Sharpe's Challenge

Portugal, 1809. Fast moving, hard-hitting action adventure filmed on location in the Crimea, Portugal and England brings to the screen all the danger, romance and sheer spectacle of one of the bloodiest periods in English warfare. Richard Sharpe rises through the ranks of Wellington’s army by his courageous and daring exploits. He and his men operate behind French lines, risking their lives to undermine Napoleon's forces.

Spain, 1809. The newly promoted Captain Sharpe will be stripped of his rank unless he can save the honour of the regiment by capturing a French Imperial standard: an eagle.

Spain, 1812. The Duke of Wellington plans to lay siege to Badajoz. A murderous figure from Sharpe's past uses a beautiful woman to revenge himself on Sharpe, now the father of her child. Sharpe has reason to be happy, he holds his daughter for the first time and is given command of the Light Company again, together with his captaincy. But will his happiness be short lived?

Portugal, 1813. Action and romance follow Sharpe as his chosen men risk their lives on dangerous and heroic missions. Sharpe has to do battle with a gang of deserters led by an evil renegade, who uses hostages - including Sharpe's old flame - as innocent pawns in his wicked game to win a ransom. This is only the beginning of the problems facing Sharpe. A far greater threat is on the horizon. One where failure would mean the end of the war for the Allied armies.

Spain, 1813. Sharpe is unwittingly caught up in a French plot; he is convicted of the murder of a Spanish nobleman and sentenced to death. This time he will need more than just his legendary courage to survive. In a desperate attempt to clear his name, Sharpe is forced to venture deep into enemy territory to capture La Marquesa, a beautiful French spy, who alone can prove his innocence.

Spain, 1813. The dashing and heroic Major Richard Sharpe pits his wits against El Casco, a terrifying partisan leader who has a chilling way of dealing with his enemies. Sharpe's mission, to trade guns for deserters, is imperilled by the beautiful and desirable Ellie, who follows him into the hills where there is rumoured to be hidden Aztec gold.

Pyrennees, September 1813. Sharpe is given the task of preparing the glamorous Royal Irish Company, led by Lord Kiely, for their first encounter with the enemy. Previously only used for ceremonial duties, the Company finds Sharpe a hard taskmaster. Trouble arises amongst the Irish soldiers when false reports are circulated of a massacre in Ireland perpetrated by the English. When Lord Kiely begins a passionate affair with Juanita, the Spanish partisan leader, the distressed Lady Kiely looks to Sharpe for comfort. Then Sharpe is led into a French trap and he and the Royal Irish Company find themselves up against the vicious Brigadier Loup and seemingly impossible odds.

Franco-Spanish Border, 1813. Sean Bean returns as the courageous Major Richard Sharpe, his latest mission to protect the identity of the master spy, El Mirador. Sharpe captures Colonel Leroux who has been sent by Napoleon to assassinate El Mirador but Leroux escapes. In an ensuing battle, Sharpe's sword is destroyed and he is left for dead. He is lovingly nursed back to health by a beautiful young girl who has been rendered mute after witnessing the slaughter of her companions. Armed with a new sword forged by the faithful Sergeant Harper, Sharpe continues his mission to protect the life of El Mirador and seek retribution.

June, 1813. Major Richard Sharpe's men are in mortal danger - not from the French, but from the bureaucrats of Whitehall. Unless reinforcements can be brought from England, the depleted South Essex will be disbanded, their troops scattered throughout the army. Determined not to see his regiment die, Sharpe returns to England and uncovers a nest of well-bred, high-ranking traitors, any one of whom could utterly destroy his career with a word, or a stroke of the pen. Sharpe is forced into the most desperate gamble of his life - and not even the influence of the Price Regent may be enough to save him.

Winter, 1813. Sharpe marries his sweetheart, Jane Gibbons, but has to leave her immediately to go on a dangerous mission in the Pyrenees, to capture a French fort. While Sharpe is battling with the French, his wife contracts a deadly fever which has swept through the British camp and endangers her life. Sharpe encounters his old enemy, Ducos and is compelled to stay at the fort and fight for his country, knowing that even if he survives he may never see his beloved bride again.

France, 1813. Wellington orders Sharpe to join the dashing colonel Brand on a hazardous journey behind French enemy lines with the aim of blowing up an ammunition store. Sharpe's wife Jane becomes disillusioned with Sharpe's frequent absences. Left behind in the camp, she warms to the attentions of another admirer. Meanwhile, Sharpe is out in the mountains and is dangerously outnumbered, with with the French ranks closing in. He must risk his own life, however, to confront a far deadlier enemy on his own side.

