The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin turns highwayman history into a warm, modern comedy full of silliness and charm, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is a wonderfully silly series that takes a famous name and drags him firmly into the modern age. It plays with today’s habits and attitudes, pokes fun at ego and image, and never takes itself seriously.
The episodes are short, fast, and easy to enjoy, with a warmth that makes it an easy watch.
Dick Turpin on television has never really been a serious figure. Back in the day, Richard O’Sullivan’s version felt like Robin Tripp from Man about the House on a horse. He was cheeky, charming, and not especially dangerous (he wasn’t even Dick Turpin IYKYK).
This version understands that history and runs with it. Noel Fielding takes that idea and pushes it much further.
His Turpin is a full-blown dandy: obsessed with his look, his reputation, and his “brand”, far more interested in hats, hair, and leggings than actual highway robbery.
Noel Fielding will now be best known to many people as “the Great British Bake Off guy”, rather than the surreal comedian from The Mighty Boosh, and this series sits neatly between those two versions of him.
He’s gentler than his earlier work, but still odd, playful, and very funny.
The episodes themselves are packed with memorable ideas. There’s a cursed coach, a rival highwayman obsessed with his own legend, a witch who really shouldn’t be named out loud, and a standout later special involving a full-on werebear.
Along the way there are jail escapes, bungled robberies, musical moments, and plenty of ridiculous side characters who steal scenes in minutes.
There’s also a light horror touch running through the show. Witches, curses, werebears, and the odd ghostly moment give it a spooky edge without ever tipping into anything dark.
It often feels like a grown-up cousin of Horrible Histories, with a bit of Monty Python silliness mixed in.
The series first aired on Apple TV+ in March 2024, with a final special Halloween episode released in October 2025. All episodes are available to watch on Apple TV+.
It finished far too soon, just as the characters and world really found their stride. Still, what’s there is full of fun, charm, and unrealised potential. It’s a genuinely joyful comedy that knows exactly what it is and enjoys every minute of it.
Read about the real Dick Turpin, who was definitely not a funny guy.
