Can you imagine a world where a vegan, peace-loving wannabe highwayman with a passion for sewing and a weakness for purple footwear becomes the most talked-about outlaw in all of England? Well, brace yourselves, dear readers, for that’s precisely the delightfully absurd premise that “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” rolls out before our bewildered eyes.
This audacious Apple TV+ romp hurls us headlong into an 18th-century England that’s equal parts historical quirk and outrageous fantasy. Here, our unlikely antihero, Dick Turpin (played by the inimitably eccentric Noel Fielding), swaps butchering for bushwhacking, embracing a life of (mostly) harmless banditry with all the panache of a vaudevillian in silk stockings. Backed by a motley gang of lovable rogues, this sartorially splendid softie sets out to redefine highway robbery through the transformative power of needlework, becoming an overnight sensation in the process.
Brimming with anachronistic flair and a rascally disregard for facts, this series revels in its own madcap premise, daring viewers to suspend disbelief and steep themselves in unapologetic whimsy. Buckle up, folks – this wild, surreal ride through reimagined history promises laughs galore and a masterclass in embracing the utterly ridiculous.
A Riotous Romp Through Reimagined History
At the heart of “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” lies a deliciously absurd premise: What if one of England’s most notorious highwaymen was actually a vegan pacifist more enamored with knitting than knifing? This deliriously daft question propels our foppish hero, Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding, in a masterclass of effete eccentricity), to accidentally inherit leadership of the rough-and-tumble Essex Gang.
From this wildly improbable setup, a riotous succession of escapades unfolds, each episode unspooling like a rambling fireside tale – replete with cursed emeralds, haunted coaches, and more than a few run-ins with the dastardly “thief-taker general” Jonathan Wild (Hugh Bonneville, reveling in his role as the perpetually disgruntled authority figure). Turpin’s merry band, comprising the muscular yet sensitive Moose, the ebullient Honesty Courage, and the perpetually skeptical Nell, find themselves embroiled in increasingly madcap hijinks, their hapless leader’s hare-brained schemes forever threatening to derail their already shambolic criminal enterprise.
But lest you think this is mere narrative chaos, a sly through-line emerges in the form of Eliza Bean (Dolly Wells, dryly anchoring the insanity), an unscrupulous writer hell-bent on immortalizing Turpin’s (admittedly fabricated) exploits. Her sensationalized “true crime” pamphlets not only propel our heroes’ ill-gotten fame but serve as a cheeky commentary on society’s obsession with glamorizing roguish behavior.
With its anthology-esque structure and ever-escalating absurdity, “Dick Turpin” embraces a refreshingly episodic format, each installment a self-contained vignette of historical revisionism gone joyfully awry. Much like Turpin’s cravat, it’s a deliriously loose narrative – but that’s precisely where the madcap magic lies. Buckle up and prepare for a freewheeling odyssey through a past that never was but is an utter hoot nonetheless.
Cavalcade of Comic Geniuses, Led by an Eccentric Pied Piper
At the center of this whirlwind of whimsy stands Noel Fielding, the unmistakable pied piper orchestrating the madness with a sublime blend of wide-eyed innocence and deliciously subversive humor. As the foppish, vegan Dick Turpin, Fielding is an utterly magnetic presence, his rangy frame draped in an ever-changing cavalcade of eye-searing frocks and his cherubic features framed by raven tresses worthy of a Romantic poet. With a perpetual glint of mischief in his kohl-rimmed eyes, he infuses Turpin with an infectious, childlike glee that renders even the most outlandish plot turns strangely plausible.
Yet for all his scene-stealing charisma, Fielding is merely the impish ringleader of an ensemble stocked with British comedy royalty. As the perpetually exasperated Nell, Ellie White is a force of nature, her acerbic wit and effortless badassery serving as the perfect grounding counterweight to Fielding’s flights of fancy. Meanwhile, Marc Wootton’s nurturing, overgrown teddy bear Moose and Duayne Boachie’s earnest Honesty Courage offer irresistible dollops of heart amidst the escalating chaos.
But it’s the cavalcade of cameos that truly elevates “Dick Turpin” into the comedy stratosphere. Want caustic withering stares that could shrivel a redwood? Bask in Tamsin Greig’s imperious glory as criminal mastermind Lady Helen Gwinear. Crave volcanic bellows potent enough to shake the very foundations of the universe? Settle in for Greg Davies’ thunderous turn as growling gang leader Leslie Duvall. And for a masterclass in swaggering, puckish bravado, look no further than Connor Swindells’ utterly Scene-stealing Tommy Silversides, a foppish rival highwayman whose very presence crackles with magnetism.
