In the mid-1970s, Mortimer approached BBC producer Irene Shubik, who had overseen "Infidelity Took Place" and who was now one of the two producers overseeing Play For Today – the successor series to The Wednesday Play as the BBC's strand for contemporary drama. Mortimer presented an idea for a new play, titled "My Darling Prince Peter Kropotkin", that centred on a barrister called Horace Rumbold. [19] Rumbold would have a particular interest in nineteenth-century anarchists, especially the Russian Peter Kropotkin from whom the title of the play was drawn. The character's name was later changed to Horace Rumpole when it was discovered that there was a real barrister called Horace Rumbold. [20] The title of the play was briefly changed to "Jolly Old Jean Jacques Rousseau" before settling on the less esoteric "Rumpole of the Bailey". [20] He has sometimes been cited wrongly as one of the Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial defence team. [15] He did, however, successfully defend publishers John Calder and Marion Boyars in a 1968 appeal against a conviction for publishing Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn. [7] He assumed a similar role three years later, this time unsuccessfully, for Richard Handyside, the English publisher of The Little Red Schoolbook. [7] Mortimer's 2009 obituary in The Daily Telegraph confirmed that Rumpole was, in part, based on a chance meeting in court with James Burge QC:

Contains all six short stories in the 1978 collection "Rumpole of the Bailey"; all six short stories in the 1979 collection "The Trials of Rumpole" and the 1980 single-story novel "Rumpole's Return"Rumpole's Last Case (1987) (adaptations of the scripts of all six stories in TV Season Four – 1987 – plus one additional story not used in the TV series) When Rumpole of the Bailey returned for its fourth series in 1987, Marion Mathie took over as Hilda when Peggy Thorpe-Bates retired because of poor health. [30] Locations [ edit ] Albert is called "Mr. Tree" by Henry in both his appearances in Series 1, but his last name is thereafter Handyside. Dot Clapton ( Camille Coduri) (Series 7): The new Chambers secretary after Diane leaves. A friendly chatterbox, especially in contrast to the quiet Diane. Tony Lacey. "John Mortimer and Penguin". Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009 . Retrieved 10 November 2010.

Hilarious brain candy guaranteed to take you away from the worries of the workaday world for a blissful all-too-short few hours. Highly recommended. Sir John Clifford Mortimer CBE QC FRSL (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) [1] was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named Horace Rumpole.F. I. G. "Fig" Newton (Full name: Ferdinand Isaac Gerald Newton) ( Jim Norton) (Series 3); ( Frank Mills) (Series 5–6): Rumpole's favourite private investigator, who is usually battling a cold as he's often called on to tail suspects through the pouring rain. In his first appearance, when played by Norton, he introduces himself as Ferdinand Ian Gilmour Newton. All later appearances were by Mills, and in these appearances Rumpole refers to him as Ferdinand Isaac Gerald Newton. Mortimer was called to the Bar ( Inner Temple) in 1948, at the age of 25. His early career covered testamentary and divorce work, but on taking silk in 1966, he began to undertake criminal law. [7] His highest profile came from cases relating to claims of obscenity, which, according to Mortimer, were "alleged to be testing the frontiers of tolerance." [6] Fans of the novel find the shift in time to be an interesting change to the series. They liked the way that terrorism is the subject that is being talked about. It helps to make the novel even more entertaining, and it makes some of the other characters feel tension and stress as a talking point that he can work into his story. There is a twisting and turning plot that keeps the story moving and the readers guessing what will happen next. Some found that the way that Mortimer talks of the legal system was interesting, and was not bogged down in details. Fiona Allways ( Rosalyn Landor) (Series 3 only): Originally Phyllida Erskine-Brown's pupil, Rumpole took a liking to her, mentored her, and got her admitted to Chambers. A daughter of the landed gentry, the character left Chambers to get married and was replaced by Liz Probert.

Rumpole and the Age of Miracles (1988) (adaptations of the scripts of all six stories in TV Season Five – 1988 – plus one additional story not used in the TV series) Angelini, Sergio. "Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–83, 87–92)". Screenonline . Retrieved 16 April 2007. Robert McCrum, Mortimer Tribute, The Observer, p. 29, 18 January 2009 McCrum, Robert (18 January 2009). "Accidental barrister who wielded his wit to share life's big joke". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009 . Retrieved 9 April 2013.John Mortimer was a member of English PEN. He was patron of the Burma Campaign UK, the London-based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma and president of the Royal Court Theatre, having been the chairman of its board in 1990–2000. Fred Timson ( Peter Childs) (Series 1–2); ( John Bardon) (Series 4–7): Head of the Timson clan, a family of "minor South London villains". The Timsons, who specialise in non-violent petty theft, often turn to Rumpole to defend them against charges arising from their latest brush with the law. Although many Timsons are seen through the course of the series, only Fred and Dennis (below) are series regulars. Murderers and Other Friends: Another Part of Life (autobiography), Viking, London (1994); Viking, NY (1995); ISBN 0-670-84902-2