Apple TV+’s The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Is Classic Noel Fielding in All the Best Ways

I still remember when my friend Dustin introduced me to The Mighty Boosh, which remains the best comedy that most people haven’t even heard of. Starring Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, it was a show about zookeepers that ran for 20 episodes, and beyond that, it would be totally impossible to describe in any way that would prepare you for the actual viewing experience. But okay, I’ll try: it was weird, hilarious, incredibly detailed in its depiction of a surreal, almost Wonka-esque world, and though it feels corny to say it, sort of magical in certain ways. It’s the kind of show that still feels like a weird dream you had a decade ago, and I just looked it up on Wikipedia to make sure it was real.

The great news about The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Apple TV+’s new comedy starring Fielding, is that it shares an unmistakable lifeblood with The Mighty Boosh. That wasn’t a given—Michael Fielding, Noel’s half-brother, is one of the show’s writers, but as far as I can tell, the creators had very little to do with his previous projects. Here, Fielding stars as Turpin, an outlaw who apparently existed in real life, though you can be sure even the romanticized version of the historical figure has very little to do with what you see on screen. He’s a butcher’s son, but he’s obsessed with clothing and style and can’t bear to take up the family business. He leaves to find his fortune, and soon finds himself as the head of a gang of highwaymen, called the Essex Gang, after accidentally murdering their leader. Turpin, always the optimist, decides he’s going to create a new kind of gang, one with more style than violence and hopefully boost them from their current ranking as the second-worst gang in existence (yes, in this world, there are highwaymen rankings).

Everything here is goofy to the bone, from Turpin’s tiny gun and horse to the secret passageway in the village pub which, for some reason, is directly next to a cupboard with the same exact door. Turpin is joined by gang mates Nell (Ellie White), a woman dressed very unconvincingly as a man, fooling nobody but her fellow highwaymen Honesty (Duayne Boachie) and Moose (Marc Wootton), both of whom believe Dick Turpin is the greatest man they’ve ever met. That’s not true for the “Thief-Taker General,” Jonathan Wild (played by Hugh Bonneville with a paradoxical blend of Javert-like rigor and corruption), who will surprise a good chunk of the American audience with just how funny he is. Various side characters with names like “Craig the Warlock” abound, and from this chaotic mix, the story is built.

Nothing here, and I mean nothing, takes itself seriously. In order to enjoy the show, you have to get on its level quickly, and there will be plenty of reviews that deem it irredeemably silly. And yet, if you’re the kind of person who loved The Mighty Boosh, you’ll find some of the same pleasures here. First off, the magical realism is every bit as detailed, and the sets are a visual feast whether in the pub, on the road, or in the bizarre treehouse of Craig the Warlock, where Moose is chided for opening a book that glows with light and projects eerie music because it takes a rare kind of battery that is hard to find anywhere. Every moment of potential drama is undermined, gloriously in my mind, by some bit of absurdity, like when they visit a ghost to figure out how to steal an ancient emerald, and find a neck pillow among his treasures.

Through it all, and despite the constant mockery of those who think he’s a poor fit for their lifestyle, the guiding light is Turpin’s optimism and comfort in himself. Gruff masculinity is the accepted norm in his line of work, but Turpin never wavers from his version of dashing egomania, even with a hangman’s noose around his neck. There’s probably something to learn from this about the power of self-belief in a world that seems purpose-built to dole out shame for the weirdos among us, but mostly, you’ll probably just want to laugh.

To put it simply, the show provides easy comedy without coming across as stupid, is fun without being a “guilty pleasure,” and is hilarious without feeling forced. It’s not going to change the world, and in 10 years you won’t see it on a list of the greatest comedies of the 2020s, but it’s smart, it’s ridiculous, and it’s defiantly unique in both style and substance. For six half-hour episodes, the world of Dick Turpin makes for a lovely escape.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is now streaming on Apple TV+. 

Shane Ryan is a writer and editor. You can find more of his writing and podcasting at Apocalypse Sports, and follow him on Twitter here .

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