portraying government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series '' Edge of Darkness'', and went on to feature in popular films such as ''The Englishma ...

, Andrew Tiernan,

Samuel West Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, narrator and theatre director. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor across theatre, film, television and radio. He often appears as reciter with orche ...

Christian Coulson Christian Peter Coulson (born 3 October 1978) is an English actor known for playing young Tom Marvolo Riddle in the 2002 fantasy film ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''. Early life Coulson was born in Manchester. He attended Arnold Ho ...

Cherie Lunghi Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, and theatre actress, known for her roles in many British TV dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film ''Excalibur''. Her long list of ...

Greg Wise Matthew Gregory Wise, born 1966, is an English actor and producer. He has appeared in several British television programmes and feature films. He played the role of John Willoughby in ''Sense and Sensibility'', which also starred Emma Thompson, ...

and

Ronald Pickup Ronald Alfred Pickup (7 June 1940 – 24 February 2021) was an English actor. He was active in television, film, and theatre, beginning with a 1964 appearance in ''Doctor Who''. Theatre critic Michael Billington described him as "a terrific sta ...

The film series

The series consists of eight

s, which are notable for their high production values. All were later released on DVD (with the original aspect ratio of 16:9 widescreen in Europe and 4:3 in the US). In the US, the series was retitled ''Horatio Hornblower'', and some of the films were known by different titles. The eight films cover the events of just three of the ten novels (''

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower ''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' is a 1950 Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. Although it may be considered as the first episode in the Hornblower saga, it was written as a prequel; the first Hornblower novel, ''The Happy Retur ...

'', ''

Lieutenant Hornblower ''Lieutenant Hornblower'' (published 1952) is a Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. It is the second book in the series chronologically, but the seventh by order of publication. The book is unique in the series in being told no ...

'', and ''

Hornblower and the Hotspur ''Hornblower and the Hotspur'' (published 1962) is a Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. It is the third book in the series chronologically, but the tenth by order of publication, and serves as the basis for one of the episodes ...

''), and various alterations and additions are made to the source material (e.g., the recurring characters of Lt. Archie Kennedy, Matthews and Styles). * ''

The Even Chance ''The Even Chance'' is the first of eight Hornblower television adaptations relating the exploits of Horatio Hornblower, the protagonist in a series of novels and short stories by C.S. Forester. ''The Even Chance'' is the name given to this fi ...

'' (U.S. title: ''The Duel'') (7 October 1998) * ''

The Examination for Lieutenant ''The Examination for Lieutenant'' is an episode of the British television series '' Hornblower''. It is loosely based on part of the 1950 novel ''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' by C. S. Forester. It was released on DVD in the United States under ...

'' (U.S. title: ''The Fire Ships'') (18 November 1998) * ''

The Duchess and the Devil ''The Duchess and the Devil'' is the third episode of the British television series '' Hornblower''. The episode first aired on 24 February 1999 on ITV. The television story is loosely based on C. S. Forester's 1950 novel ''Mr. Midshipman Horn ...

'' (24 February 1999) * '' The Frogs and the Lobsters'' (U.S. title: ''The Wrong War'') (2 April 1999) * ''

Mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

'' (8 April 2001) * '' Retribution'' (15 April 2001) * '' Loyalty'' (5 January 2003) * ''

Duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...

'' (6 January 2003)

Production

Captain Pellew's ship, , is represented by the '' Grand Turk'', a modern copy of the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

built in 1741. To represent Hornblower's ship, HMS ''Hotspur'', the ''Earl of Pembroke'', a civilian ship, underwent some conversion. The Baltic trading schooner ''Julia'' and the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

''Phoenix of Dell Quay'' were used to represent the smaller vessels. No real 74-gun ship existed any longer at the time of production (the last one, HMS ''Implacable'', was scuttled in 1949), so HMS ''Justinian'' and HMS ''Renown'' had to be recreated as models. For the first series a quarter of a 74-gun ship (one exterior side and three open sides to shoot live action on several decks) called the ''pontoon'' was built. Later live action on the quarterdeck or the gundeck below was shot on the actual HMS ''Victory''. Eleven scale models, ranging from 4.5 to 7 m in length, were used for the battle scenes, the largest weighing 1400 kg, and made with working rigging and cannons that were fired by remote control. Shooting locations included the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

, the

Livadia Palace Livadia Palace (russian: Ливадийский дворец, uk, Лівадійський палац) is a former summer retreat of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family in Livadiya, Crimea. The Yalta Conference was held there i ...

, Portugal, and the former administration (Melville) building of the Royal William Yard and the

Barbican, Plymouth The Barbican is the name given to the western and northern sides of Sutton Harbour, the original harbour of Plymouth in Devon, England. It was one of the few parts of the city to escape most of the destruction of The Blitz during the Second ...

in England.

Awards

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series represents excellence in the category of limited series that are two or more episodes, with a total running time of at least 150 minutes. Criteria The program must tell a comp ...

(1999) * Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie (1999)

Future

had shown interest in participating in more ''Hornblower'' films. In 2007, he reportedly discussed the possibility of a big-screen version of ''Hornblower'', and had been attempting to gain the rights to the books by C. S. Forester.""Wenn"
Gruffudd Plans Hornblower Movie
at contactmusic.com, 20 July 2007

References

External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hornblower (TV Series) 1990s British drama television series 2000s British drama television series 1998 British television series debuts 2003 British television series endings 1998 television films 1998 films 1999 television films 1999 films 2002 television films 2002 films 2003 television films 2003 films English-language television shows Films based on British novels Films based on historical novels Films based on military novels Films set in France Films set in the 1790s Films set in the 1800s French Revolutionary Wars films British historical television series British military television series Nautical television series Napoleonic Wars films Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries winners Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series ITV television dramas Television shows based on British novels Television shows produced by Meridian Broadcasting Television series by ITV Studios Television series produced at Pinewood Studios Napoleonic Wars in fiction War television series 2000s English-language films 1990s English-language films