Is The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Based on a True Story?

Even though the title of Apple TV+’s new series The Completely Made-Up Adventure of Dick Turpin suggests it’s pure fiction, Dick Turpin was a real butcher-turned-highwayman-turned-legend who operated in England in the early 1700s.

Dick Turpin is A Robin Hood-Like Folk Hero

Perhaps most famous thanks to his depiction in Harrison Ainsworth’s 1834 novel Rockwood, Dick Turpin has taken on a life in the collective imagination as a Robin Hood-style folk hero. However, according to The History Press, little concrete evidence about the finer details of Turpin’s life is available, and the facts that do exist indicate that he was a rather cruel criminal. Though it’s romantic to imagine Turpin as a misunderstood outsider who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, the varying accounts of his crimes portray him rather as a desperate and ruthless criminal whose indiscretions range from quirky acts like shooting a chicken in the street to less laughable offenses like pouring boiling water over an old man or sexually assaulting women.  

The facts of Turpin’s short-lived criminal enterprises don’t seem like an outstanding premise for a comedic romp, but the morphed legend of the highwayman makes for a much more idealized adventure. Though real elements of Turpin’s story (such as his upbringing as a butcher, his murder of Tom King in a botched robbery, his involvement in the Essex Gang, and even his employment of paid mourners at his execution) make their way into The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, the show’s highwayman is much more aligned with the flattering mythology than the less flattering reality.   

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Takes an Appropriately Loose Approach to History

Walking in the footsteps of shows like Monty Python, Galavant, and, more recently, Our Flag Means Death, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin takes a comedic approach to historical accuracy. This works particularly well for an unsavory character like Turpin, with Noel Fielding appearing as a bumbling yet affable version of the historic highwayman. Beyond the liberal approach to historical accuracy and a modern comedic sensibility, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin emphasizes its heightened take on Turpin’s crimes by incorporating fantasy elements such as warlocks and cursed carriages.

Unlike the real Turpin, who became a legend after his time, the Apple TV+ series introduces a tabloid-style mechanism that sees the activities of Turpin sensationalized within the narrative. Dolly Wells journalist, Eliza Bean, steps into a Harrison Ainsworth-type role — transforming Turpin into a famous name throughout England in his own lifetime.