MovieChat Forums > Rumpole of the Bailey (1980) Discussion > Is the 1975 pilot available anywhere? DV...

Is the 1975 pilot available anywhere? DVD? VHS?

posted 16 years ago by VisualFiction
7 replies | jump to latest

Thanks for any info.

[–] churchr-1 16 years ago

I was shopping on eBay for the second set and noticed a copy of "Rumpole and the Confession of Guilt" there. It also goes by The Lost Episode. It's available at our local public library so I'd gotten it from there awhile back.

[–] VisualFiction 16 years ago

Thanks, churchr. So the Confession of Guilt is the 1975 pilot? I'll look for a copy.

[–] Harold_Robbins 16 years ago

I just watched it - quite different in tone from the eventual series, much darker.

"Somewhere along the line the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste."

[–] oldbadger 16 years ago

Yes I agree more sombre, I remember first watching it when it came out as 'Play for Today' and being hugely impressed!

[–] chicago85 16 years ago

I saw this after borrowing it from netflix. It ended very seriously. Rumpole's son was leaving for America upon graduation and down on what Rumpole did to put him through school as somehow tawdry. His son automatically assumed anyone his father defended was guilty which wasn't true.

[–] goflorida10 15 years ago

The "Lost Episode" was a disappointment to me. I discovered it long after I fell in love with the Rumpole series. It was cold and sad. The woman playing the role of Hilda Rumpole seemed like an alcoholic.

I am surprised that such an intelligent series came from such an unpromising beginning.

[–] tommary1962 15 years ago

I totally disagree. Joyce Heron was wonderful and I have always wished she had continued in the role. The whole story is indeed quite intelligent and has a depth of character which continued in the early episodes of the show but was later lacking.