Sharpe

Paul McGann was originally cast as Richard Sharpe, but two weeks into filming the first episode in Ukraine he injured his knee playing football and had to withdraw from the role.

Sean Bean was cast as a replacement because he was the only suitable actor available at short notice when production resumed a month after McGann's injury.

Author Bernard Cornwell was so impressed with Sean Bean's portrayal that he dedicated the twelfth Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Battle, to him, saying 'When I write Sharpe these days, I hear Sean's voice.'

Contrary to some claims, Bernard Cornwell never objected to Bean's casting over his hair colour and considered him 'perfect' for the role.

The character of Rifleman Harris, played by Jason Salkey, was not in the original novels but was created specifically for the TV series, inspired by a real illiterate soldier who had dictated his war memoirs for publication.

Several actors played multiple roles across the series: Peter-Hugo Daly played both Sergeant Rodd and Sergeant Bickerstaff, Julian Fellowes played both Major Warren Dunnett and the Prince Regent, and Tony Haygarth played both 'Marshal' Pot-au-Feu and Sir Willoughby Parfitt.

The series was filmed mainly in Crimea, with additional episodes shot in Turkey, England, Portugal and Spain.

John Tams, who played the supporting role of Rifleman Daniel Hagman, also wrote or arranged much of the series' music, later released as the companion album Over the Hills & Far Away: The Music of Sharpe in 1996.