Horatio Hornblower - The New Adventures (Loyalty / Duty)
Dashing Ioan Gruffud stars as dashing Horatio Hornblower, unparalleled  British naval hero, in two more delightful episodes from the A&E; series.  InLoyalty, a peace with France has left Hornblower decommissioned  and short on funds. Only the help of his landlady's daughter Maria  (heartbreaking Julie Sawalha,Absolutely Fabulous) keeps him from  being kicked out into the street. Fortunately for our hero, Napoleon's  armies are afoot, and Hornblower soon finds himself sailing to France in  command of the Hotspur, grappling with Irish traitors and French  skullduggery.Dutypicks up whereLoyaltyleaves off;  Hornblower marries Maria with some ambivalence, but the day after his  wedding sails for the coast of France to find a missing ship. After  rescuing a supposedly Swiss man and his American wife in a storm,  Hornblower finds himself caught between an old foe in France and diplomats  in England. Though the derring-do is sometimes melodramatic,Horatio  Hornblowerswiftly becomes engrossing and suspenseful. Credit is due  to smart scripts, efficient direction, Gruffud's heroically curly hair,  and a superb supporting cast, including Robert Lindsay and Paul McGann  (Withnail and I).--Bret Fetzer