Robin of Sherwood

Robin of Sherwood was part of my whole teen years and in a way after all these years and seeing it again on DVD now, it has not lost anything in all these years. My fascination is still there. I have never seen another Robin Hood story that had all these great color effects, the castles in the mist with red filter, the atmosphere it created. And for sure it is a series that tried to show how it could have been at that time, no beautiful styled castles, but you see the dirt and the fog in it. It has its own charm, and for me will always have. The mystical elements and also the two stories of Robin Hood that are shown here (Robin of Loxley and Robert of Huntingdon)have never been shown that way again. I love both Robins but personally I prefer Jason Connery as actor in this role.

This retelling weaves myth and magic with the Robin Hood legend and, indeed, Robin becomes associated with the forest god, Herne the Hunter reinforcing the idea that Robin is a medieval incarnation of The Green Man (the 'foliate head' of the old religion which is often found carved on many churches).

The scripts were were well written, the plotting well thought out and the characters - and ensemble cast - excellent. In particular, congratulations to Mark Ryan - who became Nasir the Saracen. Due to be killed off at the end of the the first episode, he was so good, that he remained as a permanent cast member.

Ultimately, though, the series' immediate appeal was due to the amazing on-screen chemistry between its two leads, Michael Praed and the beautiful Judi Trott as (the first) Robin and his Marion. Praed's youthful, dark, good looks had an almost 'fey' quality which made the magical element entirely believable. (And by 'fey' I don't mean to imply any loss of masculinity.) The first two seasons - with Praed - were by far the best.

In the third season, Jason Connery had a hell of a task following an actor so perfect for the Robin role, but he did reasonably well and the strong ensemble cast carried the change of lead well. Richard Carpeneter's wise decision to make the new 'Robin Hood' a completely different character with a completely different background was a very wise move.

I suppose any review should mention the immense debt Costner's Robin Hood Prince of Thieves owes to Robin of Sherwood. Some might say that 'debt' was putting it mildly! Costner not only retained the Saracen (who until Nasir had never been a Robin Hood character at all) but he filmed in many of the same locations; used the same horsemaster (Stevie Dent) and clung to the magical elements - though being a good old American boy stuck to the idea of Christianity good - old religion bad, whereas Robin of Sherwood often showed the political corruption of the Church (historically accurate)and the simple spirituality of the old religion (unrelated to 'black' magic). Alan Rickman's OTT sheriff was a wilder version of Nickolas Grace's sly characterisation.

What more can I say? If you've never seen Robin of Sherwood, rush out and buy the complete thing on DVD - I guarantee you'll watch it again and again for the lovely filmic quality of the camera work, the leisurely but never dull pacing (which invests in the attention span and intelligence of its audience), the acting, the ideas, the very real emotional kick and (much praised) the delightful music by Clannad.

And did I mention Michael Pread...?

Unfortunately, only four episodes of this series are commercially available, and it is not often re-run on television. Although the few available episodes can often be found in the children's or family sections of video stores, they deserves much more respect than this; this show is one of those rare incidences of really good television.

The show mixes magic and paganism into the familiar Sherwood tale, and music by Clannad adds to the mystical atmosphere. But the characters are anything but the swashbuckling cardboard heroes that the Robin Hood stereotype embodies, and we have come to expect.

Michael Praed (in my mind, the perfect Robin Hood), plays a fallible, conflicted Robin, who is nonetheless idealistic and strong. All of the Merry Men are fleshed out as full characters, with their own motivations and ideas, and Marion (Judi Trott) is represented particularly well. She avoids many female stereotypes: she is beautiful but not plastic, a fighter but still definitely feminine. The Sheriff of Nottingham (Nicholas Grace) and Guy of Gisburne (Robert Addie) are present as the classic villains, but they both go far beyond the usual limited parameters of these roles.

The characters are all comfortable and unselfconscious, as though they don't realize that they are legends. To me, this is their most appealing trait of all.

The creators of the show also deserve kudos for their brave move in replacing Michael Praed when he opted out after two seasons: instead of recasting another actor in the same role, a different Robin Hood was introduced -- a man of noble background (played by Jason Connery-- yes, the son of *that* Connery)as opposed to the peasant upbringing of Michael's Robin. The show thereby manages to address both accounts of Robin Hood's origin. (Many people prefer Jason's Robin. I personally still gravitate toward Michael. It is an ongoing debate among fans.)

Even after all this time, the show still has a devoted cult following, who gather for yearly conventions with the stars. Their devotion is understandable; "Robin of Sherwood" is the best representation of the Robin Hood legend that has ever been created for the screen.

This is THE best fantasy series ever, particularly the first two seasons which are flawless. The scriptwriting is beautiful, the performances never bettered- Michael Praed is the most charismatic Robin Hood yet, and Judi Trott's Marion is head and shoulders over all others, but the acting laurels have to go to Ray Winstone as Will Scarlett- watching his intense performance as a man on the verge of psychosis really drives home the fact that Christian Slater was a pale imitation of him. The direction is, perhaps, consistently better than any other series, and that music...

Above all, it is the fact that it is the only programme that I watched as a kid that seemed BETTER when I saw it as an adult. If there is one TV series that deserves to be released on DVD it is this one.

Ok, some facts to get a few potential misunderstandings out of the way: This is an early 80's British production. So, everybody expecting the highest US production standards and a gloss factor 10 should back off NOW! Everybody else will have an HONEST ball of a time rediscovering one of the most underrated, and at the same time most precious gems in Fantasy TV as well as movies. This isn't only the definitive blueprint of the 'modern' conception of the Robin Hood tale, as well as 'modern' fantasy, it's also a 25-part journey through high quality Fantasy story-telling as we've ever encountered it before or after. Too bold? I don't think so. Re-watch the excellent DVD collection (the last part will appear in November) and marvel at the originality laying foundations to almost every similar project going.

Be aware! It's old-fashioned and VERY simple! It's demanding and VERY clever! Contradiction? Not really. It's a child of its time as well as a prototype of what's to come. But everyone who's still kept a sense for the simple, as well as most precious prospects in story-telling, will be delighted. This is a unique gem that can only be surpassed by a greater budget coupled with at least a similarly good script. Let me tell you: That hasn't happened yet.

Re-educate yourself in the unique virtues of early 80's UK television. You won't be disappointed.

Schogger13