Rumpole of the Bailey

London. A lawyer from a small but respectable chamber located next to the Old Bailey, middle-aged and unsportsmanlike, old-fashioned and disrespectful, very sharp-tongued and annoying to both judges and colleagues, the barrister stubbornly defends all his clients, even if his skill, perseverance and eloquence are not always enough to succeed.

This is the series of the main character. Outwardly unremarkable, bulky, in a battered hat, smoking cheap cigars and drinking simple claret, often quoting English poets at length, Horace Rumpole is an interesting personality and an outstanding lawyer with his firm beliefs and ethics. His credo is "Never plead guilty". Independent and clear-minded, he tries to do what he thinks is right in everything, without regard for the expectations of his surroundings. A principled supporter of civil rights, freedom of speech and the presumption of innocence, an ardent opponent of stupidity, pomposity and bias. His critical, sometimes openly mocking, barbs are ironic, accurate, and witty. Fortunately for Rumpole (and his clients), much of the sarcasm of his snide and imaginative remarks does not reach the judges.

It was staged and shot quite budget-friendly. The installation is not tight. Absolutely gorgeous texts. Good casting. The minor characters are noticeably exaggerated. Unfortunately, the performers of many roles from the inner circle have changed, including the family of the main character. I was pleased with the funny realities of the life of a law firm, an inflated head, and curious conflicts.

It turned out to be a funny, harmless satire, a cleverly funny, everyday-judicial comedy with elements of farce, with a well-conveyed atmosphere of the time and authentic everyday details. Despite the age of the series and the age-appropriate quality of the picture, I recommend it. The classic protagonist and his wonderful lines are worth it.

Language. They speak well, vividly, and sometimes quite difficult. It's not always legible, sometimes quite fast, but the main difficulty is vocabulary, and not so much specifically legal as advanced literary. I didn't notice any confusing slang or very heavy accents, but the main character's speech, even outside the courtroom, is replete with difficult turns, wordplay and rather verbose quotations, with far from perfect diction. The pilot episode was difficult to understand without subtitles and unaccustomed to it.