History Trivia / HoratioHornblower

* RecycledScript: The 1940 short story "Hand of Destiny" reads like a rough blueprint for ''Lieutenant Hornblower'': junior lieutenant Hornblower must cope with a tyrannical captain, there is mutiny, a victorious action against a Spanish target distracts from the toxic atmosphere, the captain is removed from the picture in a way only Hornblower ever knows, and he ends the story promoted. The differences are that Captain Courtenay is cruel but ''not'' mad, he's disabled rather than killed, and we know who did it since it's from Hornblower's point of view (in this case he saw the man take aim and chose not to intervene or tell anyone), and he goes from junior to first lieutenant rather than a full jump in rank. Additionally, the mutiny in "Hand of Destiny" is a full mutiny; in ''Lietuenant Hornblower'', the captain's paranoia about a possible mutiny [[SelfFulfillingProphecy create the conditions for one]] but his mysterious fall down the hold precludes an explicit uprising.

* DoingItForTheArt: The first series was filmed on ships, and it looked ''awesome''. The second series wasn't; but it still looked pretty good. Sadly averted with the third series, which was done carelessly, and it shows, especially compared to the previous cool instalments.

* RealitySubtext: ''Commodore'' was less historically-researched than the others. Instead, it reflects UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: Russia's tenuous alliance with England and threat from invaders, occupied and/or neutral Baltic/Scandanavian powers, and Britain's tenuous support.

* WordOfStPaul: According to Jamie Bamber, Archie is the third son of Scottish lord. Given his status as a CompositeCharacter, the majority of his backstory is composed of either the actors' and writers' statements about him, or {{Fanon}}.

* RecycledScript: The 1940 short story "Hand of Destiny" reads like a rough blueprint for ''Lieutenant Hornblower'': junior lieutenant Hornblower must cope with a tyrannical captain, there is mutiny, a victorious action against a Spanish target distracts from the toxic atmosphere, the captain is removed from the picture in a way only Hornblower ever knows, and he ends the story promoted. The differences are that Captain Courtenay is explicitly not mad, just cruel, he's disabled rather than killed, and we know who did it since it's from Hornblower's point of view (in this case he saw the man take aim and chose not to intervene or tell anyone), and he goes from junior to first lieutenant rather than a full jump in rank.

* ImageSource:
** BadassAdorable.LiveActionTV
** BurialAtSea
** ReverseArmFold

* FanNickname:
** "Crumpet" for Archie Kennedy
** "Ratio" for Horatio Hornblower
** Mariette is sometimes referred to as "Frogette"

* AuthorExistenceFailure: ''Crisis'' and ''The Point and the Edge'' were left unfinished when Forrester died.

* RoleAssociation: Dreadnought Foster was played by Denis Lawson, probably best known to American audiences as [[Franchise/StarWars Wedge Antilles]].
** Archie Kennedy was played by Jamie Bamber, would would [[RetroactiveRecognition later see more widespread fame]] as [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
** Ioan Gruffudd would go on to have a healthy hollywood film career himself (a big reason why follow-up ''Hornblower'' telefilms have been few and far between).

* FakeNationality: Generally averted, with the French and Spanish actors being played by native speakers, but it must have been hard to find foreign child actors, and thus the Spanish children who yell insults at the crew in "The Duchess and the Devil" do so in rather striking English accents.

* RoleAssociation: Dreadnought Forestor was played by Denis Lawson, probably best known to American audiences as [[Franchise/StarWars Wedge Antilles]].

** Archie Kennedy was played by Jamie Bamber, would would later see more widespread fame as [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Lee "Apollo" Adama]]

* {{Defictionalization}}: C. Northcote Parkinson (he of Parkinson's Law) wrote a thick, [[ShownTheirWork thoroughly researched]] and realistic biography of Hornblower that could easily be mistaken for being about a real naval hero. Complete with portraits, maps, a family tree, and some plausible extrapolations. For example, Hornblower's first name was really Horace, and a letter released a century after his death reveals [[spoiler:he really did kill Captain Sawyer]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: The Forrester estate would only let "Mutiny" and "Retribution" film if Archie Kennedy was written out. (Not unreasonably, since his friendship with Horatio was changing Horatio's characterization too drastically from the source.) The writers convinced them to at least [[spoiler: let him die on screen. They then pulled a fast one and had Archie perform a HeroicSacrifice to save Horatio.]] And the estate couldn't do anything about it.

