Rumpole of the Bailey
1975 · TV Series · TV-PG · 60 min · ★ 7.0
This British legal drama follows an aging defense barrister in London as he takes on criminal cases for all kinds of clients. Each episode blends courtroom problem-solving with dry humor, office clashes, and glimpses of home life, creating self-contained stories with wit and a strong sense of justice.
Where to watch
Streaming on PBS Masterpiece and BritBox.
~43 hours to watch · 43 episodes.
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Details
- Years
- 1975–1992
- Release date
- 1975-12-17
- Network
- ITV1
- Language
- English
- Rated
- TV-PG
- Runtime
- 60 min
- Max quality
- HD
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (23 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you like smart, character-driven British TV with dry humor, cozy mystery elements, and self-contained cases, somewhere between New Tricks and Jeeves and Wooster; Not for you if you want fast-paced action or heavy suspense.
Pros: witty courtroom stories; memorable lead character; strong standalone episodes | Cons: some uneven cases; office scenes can drag; later seasons repetitive
Themes
- lawyer
- criminal lawyer
Cast & crew
Leo McKern
as Horace Rumpole
Patricia Hodge
as Phyllida Trant
- FB
Faith Brook
- AS
Andrew Seear
as Basil Thorogood
- SS
Sebastian Shaw
as Mr. Justice Skelton
- BB
Brenda Blethyn
as Pauline
Julian Curry
as Claude Erskine-Brown
Robin Bailey
as Mr. Justice Gerald Graves
Peter Blythe
as Samuel Ballard, Q.C.
Richard Murdoch
as Uncle Tom
Directed by Jim Goddard, John Gorrie, Bill Hays +17 more
Created by John Mortimer
Episodes7 seasons · 43 episodes
Season 16 episodes
- S1E1Rumpole and the Younger Generation60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
- S1E2Rumpole and the Alternative Society60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
- S1E3Rumpole and the Honourable Member60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
- S1E4Rumpole and the Married Lady60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
- S1E5Rumpole and the Learned Friends60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
- S1E6Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBoxApple TV+
Season 27 episodes
- S2E1Rumpole and the Man of God60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S2E2Rumpole and the Case of Identity60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S2E3Rumpole and the Show Folk60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S2E4Rumpole and the Fascist Beast60m
- S2E5Rumpole and the Course of True Love60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S2E6Rumpole and the Age for Retirement60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S2E7Episode 7Amazon Prime VideoBritBox
Season 36 episodes
- S3E1Rumpole and the Genuine Article60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S3E2Rumpole and the Golden Thread60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S3E3Rumpole and the Old Boy Net60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S3E4Rumpole and the Female of the Species60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S3E5Rumpole and the Sporting Life60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S3E6Rumpole and the Last Resort60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
Season 46 episodes
- S4E1Rumpole and the Old, Old Story60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S4E2Rumpole and the Blind Tasting60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S4E3Rumpole and the Official Secret60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S4E4Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S4E5Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S4E6Rumpole's Last Case60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
Season 56 episodes
- S5E1Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S5E2Rumpole and the Barrow Boy60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S5E3Rumpole and the Age of Miracles60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S5E4Rumpole and the Tap End60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S5E5Rumpole and Portia60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S5E6Rumpole and the Quality of Life60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
Season 66 episodes
- S6E1Rumpole a la Carte60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S6E2Rumpole and the Summer of Discontent60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S6E3Rumpole and the Right to Silence60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S6E4Rumpole at Sea60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S6E5Rumpole and the Quacks60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S6E6Rumpole for the Prosecution60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
Season 76 episodes
- S7E1Rumpole and the Children of the Devil60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S7E2Rumpole and the Miscarriage of Justice60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S7E3Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S7E4Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S7E5Rumpole and the Family Pride60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox
- S7E6Rumpole on Trial60mAmazon Prime VideoBritBox