Robin des bois

In my opinion, out of the vast majority of the Robin Hoods out there, this is by far the best. It is witty, enjoyable and fast paced. Its suitable for all ages hence the 7pm airing. The casting is just right, Robin is supposed to be young, he has just returned from the crusades, Jonas Armstrong is perfectly suited. Marian (played by Lucy Griffiths) is the model woman, she stands up for what she thinks is right and isn't afraid to put herself in the line of fire so to speak. The sheriff is suitably horrid and Robin is perfect as the young, charming and cheeky rebel. As most BBC 13part shows are good, you expect this to be too and you aren't disappointed.

After the first 15 minutes of the BBC's new drama 'Robin Hood', I was pretty much certain that I wouldn't go further than the first episode. Robin (Jonas Armstrong), back from the Crusades in Jerusalem is coming home to Locksley, along with is ex-servant and friend, Much (Sam Troughton). They make a pit-stop on their journey home, to help a blacksmith in return for food... and a roll in the hay with his bosomy daughter who looks like she just stepped out of a Justin Timberlake music video. Riiight. Then came a dodgy back-flip, some ridiculous one-liner and I was thoroughly unimpressed.

I know a thing or two about the legend of Robin Hood. As a kid the Disney version (yep the sing-along with the fox as Robin) was a favorite, and when I was about 6 and went on a trip to England, my family and I made a pit-stop in Nottingham, got a photo by the Robin Hood statue and even went on a little Robin Hood ride and walk through Sherwood forest. I was told the stories of Robin Hood, and have a soft spot for the Robin and Marian romance. I felt obligated to give this new BBC drama a try, since everything Robin Hood once fascinated me as a child.

The first episode, as I said, did not inspire confidence. Jonas Armstrong isn't who I picture as Robin Hood. One review described him as being the 'Orlando Bloom' type, one who "hovers somewhere between boyhood and manhood" (Daily Express, September 9, 2006). I had seen Armstrong in the fourth season of 'Teachers' and was not terribly taken by him. But in 'Robin Hood', Armstrong is initially hard to swallow as the hooded crusader, but this isn't entirely his fault. Robin initially comes across as a cocky, womanizing lad with a hefty ego, and it wasn't until about the third episode that I actually started to warm to him. What made sure I came back to watch the second, third and eventually entire series of this show was Lucy Griffiths as Maid Marian and Keith Allen as the deliciously ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham.

Newcomer, 19 year-old Lucy Griffith's Marian has dropped the 'maid' and follows the lead of 21st century female TV heroines such as Buffy, Veronica Mars and Rose Tyler... which isn't surprising, the show could not have worked with a wimpy and weak Marian. Griffiths and Armstrong do have a great chemistry as well, despite the fact that the dialogue between Marian and Robin is sometimes corny ("kiss it better?") there is a spark, and that's enough to keep the Marian/Robin romance interesting for me. Even more so is the fact that in this updated version, Marian does not welcome Robin home with open arms. He left her 5 years ago to fight for glory and King Richard in the Holy lands, and she is still feeling the sting of his desertion.

Keith Allen plays a fantastically villainous Sheriff, who sometimes reminds me of Tim Curry, and is always entertaining. Richard Armitage plays Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff's right hand man and the new lord of Robin's Locksley manor. To top it off, Gisborne is in tough pursuit of Marian, adding an extra layer of intensity to his dueling with Robin.

This show has been commissioned partly due to the huge success of the resurrected 'Doctor Who', and while it isn't quite on-par with the genius of Russell T. Davies's show, 'Robin Hood' is worth a try. At times the production value leaves you wanting, the stunts can be laughable and the acting a little wooden. It isn't really until the seventh episode "Brothers in Arms" that things really start to pick up with the drama and story lines, and from seven onwards it is a brilliant roller-coaster ride sure to make the previous six lack-luster episodes worth the watch.

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.

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.

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.