* RealitySubtext: ''Commodore'' was less historically-researched than the others. Instead, it reflects WorldWarII: Russia's tenuous alliance with England and threat from invaders, occupied and/or neutral Baltic/Scandanavian powers, and Britain's tenuous support.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Fans may recognize several characters from the mini-series as their other rather famous creations.
** Horatio as [[Film/FantasticFour Mr. Fantastic]]
** Archie as [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Lee Adama]]
** Mr Bush as [[Series/DoctorWho the Eighth Doctor]] or [[Film/WithnailAndI "I"]]
** Young Jack Hammond is [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Tom Riddle]].
** And his father, Captain Hammond, is [[Series/GameOfThrones Barristan Selmy]].
** Captain Foster is none other than [[StarWars Wedge Antilles]].
** Gunner Hobbs lives in Series/{{Cranford}}.
** Major Côtard was a villainous English "gentleman" once, trying to seduce Marianne Dashwood as Mr Willoughby of ''Film/SenseAndSensibility''.
** Maria Mason used to be a beauty and quite a teenage brat -- as Miss Lydia Bennet of ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' mini-series adaptation.
** Lieutenant Eccleston was once an officer aboard a cool ship and died in the very first episode. On ''Series/RedDwarf'', he appeared as Toddhunter.
** If you look closely in "The Fire Ship," you can see [[{{Series/Sherlock}} Anderson]] applying for a promotion in the Royal Navy.
** [[Series/GameOfThrones Maester Aemon]] was once a famous member of the British Admiralty in "The Wrong War."
** Hey, lots of guys and one gal who appeared on ''Series/{{Sharpe}}'' were in ''Hornblower''.
*** Major Nairn, a British spy master, is dying Captain Keene (Michael Byrne).
*** Colonel Fletcher is Lieutenant Buckland (Nicholas Jones). Neither has impressive fighting skills compared to the respective hero.
*** A workers' rights leader [[spoiler:and Sharpe's long-lost brother]] is Gunner Hobbs (Philip Glenister).
*** Josefina, a Spanish aristocrat and a beauty, is Senora Ortega (Katia Caballero).
*** Mr Tapling of the diplomatic service is Runciman (Ian [=McNeice=]).
*** Steward James Doughty (Ron Cook) is Napoleon. Boney himself! Holly crap, no wonder sailor Styles hated him so much.

** Archie as [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Lee Adama]]

* WordOfGod: According to Jamie Bamber, Archie is the third son of Scottish lord. Given his status as a CompositeCharacter, the majority of his backstory is composed of either the actors' and writers' statements about him, or {{Fanon}}.

* WeaponsUnderstudies: The HMS ''Indefatigable'', a 44 gun heavy frigate razéed from a 64 gun ship of the line due to that class' obsolescence, mounting heavier guns and thicker hull than normal, is portrayed by the ''Grand Turk'', a replica of the 20 gun post ship HMS ''Blandford'', which only mounts ten guns, six nine pounders and four 6 pounders. In "The Even Chance", it (more accurately) doubles as the corvette ''Papillon''.

* WeaponsUnderstudies: The HMS ''Indefatigable'', a 44 gun heavy frigate razéed from a 64 gun ship of the line due to that class' obsolescence, mounting heavier guns and thicker hull than normal, is portrayed by the ''Grand Turk'', a replica of the 20 gun post ship HMS ''Blandford'', which only mounts ten guns, six nine pounders and four 6 pounders. In "The Even Chance", it doubles as the corvette ''Papillon''.

* WeaponsUnderstudy: The HMS ''Indefatigable'', a 44 gun heavy frigate razéed from a 64 gun ship of the line due to that class' obsolescence, mounting heavier guns and thicker hull than normal, is portrayed by the ''Grand Turk'', a replica of the 20 gun post ship HMS ''Blandford'', which only mounts ten guns, six nine pounders and four 6 pounders. In "The Even Chance", it doubles as the ''Papillon''.