Indeed, across every supporting role, from Bonneville’s dourly hilarious Jonathan Wild to Diane Morgan’s delightfully daft Maureen, the sheer wealth of talent on display is staggering, each performer slipping into the anarchic spirit with invigorating gusto. It’s a masterclass in comedic synergy, an eccentric troupe of players bouncing off each other’s unhinged energy to forge a singular comic nirvana.
Yet for all their individual brilliance, it’s the ensemble’s unmistakable chemistry that truly leaves an indelible mark. Whether bickering over the optimal tailoring for their pleather ensembles or banding together to outfox a malevolent curse, Fielding and his cohorts exude the easy camaraderie of a theater troupe putting on a jolly, bonkers lark. Their infectious delight in snowballing silliness elevates even the flimsiest of premises, transforming “Dick Turpin” into more than just a comedy – it’s a full-tilt celebration of unbridled, unabashed playfulness.
Madcap Joyride Fueled by Delirious Irreverence
From its very first frames, “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” announces itself as an act of willful absurdity, one that delights in gleefully shredding any pretense of historical accuracy. The writing, courtesy of a stacked team including Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis, Stuart Lane, and Fielding himself, revels in anarchic whimsy, each line of dialogue crackling with an infectious, tongue-in-cheek energy.
What could easily have devolved into a one-note parade of anachronistic humor instead sparkles with surprising nuance, deftly weaving metahumor and sly commentary on society’s obsession with sensationalized true crime amid the rapid-fire gags. This deft tonal juggling, coupled with the writers’ knack for mining rich veins of character-driven humor, lends “Dick Turpin” a remarkable depth of flavor – it’s a souffle of a show, somehow managing to feel substantive even as it threatens to collapse into a sugary puddle of deliciousness.
Not that there’s anything wrong with indulging in pure, decadent silliness, mind you. From howlingly absurd set pieces like the gang’s ill-fated attempt to lift a cursed emerald to the utterly unhinged wordplay fueling exchanges like Turpin and Wild’s rapid-fire volley of “Dick” jokes, the series regularly reaches soaring peaks of comedic delirium. Director Ben Palmer, a veteran of anarchic Britcoms like “The Inbetweeners,” expertly orchestrates the madness, his kinetic camerawork and razor-sharp comedic timing transforming even the flimsiest of premises into riotous285 showpieces of irreverent joy.
Yet for all its manic energy, “Dick Turpin” is also a masterclass in patience, in letting flights of whimsy breathe and build organically. Take the standout “Bloodhound” episode, which milks exquisite comic mileage from a “Bloody Mary”-esque cursed incantation concept, wringing full belly laughs from the simple act of characters straining not to utter a dreaded word. It’s in these masterfully paced slow-burn vignettes that the series truly soars, its writers and director in perfect synergy as they steadily ratchet up the absurdity to a crescendo of unrestrained hilarity.
Make no mistake – for all its historical trappings, “Dick Turpin” is a madcap product of today’s anything-goes comedic landscape. By embracing its own delirious irreverence with both middle fingers defiantly aloft, it secures its place as a giddily uncompromising joyride, one that won’t be denied its right to caper and careen into ever-more-outrageous realms of tomfoolery. Giddy up, folks – you’re in for one hell of a wild ride.
A Baroque Kaleidoscope of Sensory Delights
From the moment Dick Turpin’s booted feet grace the screen, clad in a pair of gloriously ostentatious purple platforms, it’s abundantly clear that “The Completely Made-Up Adventures” is a production utterly uninterested in half-measures. Every element, from Rosa Dias and Richard Cooke’s eye-searing costume designs to the rich, autumnal cinematography that bathes the proceedings in a warm, storybook glow, amounts to a full-throated celebration of maximalism.
Yet for all their ornate splendor, the show’s design elements never overwhelm – rather, they enhance the transportive magic, conjuring a realm of heightened, stylized reality. The lavish, almost baroque set dressings, replete with plush velvets and glittering brocades, forge an entrancing storybook atmosphere that perfectly complements the series’ whimsical spirit.
And whether it’s a cursed emerald glistening with eldritch menace or Fielding gamely strutting about in a vision of frilly lace and bolero majesty, the visuals positively drip with a delectable, sugar-frosted surrealism.
