The lengthy title of Apple’s The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin heavily implies that nothing in the show is true, but the scene that shows Noel Fielding’s version of the historical figure being hanged isn’t completely devoid of accuracy. While the British comedy’s main goal is to entertain rather than inform, the death of the real Dick Turpin forms the basis of a pivotal scene in the show.
Many will know The Great British Bake Off‘s Noel Fielding for his hosting skills, but he has a storied comedy career in stand-up and television. For Fielding to lead a comedy show with such a precise title, it would be forgivable to dismiss all its events as complete works of fiction. However, comparisons between one particular aspect of Dick Turpin and historical records reveal the show hasn’t been quite as cavalier with the details and its title claims. Genuine details aside, the show stands the chance of being one of the best British sitcoms in recent times.
Apple’s New Dick Turpin Show Maintains A Clever Real-Life Casting Connection For Noel Fielding
Certain actors in Apple’s new Dick Turpin show might be familiar to fans of British comedy, but there’s one casting in particular that’s very coy.
Dick Turpin Really Was Sentenced To Die By Hanging (& Hired Professional Mourners)
The real Turpin hired more mourners than are shown in the Apple comedy
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin season 1 episode 1, “A Legend is Born (Sort of),” opens with Fielding’s Dick Turpin being taken to be hanged as punishment for his criminal deeds. In reality, (via History of York) Turpin did indeed receive this sentence due to the fact he murdered a man while trying to avoid being captured. Turpin’s other real-life crimes included stealing two horses and shooting his landlord’s cockerel, and the latter offense is referenced in the Apple comedy when Poorly Martin states his sentencing came from accidentally shooting a chicken.
The real Turpin’s cause of death isn’t the only reference to his final moments made by the Apple TV+ show. Fielding’s Turpin hires a professional mourner named Margaret. While this may seem outlandish to some, the real Dick Turpin actually hired five mourners to attend his hanging and follow him up the scaffold. The highwayman is said to have “Put on a show for the large crowd,” which the sitcom also parodies to a certain extent.
Dick Turpin Didn’t Escape His Hanging In Real Life – Everything Afterward In Episode 1 Is Fictional
Noel Fielding’s new show is still largely make-believe
While Fielding’s Dick Turpin comedy sticks to a loose version of real events during its first episode, everything after the season 1 opener is a complete work of fiction. The real Dick Turpin didn’t escape his hanging, so Fielding’s version of the infamous highwayman embarks on endeavors that his historical counterpart could never have undertaken – which is where the title of the show becomes especially relevant. Dick Turpin also only became widely known after his death, so the character being recognized by others in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is likely another intentional falsehood.
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is a comedy television series created for Apple TV+ that was released in 2024. The series follows the misadventures of a prolific highway robber named Dick Turpin and his group of bandits as they succeed with inexplicable flair – all while trying to outrun the nefarious thief-taker.
- Cast
- Noel Fielding , Duayne Boachie , Ellie White , Marc Wootton , Dolly Wells , Mark Heap , David Threlfall , Geoff McGivern , Joe Wilkinson , Kiri Flaherty , Hugh Bonneville , Asim Chaudhry , Greg Davies
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
