

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It stars Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients, and has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.
2.3
Avg Rating
7
Rated Episodes
10.0
Best: S7E4
1.0
Worst: S5E3
Rumpole and the Reform of Joby Jonson
S7 E4
Rumpole and the Case of Identity
S2 E2
Rumpole and the Show Folk
S2 E3
Rumpole and the Age of Miracles
S5 E3
Rumpole and the Old, Old Story
S4 E1
Rumpole and the Sporting Life
S3 E5
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Rumpole defends young Jim Timson, who has been grassed up for robbery with violence by 'Peanuts' Molloy - one of a rival gang of East End villains with whom the Timsons have an ancient feud. Unhappily…
Rumpole is in the west of England to visit an old friend from his days in the Royal Air Force, Sam ('Three Fingers') Dogherty, and to defend Kathy Trelawney, who is charged with selling cannabis to a …
Rumpole defends Ken Aspen, a politician accused of raping a party worker. The defendant admits there was intercourse but claims it was consensual, and Rumpole believes he has found a strong line of de…
Rumpole defends a woman (Mrs Thripp) in a divorce action brought by her husband, claiming infidelity. She Who Must Be Obeyed (Mrs Rumpole) forms the opinion that her husband has a mistress - with curi…
Guthrie Featherstone, with Rumpole as his junior, defends a safe-cracker who claims to have been framed by the notorious Inspector ""Dirty"" Dickerson. Rumpole risks his reputation by attacking police…
Rumpole is busy defending the youngest son of a family of villains on a murder charge. His client has all the evidence stacked against him, but meanwhile it is Rumpole's battered old bowler which is b…
Rumpole defends a vicar who is charged with stealing three shirts from a department store, but the troubled clergyman refuses to take the stand in his own defense. George Frobisher, who is in line to …
With the Christmas season in full swing, Rumpole defends Dave Anstey on the charge of stabbing a sales assistant in an off-license. It seems to be a case of mistaken identity, but why does Dave's boss…
Rumpole travels to the north of England and practices his own theatricality in defense of Maggie Hartley, an actress accused of shooting her womanizing husband.
Rumpole defends Captain Rex Parkin, who is charged with inciting a riot by racist speeches. Rumpole also has a new pupil, one Latif Khan.
Rumpole defends a flamboyanty romantic young schoolteacher who is accused of seducing a pupil.Meanwhile, Rumpole's colleague in chambers Guthrie Featherstone pursues his ambition of becoming a High Co…
Rumpole defends Percy Timson, a receiver of stolen property who has been framed for the theft of an important painting which is out of his league. Meanwhile, Rumpole's wife and son Nick (who is now a…
Rumpole defends Harold Brittling, an unsuccessful artist who has been charged with faking a major painting by the late Septimus Craig. But Brittling is remarkably relaxed about the case and seems to h…
Rumpole flies to Neranga, in Africa, to defend David Mazenze (his former law pupil) on a charge of murder. Rumpole meets with politcs, tribal hatred, and confusion - and his client seems to have no cr…
Rumpole welcomes a new pupil, the beautiful Fiona Allways, and together they defend Mr and Mrs Napier-Lee, who are charged with blackmail and with running an immoral house. But the Napier-Lees are slo…
Rumpole defends Tony Timson, who is accused of driving the getaway car for a bungled robbery by the Molloy gang - a gang whose relationship with the Timsons is about as warm as that between the Montag…
Rumpole gets out into rural England when Fiona Allways persuades him to defend her sister Jennifer, charged with murdering her skirt-chasing husband.
Rumpole turns to his wife, Hilda, for help in getting a slippery solicitor to pay what he owes. Meanwhile, Rumpole is busy defending the owner of a caravan rental agency who is accused of fraud.
Rumpole defends a business man who is accused of trying to murder his partner. After a squabble with 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', Rumpole finally leaves home - but Hilda doesn't seem to miss him very mu…
Yet another of the Timsons needs Rumpole's services as an advocate, this time to answer charges of fencing stolen liquor. Rumpole accepts Ms Liz Probert - a radical left-wing activist - as a pupil, t…
Rumpole defends an elderly woman charged under the Official Secrets Act - she is claimed to have have leaked (so to speak) information revealing excessive British government expenditure on tea.
