First look at ‘Bake Off’ star’s ‘Dick Turpin’ series as release date revealed
Apple TV+ has announced when Noel Fielding‘s new comedy begins!
In a perfect piece of casting, the English comedian will be starring in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin as the titular legendary British highwayman.
Fielding is best known for hosting The Great British Bake Off (or The Great British Baking Show as it’s called in the US), and he’s also appeared as an actor in iconic British comedy shows like The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd.
The Apple Original series was first announced back in 2022, so we’ve been intrigued by this project for a while.
Dick Turpin – born Richard Turpin in 1705 – was an English highwayman whose criminal adventures became the stuff of legend (and a significant amount of absolute fiction) after he was executed in York at the age of 33 for stealing a horse in 1739.
As the title of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin makes quite clear, it sounds like this “irreverent retelling” is probably not a show for anyone wanting an exact historical recreation of the Dick Turpin story or time period!
Instead, we’re told that the comedy-adventure series will bring us “wildly absurd escapades,” with about as much attention to accuracy as The Great (which is a lot of fun if you’ve not seen it.)
Noel Fielding will be joined in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin by Dolly Wells (The Outlaws), Ellie White (The Windsors), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie (Blue Story), Asim Chaudhry (The Sandman), Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education), Geoff McGivern (Free Rein), Michael Fielding (The Mighty Boosh), Samuel Leakey (Gretel & Hansel), and Kiri Flaherty.
There’s also a reunion for Friday Night Dinner fans, with Tamsin Greig (Episodes) and Mark Heap (Spaced) amongst the cast too.
And yes, that really is Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey in there as well!
The Paddington star is playing Jonathan Wilde, a corrupt lawman and “self-appointed Thief Taker.”
When’s the release date?
The first two episodes of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday 1 March 2024.
The remaining four episodes will then follow every Friday through until the end of March.
Set in the 18th century, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin will follow Dick Turpin (Fielding) as he sets out on a journey after being made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws, the official synopsis reveals.
“Dick is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair.” we’re told.
“Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Dick rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying to escape the clutches of the Thief Taker.”
A new Great British Baking Show: Kitchen Classics book is available on Amazon.