Sharpe is a British series of television dramas starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is the hero of a number of novels by Bernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books. Produced by Celtic Films and Picture Palace Films for the ITV network, the series was shot mainly in Turkey and the Crimea, although some filming was also done in England, Spain and Portugal.
The series originally ran from 1993 to 1997. In 2004, as part of ITV's new set of drama, ITV announced that it intended to produce new episodes of Sharpe, in co-production with BBC America, loosely based on his time in India, with Sean Bean continuing his role as Sharpe. Sharpe's Challenge is a two-part adventure; part one premiered on ITV on 23 April 2006, with part two being shown the following night. With more gore than earlier episodes, the show was broadcast by BBC America in September 2006.
Episode Ratings Grid
Every episode at a glance, color-coded by rating. Rows are episode numbers within each season, columns are seasons.
The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.
🏆 Top Episodes
#1 7.9
S5E3Sharpe's Waterloo
Napoleon has escaped from Elba and Britain is at war again. As Wellington's army assembles in Belgium, Sharpe, now a Lt. Colonel, is placed on the staff of the Dutch Prince of Orange, commander of a large portion of Wellington's a...
#2
S1E2 7.8
Sharpe's Eagle
General Wellesley sends Major Hogan, Sharpe, the chosen men and the South Essex Regiment to destroy a bridge. Sharpe is immediately in conflict with two junior officers of the South Essex and their incompetent commander.
#3
S2E1 7.8
Sharpe's Company
Spain, 1812. Wellington's army is headed for Badajoz. Sharpe, now a Captain in the South Essex, learns that he has a daughter with Teresa and she is in Badajoz. He also runs into an old nemesis - Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill.
4. S2E2 "Sharpe's Enemy" 7.8
5. S3E2 "Sharpe's Battle" 7.8
6. S3E3 "Sharpe's Sword" 7.8
7. S4E1 "Sharpe's Regiment" 7.8
8. S4E2 "Sharpe's Siege" 7.8
9. S4E3 "Sharpe's Mission" 7.7
10. S1E1 "Sharpe's Rifles" 7.6
📉 Bottom Episodes
#18
S7E1 7.2
Sharpe's Peril
Sharpe is asked by the governor to perform one last task while in India. He is to escort a Frenchwoman to her fiancée at an outpost. Sharpe agrees, little knowing he is walking into a rebellion with the instigators quite close to ...
17. S3E1 "Sharpe's Gold" 7.2
16. S6E1 "Sharpe's Challenge" 7.4
15. S5E2 "Sharpe's Justice" 7.4
14. S6E2 "Sharpe's Challenge: Part 2" 7.5
The Quality Arc
Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.
Episode Engagement
Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
Rating threshold:
7Standouts
2Infamous
7Hidden Gems
2Forgettable
Top Standout:S1E1Sharpe's Rifles
Most Infamous:S3E1Sharpe's Gold
Best Hidden Gem:S3E2Sharpe's Battle
Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5).
More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.
Series Trajectory
A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.
Season Momentum
Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.
Season Consistency
Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.
Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.