Rumpole defends a man charged with running massage parlours as brothels, and his former colleague in chambers Mr Justice Featherstone finds himself in an embarrassing position. The prospect of appoint…
Rumpole travels to West Germany to defend a British soldier facing a court-martial charged with the murder of his sergeant.
The Timsons are in trouble again, and in need of the services of their favourite 'brief'. The old firm is back in business, but as he unravels the mystery of who carried the gun in a bungled robbery R…
Rumpole fights a claim for libel filed by a woman writer against a low newspaper. Claude Erskine-Brown moves in with Rumpole after being photographed at a night-club of ill repute, to the fury of Phy…
Young Nigel Timson has moved on from the world of East End villainy and is now working in financial services in the City of London. Rumpole is called on to defend Nigel against charges of insider trad…
Rumpole defends his clergyman nephew in an ecclesiastical court, against charges of adultery - of which the bishop takes a dim view. Rumpole's colleagues Ballard and Erskine-Brown appear for the pros…
Rumpole defends Tony Timson on charges of attempted murder - with Tony's wife, April, claiming he tried to drown her - while sexist remarks by Mr Justice Guthrie Featherstone give the press a field da…
Rumpole defends Stanley Culp, a scrap dealer, on charges of selling arms to terrorists. The case comes before a newly appointed Recorder - Phyllida Erskine-Brown.
Rumpole defends Lady Perdita Derwent, charged with the murder of her elderly husband. Meanwhile, Ms Liz Probert complains of anti-gay discrimination at number 3, Equity Court, and the portly Rumpole …
A live mouse is served to Erskine-Brown in a London restaurant, and Rumpole finds himself defending the self-important chef-restaurateur on the environmental health charges which follow. At home, Hil…
Before Mr Justice Guthrie Featherstone, Rumpole defends a trade unionist on charges of recklessly causing the death of a truck-driver who was crossing a union picket-line. Guthrie is thinking about a…
Rumpole defends a radical lecturer accused of murdering an unpopular university official - but his client refuses to give critical information in his own defence.Hilda takes offense, after Rumpole giv…
Without marked enthusiasm, Rumpole takes Hilda on a cruising holiday. He is appalled to learn that a High Court judge, Mr Justice Graves, is also on board, and Rumpole takes cover - but skullduggery a…
Rumpole defends his own doctor, charged with sexually molesting a woman patient - and Rumpole's friend Phyllida is counsel for the prosecution.Claude Erskine-Brown is in hot water when Phyllida comes …
Rumpole agrees to act for the family of a dead girl who are bringing a private prosecution for murder against a policeman. Did a killer receive preferential treatment from his colleagues on the Force,…
Rumpole again defends the Timsons, when they are accused of Satanism and their daughter Tracy has been put into local authority care. Hilda is angling for Rumpole to take her to this year's Scales of…
Rumpole defends a policeman, Superintendent Gannon, who is accused of changing a teenager's statement confessing to murdering a policeman. Meanwhile, Sir Guthrie Featherstone finds himself in hot wat…
Rumpole flirts with a beautiful violinist and finds himself reluctantly defending her husband, who is charged with murdering the violinist's musical partner.Meanwhile, Claude Erskine-Brown accuses Hen…
Rumpole defends a teenager charged with stealing from old people. Curiously, Rumpole's own apartment is promptly broken into and documents are stolen. Erskine-Brown is in the running again to 'take si…
Rumpole and Hilda are invited for the weekend at a cousin's castle - but when they get there they find their relation faces the charge of murdering a travelling woman and is looking for Rumpole to ral…
Hilda persuades Ballard to defend Rumpole when he faces a disciplinary hearing. Rumpole seems to have gone a good deal too far in what he said in Mr Justice Oliphant's court - or did he?