Sharpe's Company (TV programme)

Sharpe's Company is a British television drama, the third of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. This episode is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell.

It is 1812. General Wellesley is ready to invade Spain from Portugal but two formidable fortresses stand in the way. Ciudad Rodrigo is taken, but Colonel Lawford is severely wounded and forced to relinquish command of the South Essex Regiment, depriving Captain Sharpe of an influential friend.

Colonel Windham, the new commander, brings his own officers, so Sharpe is demoted to lieutenant and is humiliated by being put in charge of the baggage and losing command of his "chosen men" to an aristocratic officer who purchased the commission of the South Essex's Light Company. Worse, one of the reinforcements is Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, an old enemy from Sharpe's days in India.

Meanwhile, Sharpe's lover, Teresa, tells him that he has a baby daughter living with her family in Badajoz, the second fortress town. Not knowing who she is, Hakeswill tries to rape her, but proves no match for her. Teresa then slips into Badajoz to spy on the French and to see her baby.

To cause trouble for Sharpe, Hakeswill steals from the officers and plants a picture frame belonging to Windham in the kit of Sharpe's right-hand man, Sergeant Harper. When it is found, the colonel has Harper flogged. Later, during a night skirmish, a turncoat French soldier escapes the besieged town, bearing a dispatch and a letter from Teresa, but he is shot and killed. Sharpe recovers the letter, which contains a map showing where she is staying, but on his way back Hakeswill tries to shoot Sharpe in the confusion, but kills a young ensign.

Eventually the walls of Badajoz are breached, but the first assault falters. Sharpe rallies the men and leads them into the town. Hakeswill gets to Teresa first due to the letter he stole from Sharpe. Harry Price, one of Sharpe's officers, intervenes and is shot and apparently killed by Hakeswill while trying to protect Teresa. (Price reappears, in Sharpe's Waterloo, this time played by Nicholas Irons.) Sharpe is not far behind and stops Hakeswill, who is wounded in the process, but Hakeswill still manages to get away. Hakeswill then rapes and murders the widow of one of the company's soldiers, before retrieving his cache of stolen goods and deserting.

For his bravery and because many of the other officers have been killed, Sharpe gets back command of his Light Company. Harper is exonerated when he finds the missing portrait of Windham's wife hidden in Hakeswill's shako and returns it to the colonel.

• Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe
• Daragh O'Malley as Sergeant Patrick Harper
• Assumpta Serna as Comandante Teresa Moreno
• Clive Francis as Colonel Windham
• Nicholas Jones as Colonel Fletcher
• Michael Byrne as Major Nairn
• Hugh Fraser as Lord Wellington
• Pete Postlethwaite as Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill
• Michael Mears as Rifleman Francis Cooper
• John Tams as Rifleman Daniel Hagman
• Jason Salkey as Rifleman Harris
• Lyndon Davies as Rifleman Ben Perkins
• William Mannering as Ensign Matthews (Viscount)
• Scott Cleverdon as Lieutenant Harry Price
• Robert Morgan as Major Collett
• Peter Gunn as Private Clayton
• Louise Germaine as Sally Clayton
• Soo Drouet as Mrs. Grimes
• Marc Warren as Captain Rymer
• Peter Birrel as Don Moreno
• Tat Whalley as Hope
• Jérôme Pradon as Reynier

• Sharpe's Company at IMDb
• Sharpe's Company at SharpeFilm.com