It’s an alchemical blend of the historical and the profoundly askew, one that both lends the proceedings an air of prestige splendor and a winking modern irreverence. From the raggedy anachronisms of Fielding’s deliciously anachronistic costumes to the casual peppering of contemporary vernacular amid the powdered-wig pomp, “Dick Turpin” glories in upending expectations at every turn. Sure, the willful disregard for authenticity may send historians into fits of pique, but for those willing to embrace its defiant, punk-rock spirit? Well, it’s nothing short of a baroque kaleidoscope of sensory delights.
Defiantly Postmodern Romp Through the Perils of Mythmaking
Beneath its frothy, sugar-frosted exterior, “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” harbors a deliciously subversive core – one that slyly interrogates not just the slipperiness of historical fact, but the very nature of how legends are constructed and consumed. By gleefully upending the oft-romanticized tale of its eponymous antihero, the series mounts a cheeky postmodern challenge to our willful suspension of disbelief.
After all, what are stories if not fictions we choose to embrace as gospel truth, a collective delusion we eagerly feed? From the winking meta-framing device of Eliza Bean’s “true crime” punchy pamphlets to the show’s cavalier anachronisms, “Dick Turpin” dares us to confront the ways we shape narratives to fit our whims. It’s a sly rebuke to our cultural enshrinement of myth, a madcap reminder that even our most hallowed legends are little more than gloriously embellished tall tales.
In that defiant spirit, the series carves out a unique niche in the crowded arena of historical comedies. Unlike its esteemed forebears like “Blackadder,” which reveled in razor-sharp satire, “Dick Turpin” eschews scathing social commentary in favor of a more whimsical, absurdist bent. It’s less a satirical scourge than an impish prankster, delighting in playfully puncturing our reverence for the past through sheer, unrestrained goofiness.
Yet for all its irreverent hijinks, there’s an unmistakable warmth and humanity pulsing through “Dick Turpin’s” willful ahistoricism. By rendering its characters as frolicsome oddballs guided more by friendship than avarice, the show mount a compelling case for embracing our most outlandish selves, damn the dusty annals of history. In a cultural landscape still grappling with rigid identity constructs, it’s a welcome reminder to forge our own joyfully idiosyncratic paths – myths be damned.
Gloriously Unhinged Romp for the Unrepentant Weirdo in Us All
At its deliriously daffy core, “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” is a clarion call for the unabashed celebration of brazen eccentricity. This lavishly realized comedic odyssey, fueled by a cavalcade of British comedy royalty giving their absolute all, gleefully upends the very notion of historical drama through sheer, anarchic force of whimsy.
From Noel Fielding’s utterly magnetic turn as the flamboyant, vegan antihero to the ornate, eye-searing production design that bathes the proceedings in a warm, storybook glow, every element feels painstakingly calibrated to plunge viewers into a realm of heightened, fantastical unreality.
The writing, a masterclass in irreverent absurdism, deftly walks the tightrope between meta self-awareness and full-tilt silliness. And whether reveling in cursed emeralds and haunted stagecoaches or mounting a sly interrogation of society’s mythmaking tendencies, the series always errs on the side of uncompromising creative audacity.
In the end, “Dick Turpin” may not be for all tastes – those averse to willful disregard for authenticity or eyeball-searing aesthetic maximalism may find themselves swiftly overwhelmed. But for those eager to embrace their inner weirdo, to bask in the liberating glow of uninhibited comedic anarchy? Well, this one’s nothing short of a deliciously bonkers all-you-can-eat buffet of delights. Giddyap and saddle up – you’re in for one hell of a wild, kaleidoscopic ride.
The Review
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
A deliriously irreverent and lavishly mounted celebration of unbridled whimsy, "The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin" is a baroque kaleidoscope of comedic anarchy. Led by Noel Fielding's magnetic turn as the flamboyant antihero, this visually dazzling romp delights in upending historical fact through sheer absurdist force of imagination. Though its steadfast aversion to grounded storytelling may test some viewers' patience, those eager to embrace their inner weirdo will find much to adore in this fearlessly zany ode to joyful oddity.
PROS
- Noel Fielding's magnetic and eccentric performance as Dick Turpin
- Stacked ensemble of British comedy talents delivering top-notch performances
- Visually stunning and ornate production design, costumes, and cinematography
- Delightfully irreverent and absurdist humor that delights in upending historical accuracy
- Clever meta-commentary on the nature of legends, myths, and storytelling
- Infectious spirit of whimsy and celebration of the delightfully odd
CONS
- Steadfast aversion to grounded storytelling may test some viewers' patience
- Thinly-sketched supporting characters beyond the standout cameos
- One-note adherence to a specific brand of zany humor
- Fairly episodic structure lacks a compelling overarching narrative drive
- May be an acquired taste for those averse to willful disregard for authenticity
