Robin Hood

This is perfect Saturday night viewing. Don't expect complicated plots and subtext. It is pure entertainment. Goodies wear white (or green in this case) and the baddies wear black. It is as simple as that. The costumes are a bit modern the dialogue also is more in the present day.

But the best bit that makes it worth watching is Kieth Allens Sheriff of Nottingham. He is pure am dram evil. An amoral creature who would turn over his own mother. the supporting cast are great and Jonas Armstrong puts in a great cocky performance for an unknown actor.

The back ground characters are a bit week but this is probably more due to the fact there grasp of English is limited as the series is filmed in Hungary

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.

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 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.