Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999) (TV)

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

C.S. Forester (novels)
Chris Ould (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

Lt. Hornblower and his mates are sent to accompany a doomed royalist invasion of revolutionary France.

Plot Keywords:

Invasion | Guillotine | Bridge | Schoolteacher | Navy

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd	...	Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay	...	Capt. Sir Edward Pellew
Antony Sher	...	Colonel Moncoutant
John Shrapnel	...	General Charette
Samuel West	...	Major Edrington
Peter Vaughan	...	Admiral Lord Hood
Jean Badin	...	Fauré
Jamie Bamber	...	Acting Lt. Archie Kennedy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Copley	...	Matthews
Jonathan Coy	...	Lt. Bracegirdle
Sean Gilder	...	Styles
Ian Lindsay	...	Collins
Colin MacLachlan	...	Master Bowles
Simon Sherlock	...	Oldroyd
Estelle Skornik	...	Mariette

Directed by
Andrew Grieve

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
C.S. Forester		novels
Chris Ould		screenplay

Produced by
Andrew Benson	....	producer
Delia Fine	....	executive producer
Vernon Lawrence	....	executive producer
Peter Richardson	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Alec Curtis

Costume Design by
John Mollo

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Minshull	....	hair stylist (as Liz Minshull)
Elizabeth Minshull	....	makeup artist (as Liz Minshull)

Art Department
Augusto Mayer	....	art director: Portugal

Sound Department
Rudi Buckle	....	production sound mixer
Colin Codner	....	boom operator
Sue Lenny	....	sound effects editor
Dave Sloss	....	foley recordist
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Graham Aikman	....	special effects assistant: pyro supervisor
Jeremy Lovett	....	special effects senior technician: model unit

Visual Effects by
Mark Thomas-Stubbs	....	digital effects

Camera and Electrical Department
David Bourke	....	best boy
Paul Donachie	....	focus puller
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Jon Head	....	grip
Micky May	....	generator operator
Jamie Summers	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gordon Harmer	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Matthew Tucker	....	first assistant editor
Marc Eskenazi	....	on-line editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Anna Callaghan	....	production assistant
Matt Cooke	....	production runner
Dani Gordon	....	assistant to producer
Pauline Granby	....	production accountant
Amanda Lean	....	script supervisor
Erhan Ozogul	....	assistant accountant
Gerry Savage	....	nurse
Adele Steward	....	production coordinator
Chris Tarry	....	assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Meridian Broadcasting
• United Film and Television Productions

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• A&E Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• A&E Television Networks (1999) (USA) (TV)
• Cinema Club (2002) (UK) (VHS)
• Cinema Club (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• ITV DVD (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (1999) (UK) (TV)

Other Companies

• Celtic/Picture Palace  developed by

Also Known As:

Horatio Hornblower: The Wrong War (USA)

Runtime:

Brazil:100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Peniche, Portugal

Company:

Meridian Broadcasting

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The story is based on the Quiberion Expedition of 1795, albeit loosely. Captain Sir Edward Pellew quotes "As idle as a painted ship/Upon a painted ocean" from S T Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This poem was not published until 1798 (in Lyrical Ballards).

Quotes:

Major Edrington: [referring to Horatio] Mr.Kennedy?
[pause]
Major Edrington: Watch out for him.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Hornblower: Retribution (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The British Grenadiers

TV at its finest

The entire Hornblower series is flat-out terrific, filling in a void in the swashbuckling genre. This episode, "The Frogs and the Lobsters" -- called "The Wrong War" here in the States -- is not the best of the series (there's stiff competition at that), but it's still an outstanding episode and a fitting end (for now) to the saga. Everything in the series looks right, even down to the little details; and besides being extraordinarily entertaining the "Hornblowers" smartly deal with themes like honor and integrity in a way that is thought-provoking and never quaint. Well-deserving of its emmy award for Best Miniseries. As Captain Pellew, the brilliant Robert Lindsay deserved a supporting actor nom as well.