10 Overlooked TV Shows You Should Watch

Watching Rumpole ought to be a sobering experience for television executives who will discover episode and episode of engaging, exquisite drama. Barrister John Mortimer's tales of the ingenious yet eccentric Horace Rumpole, who aside from liberally quoting Wordsworth and smoking his cheroots, specialises in defending at the Old Bailey.

Stretching over seven seasons from 1978 until 1992, it's a crime that Rumpole is not as lauded today as other classic series from the period. As a legal drama, it is unquestionably one of the finest to be broadcast.

Each episode sees Rumpole take on a new case, a new legal challenge, and often a new attempt by his family and colleagues to get him to either retire or move on to something new. Leo McKern's starring turn is a performance for the ages and truly enlivens ever scrap of Mortimer's excellent writing. Add to that the sheer volume of Rumpole you can get your teeth into - forty four episodes in total, including an 103 minute special - anyone in the need for a TV fix that isn't the same old recommendations should look no further than Rumpole.