England, Summer 1814. Sharpe returns to England, with his reputation fully restored. He is soon ordered to the North of England to take command of a local militia force in his home town as it is troubled with unrest and machine-breakers. Sharpe finds that he is torn between two sides - that of the corrupt gentry and that of his own people, the rough, tough and spirited masses who are kept down by their superiors. He finds himself faced with one of the hardest decisions of his life.

France, 1815. Sharpe seems to have settled down for life on a tranquil French farm with his new partner Lucille when the sudden news of Napoleon's return from exile compels him to go back to the army to fight in the great Battle of Waterloo. He joins the staff of Wellington's ally, the Prince of Orange. Once again reunited with the Chosen Men, Sharpe abandons his inept commander to organise the defence of the British key positions on the farm of La Haie Sainte and plays a courageous and important role in securing one of Britain's most famous victories.

Toulouse, April 1814. The Peninsula war is finally over for Britain and its allies, but the action does not end here for Sharpe. He is set up once again by his long-time enemy, the French spy Ducos, and finds himself accused of stealing Napoleon’s priceless treasures. Having been abandoned by his beautiful wife Jane, who returns to England, and persecuted by both the British and French, Sharpe boldly goes in search of both truth and revenge, embarking on a perilous journey across post-war France with the help of his loyal friends Frederickson and Harper.

Several years after the battle of Waterloo, a former soldier from Shoreditch sits in a London inn reminiscing about the brave and determined officer who took him to hell and back. The narrator is Rifleman Cooper, and the officer whose fame he recalls is the legendary Richard Sharpe.

Our story begins at the end of Sharpe's Challenge. Sharpe and Harper are en route to Madras when they encounter a baggage train from the East India Company traveling through hostile territory. Chitu, a legendary bandit leader in control of the area, strikes fear in the members of the party. When an attack occurs Sharpe takes control of the situation, leading the group 300 miles through enemy territory and training the disorganized, rag-tag group to be proper soldiers. Despite all these responsibilities, Sharpe still manages to find time for a little romance...

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Sharpe is a British series of television dramas starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is the hero of a number of novels by Bernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books. Produced by Celtic Films and Picture Palace Films for the ITV network, the series was shot mainly in Turkey and the Crimea, although some filming was also done in England, Spain and Portugal. The series originally ran from 1993 to 1997. In 2004, as part of ITV's new set of drama, ITV announced that it intended to produce new episodes of Sharpe, in co-production with BBC America, loosely based on his time in India, with Sean Bean continuing his role as Sharpe. Sharpe's Challenge is a two-part adventure; part one premiered on ITV on 23 April 2006, with part two being shown the following night. With more gore than earlier episodes, the show was broadcast by BBC America in September 2006.

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Franco-Spanish Border, 1813. Sean Bean returns as the courageous Major Richard Sharpe, his latest mission to protect the identity of the master spy, El Mirador. Sharpe captures Colonel Leroux who has been sent by Napoleon to assassinate El Mirador but Leroux escapes. In an ensuing battle, Sharpe's sword is destroyed and he is left for dead. He is lovingly nursed back to health by a beautiful young girl who has been rendered mute after witnessing the slaughter of her companions. Armed with a new sword forged by the faithful Sergeant Harper, Sharpe continues his mission to protect the life of El Mirador and seek retribution.

France, 1815. Sharpe seems to have settled down for life on a tranquil French farm with his new partner Lucille when the sudden news of Napoleon's return from exile compels him to go back to the army to fight in the great Battle of Waterloo. He joins the staff of Wellington's ally, the Prince of Orange. Once again reunited with the Chosen Men, Sharpe abandons his inept commander to organise the defence of the British key positions on the farm of La Haie Sainte and plays a courageous and important role in securing one of Britain's most famous victories.

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Winter, 1813. Sharpe marries his sweetheart, Jane Gibbons, but has to leave her immediately to go on a dangerous mission in the Pyrenees, to capture a French fort. While Sharpe is battling with the French, his wife contracts a deadly fever which has swept through the British camp and endangers her life. Sharpe encounters his old enemy, Ducos and is compelled to stay at the fort and fight for his country, knowing that even if he survives he may never see his beloved bride again.

Toulouse, April 1814. The Peninsula war is finally over for Britain and its allies, but the action does not end here for Sharpe. He is set up once again by his long-time enemy, the French spy Ducos, and finds himself accused of stealing Napoleon’s priceless treasures. Having been abandoned by his beautiful wife Jane, who returns to England, and persecuted by both the British and French, Sharpe boldly goes in search of both truth and revenge, embarking on a perilous journey across post-war France with the help of his loyal friends Frederickson and Harper.

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