'The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin' Gets a Release Date

It's been nearly two years since Apple TV+ first announced Noel Fielding would be trading in on his American fame from hosting The Great British Baking Show to land a spot in the Apple TV+ roster of comedy shows. Though Fielding was known among British comedy aficionados for his improv troupe The Mighty Boosh, which went on to develop radio shows and then TV series for the BBC, his shows never broke into the American mainstream, and Apple TV+'s offer to let him go big budget was a perfect opportunity to fix that. 

At the time of Apple's original announcement, the series was referred to as an "as-yet-untitled comedy series," where Fielding would play the real-life Dick Turpin, a legendary British highwayman from the early 18th century, who history turned into a romantic figure after his execution in York in 1739, making this a sort of Fielding-Does-Drunk History type show. Now that it has a title, it seems to have lent into that completely, with a now-official title of The Completely Made-up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Even better, with the title comes a confirmation of the cast, which includes everyone's favorite British actor, Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey). Bonneville will play the straight-man foil to Fielding's over-the-top comedic character; he is the self-appointed thief-taker Jonathan Wilde, who is hell-bent on taking down highwayman Dick Turpin. Check out the first photos of the cast, including Bonneville and Fielding.

Here's the series synopsis:

In The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Dick Turpin sets out on a journey of wildly absurd escapades when he’s made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws — and tasked with outwitting corrupt lawman and self-appointed Thief-Taker Jonathan Wilde. In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Dick is 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 lovable rogues, Dick rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying to escape the clutches of the Thief-Taker.

Fielding and Bonneville star alongside an ensemble cast that features Tamsin Greig (Belgravia), Asim Chaudhry (The Sandman), Dolly Wells (Inside Man), Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education), Mark Heap (The Trouble With Maggie Cole), Geoff McGivern (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Ellie White (Black Mirror), Marc Wootton (Drunk History), Duayne Boachie (Blue Story), Samuel Leakey (Treason), newcomer Kiri Flaherty, and Noel's brother Michael Fielding.

Claire Downes (The Outlaws), Ian Jarvis (Inside Llewyn Davis), and Stuart Lane (Around the World in 80 Days) created The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin and wrote all episodes with Jon Brittain (The Crown), Richard Naylor (Red Dwarf), and Noel Fielding also listed as writers. Directors Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners) and George Kane (Crashing) split helming duties across the six-episode season. The series is executive produced by Fielding, Palmer, and Kenton Allen and Victoria Grew for Big Talk Studios.

The first two episodes of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin debuts on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 1, 2024, with one a week to follow through the end of the month.