Noel Fielding to star as a legendary highway robber in new comedy series from Apple TV Plus
The Great British Bake Off star has been tapped to play Dick Turpin in the upcoming series
Noel Fielding is set to star as legendary highwayman Dick Turpin in a new comedy-adventure series from Apple TV Plus.
The series follows Turpin as the most famous, but least likely of highway robbers whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair. Together with his gang of loveable rogues, Dick rides the highs and lows of celebrity — and does what he can to escape the clutches of the Thief Taker General.
Turpin, born in Essex in the early 1700s, led a gang of highway robbers and was subsequently sentenced to death for the theft of two horses. The British thief became a legend following his execution and has been the subject of multiple ballads, theatre productions, films, and TV shows. He is often portrayed as being charming and heroic, though some historians argue that the portrayal is overly romanticized.
The series was written and created by Claire Downes, Stuart Lane, and Ian Jarvis, and will be helmed by Breeders and The Inbetweeners Movie director Ben Palmer. In addition to his role, Fielding will serve as a script consultant and executive producer.
Fielding is perhaps best known for his work with comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh, which had its own BBC Three surreal comic fantasy series from 2004-2007, and has been a host of popular reality baking competition The Great British Bake Off since 2017.
For more, peruse our list of the best TV shows of all time or check out our how-to guide to getting started with Apple TV Plus.
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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.