Rumpole of the Bailey (TV Series) Rumpole and Portia (1988) User Reviews

"No need to worry Hilda now you have Boxey to look after you"

[ygwerin1 · 9/10 · 18 November 2018]

Portia defends an American celebrity prominent member of Say No To Drugs, of Illegal Possession. She is given an offer, but can she refuse it?

Portia is elevated to the Bench to Serve as a Recorder, and later sits in judgment over Rumpole's case.

She Who Must long lost cousin Boxey Horn descends on the Rumpole home. Is Rumpole really longing to shoot tiger in Kenya?

Friction at the Erskin Brown home over Tristan's public schooling? Is it a boys world, because Isolde won't get the chance to Run round Pugs Patch?

Rumpole has to defend a single father Mr. Culp a widower, he hopes Portia will Judge fairly in the case. Mr. Culp got 3 years and son Mathew gets taken into 'Council Care'.

Tristan decides to sentence himself to Boggers to get away from dads operatic valkeries, and mums perennial brief reading.

Rumpole and Portia

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 6 July 2020]

It is a tale of two kids.

Claude Erskine-Brown wants to send little Tristan to boarding school and Phyllida is horrified with the idea. Little Tristan is rather keen to go, as he is often ignored by his parents.

A Hollywood star that Phyllida managed to get off a drugs charge is so impressed and infatuated with her. He offers her a job in Hollywood.

Phyllida opts to take a position as a part time judge in the criminal court. Her first case as a judge is Rumpole defending Stanley Culp. A scrap dealer, single parent and charged with selling arms to an Irish paramilitary group. Rumpole thinks that Stanley was set up in a sting by an informer.

Rumpole is worried that if Stanley goes to jail, his son will be taken into council care. Rumpole hopes that Phyllida will take a compassionate view knowing her own son could be going away.

There is comic relief when Hilda's cousin 'Boxey' Horne comes to stay after some years spent in the wilds of Africa. Rumpole suspects he is on the scrounge, trying to charm Hilda and doubtful he has even gone to Africa.

Also Uncle Tom who has spent years in chambers doing putting practice. As he rarely has any clients is in danger of being evicted when an errant golf ball hits a police officer. Rumpole threatens to leave himself which actually makes the head of chambers ecstatic.

The Hollywood star story was probably based on the real life case of Stacy Keach in the mid 1980s. He was actually imprisoned for drugs possession.

A bittersweet episode. This was an era when selling arms to Irish terrorists could not be taken lightly.