Rumpole of the Bailey Other Staff at 3 Equity Court, London: Frequent courtroom allies and adversaries: Others in Rumpole's life: The origins of "Rumpole of the Bailey" lie in "Infidelity Took Place", a one-off filmed television play for the BBC's 1960s television anthology drama series, "The Wednesday Play" that was written by John Mortimer and broadcast by BBC TV on 18 May 1968. This satirical play – a comment on newly enacted English divorce laws – told the story of a happily married couple who decide to get divorced to take advantage of the more beneficial tax situation they would enjoy were they legally
Rumpole of the Bailey (radio series) were special radio adaptations of stories first published in book format after the end of the final TV series and some were brand-new, purpose-written episodes created for radio. Five different actors – including Leo McKern – portrayed Horace Rumpole in these 40 different episodes. 1980 – One series – a total of thirteen episodes featured Maurice Denham as Horace Rumpole. 2003 – 2012 – In this period there were seven mini-seasons – a total of eighteen episodes featuring Timothy West as Horace Rumpole. West's real-life wife Prunella Scales appeared as Rumpole's wife Hilda. The seven mini-seasons were produced in 2003,