Ioan Gruffudd, Horatio Hornblower

Well before Arthur - in a manner of speaking - before Bosinney and Mr Fantastic, there was Horatio Hornblower. Ioan Gruffudd [Yo-an Griffith] cuts a dashing figure as Horatio, a naval officer in His Majesty's service during the Napoleonic Wars. Adapted from C.S. Forester's series of novels with a goodly number of fictional, colourful characters thrown in, each of the 8 episodes is an adventure in itself. Not swashbuckling in the Pirates sense, I think it still holds a certain appeal, the fun, the thrills and spills. Speaking as an utterly detached audience, of course. I will think always first of gallant, "punctilious" Lieutenant Hornblower rather than Mr. Fantastic, altho he really was fantastic there.

On another note, I'm suddenly brought to mind of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I wonder where I left my copy. And of The Magic Faraway Tree, and the various Famous Five and Secret Seven.