All episodes feature the court cases of Horace Rumpole (Leo McKern), a short, round, perennially exasperating, shrewd, lovable defense barrister. His clients are often caught in contemporary social conflicts: a father accused of devil worshipping; the Gay News Ltd. sued for blasphemous libel; a forger of Victorian photographs who briefly fooled the National Portrait Gallery; a pornographic publisher. Rumpole’s deep commitment to justice leads him to defend wholeheartedly hopeless cases and the spirit of the law, as opposed to his fellow barristers who stubbornly defend the letter of the law. Rumpole is given to frequent oratorical outbursts from the Oxford Book of English Verse and manages to aim the elegant passages at upper-class hypocritical trumpeters, buffoons, and other barristers and at prosecution-inspiring justices. He comments on the phenomenon of “judgitis [pomposity] which, like piles, is an occupational hazard on the bench.” His suggested cure is “banishment to the golf course.”

Rumpole is married to Hilda (played at various times by Joyce Heron, Peggy Thorpe-Bates, and Marion Mathie), to whom he refers as “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” Hilda—whose father was head of chambers—aspires for a more prestigious position for her husband and a bit more luxurious lifestyle for herself, but she continues to support her husband’s brand of justice rather than that sought by egotistical or socialclimbing royal counsels. Rumpole revels in lampooning his fellow colleagues, whom he believes to be a group of twits. They include the dithery and pompous Claude Erskine-Brown (Julian Curry), the full-of-himself Samuel Ballard (Peter Blythe), and the variety of dour judges who preside in court—the bumbling Justice Guthrie Featherstone (Peter Bowles), the blustering “mad bull” Justice Bullingham (Bill Fraser), the serious and heartless Justice Graves (Robin Bailey), and the almost kindly Justice “Ollie” Oliphant (James Grout). Among Rumpole’s colleagues, he favors Claude’s wife, the savvy and stylish Phillida Neetrant Erskine-Brown (Patricia Hodge), a feminist voice for the series, and the endearing Uncle Tom (Richard Murdoch), an octogenarian waiting to have the good sense to retire, who, in the meantime, practices his putting in chambers.

The prolific writer John Mortimer is creator of the Rumpole stories and has exclusive rights in writing the television series, for which he continues to write new scripts. Mortimer draws upon both his 36 years of experiences as queen’s counsel and his life with his father, a blind divorce lawyer. Much like Rumpole, Mortimer adores good food, enjoys a bottle of claret before dinner, loves Dickens, and fights for liberal causes. He is much revered in England, and in 1988 the queen awarded him a knighthood.

In addition to the quick-witted dialogue among characters, Mortimer’s series is distinguished by its social commentary. Specifically, the program is a cleverly entertaining vehicle for tweaking the legal profession and the general state of British mores and manners. In chambers and during court cases, Rumpole provides viewers with grumbling commentaries and under-the-breath critiques of pomposity and the all-too-frequent soulless application of strict legalism. Yet, even though these comments on various social issues such as gay rights, censorship, and the treatment of children in court are quite serious, Mortimer never allows the issues to get in the way of the story. Meticulous attention to detail, well-written scripts, and top-notch actors contribute to have made Rumpole fine television without the formula-driven action/adventure genres typically associated with drama programming.

The program’s charm is particularly enhanced by the superb casting of Leo McKern, who was the very embodiment of the fictional Rumpole. Robert Goldberg, a television critic from the Wall Street Journal, compares this match to other strokes of casting genius: “Every once in a while a character and an actor fit together so precisely that is becomes hard to imagine one without the other (Sean Connery and James Bond, Jeremy Brett and Sherlock Holmes).” McKern’s jowls, bulbous nose, and erratic eyebrows were made to fit the eccentric, irrepressibly snide barrister who is, in Goldberg’s words, as “lovable as a grumpy old panda.”

Rumpole of the Bailey is a cherished series in the United States. According to Boston public television station WGBH’s senior producer Steven Ashley, Rumpole has enjoyed solid ratings and can be regarded as one of the most popular titles in the Mystery! schedule, having attracted a healthy audience even when faced with stiff competition from commercial networks. Approximately 300 public television stations have carried the Rumpole series on an ongoing basis, representing 95 percent of all PBS stations. In the San Francisco Bay Area, some of the show’s more active fans formed the “Rumpole Society” with over 450 members; they have featured principal actors or John Mortimer as guest speakers at their annual fete and have visited the Rumpole studios in London.