Rumpole of the Bailey drama series. Impressed with "Rumpole of the Bailey", Lambert offered Shubik the opportunity to bring the series to Thames. John Mortimer readily agreed, since it would mean more money, and Shubik (and "Rumpole") duly left the BBC in late 1976. "Rumpole of the Bailey" made its Thames Television debut on 3 April 1978 in a series of six episodes. These introduced and established the supporting characters including Guthrie Featherstone (Peter Bowles), Claude Erskine-Browne (Julian Curry) and Phyllida Trant (Patricia Hodge). The role of Hilda was recast, with Peggy Thorpe-Bates taking on the part. Other than McKern, David Yelland (who played
Rumpole of the Bailey to Granada Television, where she produced an acclaimed adaptation of Paul Scott's "Staying On" and set up, but did not produce, "The Jewel in the Crown", the follow-up adaptation of Scott's "Raj Quartet". "Rumpole of the Bailey" continued under a new production team. When "Rumpole of the Bailey" returned for its fourth series in 1987, Marion Mathie took over as Hilda when Peggy Thorpe-Bates retired because of poor health. There were a grand total of 44 episodes. Seven seasons each consisting of six episodes – with each episode approximately 50 minutes in duration. And two individual dramas in 1975 and