Hornblower: The Fireships

Each installment in A&E’s 18th-century maritime series, based on the books by C.S. Forster, stands on its own dramatically, but the characters develop from episode to episode, so devoted viewers are rewarded.
France and Spain form a tenuous alliance against the British and Captain Pellew (Robert Lindsay) is caught in the middle of the squeeze play. Pellew is due to take his ship, the Indefatigable, to Cadiz Bay. Nearby, when a British supply boat runs across the opposition, Captain Foster (Denis Lawson), the vessel’s second-in command, seizes control and leads a counter-attack rather than surrendering. Although the coveted provisions don’t fall into enemy hand...