Swords flash and guillotines crash in this roaring British costume adventure played across the backdrop of the bloody Reign of Terror following the French revolution in 1789. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a dangerous double life. A dandy English diplomat by day, at night he emerges as the Scarlet Pimpernel, the daring and elusive hero fighting the forces of Robespeirre to save innocent necks from the deadly blade of the guillotine. Based upon the novel by Baroness Orczy that inspired several big screen adaptations, this series is a follow up to the 1952 UK radio show of the same name. Marius Goring, star of both the radio and the television series, was also the producer. In 1991 he was awarded the prestigious Commander of the British Empire honor for his historical service to British theatre.