Robin Hood

I love it. Absolutely love it. Without a doubt, the most appalling and horrific bastardization of a long-established "can't miss" premise, and I can't stop watching it.

The "Who Shot the Sheriff" episode sealed the deal for me - had me, in fact, on the floor in near hysterics at the pure stupidity of it all. Since then, my wife and I have had a wonderful time watching through the series with perverse glee. Not since renting, viewing and properly digesting the entirety of the Steven Seagal catalog have I enjoyed anything to this same degree for the completely incorrect reasons.

8 out of 10 for pure enjoyment factor. Now someone just needs to establish a good drinking game.

Firstly, this seems to be a show that everyone either loves or hates. I am definitely one of the latter people. I would normally just turn over and watch something else, but I am angry how the licence fee money has been wasted yet again on a well below par TV series. I was looking forward to it, but when even the BBC's own listing magazine gave it a lukewarm preview the alarm bells began to ring, and after watching several episodes to give it a chance enough is enough.

One of the main problems of this show is the poor casting. I am far from against using unknown actors, but when they are as bad at acting as this it beggars belief. Charisma-free Jonas Armstrong is woefully miscast as Robin Hood. Are we really expected to believe he has spent five years hard campaigning in the Holy Land? Despite proclamations from the BBC about the fight training it is clear from the camera angles and the constant slow motion that they barely know one end of a sword from the other. It is also apparent that Robin uses a stunt double for most if not all horse riding, so why was he chosen? He looks more the sort of person who goes around stealing hub caps and car stereos than being the noble outlaw he is usually portrayed as. As for the rest of the cast, only Keith Allen comes anywhere near to the mark. Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisburne looks like a motorcycle courier, and has all the menace of one. Maid Marian has so much make-up on I thought at first she had two black eyes. Much is just a poor version of Sam Gamgee from Lord of the Rings and the merry men show worse acting ability than the average school play, not helped by the cringe worthy script.

Perhaps it does make a good kids show, but in which case why isn't it put on the CBeebies channel and why does it have to be so childish? The writers seem to have their own political agenda, and are intent on forcing it down our throat, with no real attempt made to disguise this fact. They seem to have run out of story ideas already after only a few episodes, with one of Robin's men being captured virtually every week. This programme is very much like the US TV series Hercules or even Xena Warrior Princess, with the wobbly dialogue, acting and special effects except that the BBC probably spent far more per episode. Perhaps this was aimed at the American market like most of the BBC programming seems to be these days, forgetting they are funded by the British public.

Overall this adaption has none of the charm of the classic Richard Greene version, which even allowing for inflation probably cost about as much per 39 episode series as one episode of this drivel. Indeed it is hard to see where the money has been spent. The costumes are hardly authentic, the same few sets are used every week, and the extras are few indeed for a town the size of Nottingham. I have seen many different versions of the classic tale and I have to say this is the worst. Even the ever-wooden Kevin Costner was better than this.

Only the music is any good which is why I gave it more than 1/10. Even that sounds as if it has been copied from Superman.

Season 1 was an enjoyable romp once it got the gang assembled, and Season 2 had an energetic Empire Strikes Back quality, but we're halfway through Season 3 and it's a turkey. New lackluster characters are being introduced into the gang, taking the focus off the old characters we actually like. The writers seem to have lost the thread of the story. At the end of Season 2 they set the audience up for a big showdown, but they deflated the tension in the very first episode. There are continuity issues every episode, such as, Why does Gisborne suddenly have a sister when he spent the first season moping about having no family? Did Gisborne's soldiers get eaten? Prince John was supposed to be angry about his tax money, but when Gisborne returns, it's to kill Robin Hood, not to squeeze money from the sheriff. With a few exceptions, most of the scripts feel as if they were hastily sketched out, without much care toward development of character or continuity. It's a shame.

The one exception to the lackluster season is Toby Stephens as Prince John. He's the perfect combination of insecurity, viciousness, and preening pomposity. He's very funny.

I enjoyed this very much, maybe that's because I was expecting a light hearted romp for families about the legend of Robin Hood and not a documentary. Exhilarating if outrageous action scenes, humour, nasty bad guys, bit of social comment for the adults. Robin a mixture of gravitas and cheekiness. Great verbal sparring between Robin and the Sheriff and a Robin and Marian. The sets were amazing, Locksley a bit sterile but the overall look was good. Did exactly what it said on the tin for me and what I expected for a programme in that time slot. Now the characters are settling in, looking forward to more good stuff from future episodes.

I first watched this series in 2006 and enjoyed it.

Fast forward to 2023. I was In much need of some light entertainment with everything going on in the world.

I needed to revisit the age old tale of good triumphing over evil, at a time when global governments are the equivalent of the Sheriff of Nottingham - but much, much worse.

So I decided to rewatch all three series. What a tonic. Yeah, ok, some of its a bit cheesy. The costumes may not be completely historically accurate. The CGI is a bit dated in parts. The acting is a bit hammy. But with all that having been said, this is great television. I laughed and I cried. I cared about the characters and having just watched the final episode, I wish there was more.