The Adventures of Sir Lancelot

Sir Lancelot was one of a series of cheaply made but highly crafted TV shows made for the new ITV network in England in the 1950s These were all set in medieval times and even as a child at the time I was amazed by how similar they were. Among these shows were "Robin Hood" starring Richard Greene Sir Lancelot (William Russell" William Tell (Conrad Phillips) Ivanhoe (Roger Moore who later became a James Bond) and Richard the Lionheart (Dermot Walsh)

As they were made on a shoestring, props and uniforms and "extra actors" tended to appear and reappear in the shows. One money saving device was castle parts on wheels which could be rearranged to make it seem that there were several castles in the one show

I remember watching this television series as a child. I fell in love with Sir Lancelot (naturally!) and this program encouraged my lifelong interest in King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.

Since this series there have been numerous versions in film of the story of Arthur and his Queen Guinevere, the castle Camelot and those chivalrous Knights. Strangely enough none are ever the same but they are all based on the original legends of Arthur. This series had a fresh adventure for Sir Lancelot each week - whether it was rescuing damsels in distress or joining his fellow Knights in battle. The acting and the production values were very good for the time - everyone dressed in suitable period outfits. Then Sir Lancelot admired his Queen from a distance - there was never a hint of an affair as this was a children's program! The settings always looked very authentic and for Camelot itself no doubt a real castle was used - there are plenty of them in the UK.

Looking back on these episodes of the Sir Lancelot legend, it recalls fond memories of a more innocent age, when TV series such as this one, and Robin Hood, William Tell, the Buccaneers etc, etc were king. Nowadays, the obvious budget restrictions on the production are clearly apparent but hey, who cares, it is still a marvellous little series. It has lots of plus points - joyous and carefree adventure, authentic settings, neat story lines, strong ensemble cast, and a splendidly energetic Sir Lancelot, played by that fine actor William Russell. Highly recommended for children and adults alike, and in many ways makes one wish for the values of an age gone by to return.

Tough and brave Lancelot fights his way to a place in Arthur's Court, becoming a Knight of The Round Table. Sir Lancelot of The Lake battles rogue kings, vikings, doppelgangers and saves many a damsel in distress.

William Russell shines as Sir Lancelot, just a few years before he'd become known to millions of fans in Doctor Who, he started as Sir Lancelot. Handsome, brave, fearless and true, there is no challenge the brave knight won't take on.

Solid stories, solid acting, an adventure series from the 1950's, it rivals, but isn't perhaps as good as The Robin Hood series, but it's definitely watchable.

It has appeal to viewers young and old, sword fights and action sequences aplenty, plus some wry humour. Some of the fight sequences look dodgy at best, sometimes they turned out well.

The costumes, though perhaps not accurate, looked splendid. I liked the location work also, considering they made this on a small budget, they did a fine job.

When it switches to colour, it looks and feels so very different, I understand it was done for The US market, most of them are in black and white however.

Episode quality does vary, the best of the lot for me, Sir Crustsbread, it's hilarious, and features some very strong characters, Lancelot really does meet his match.

A real shame that only one series was made, I think it improved as time went on, more would have been nice.

7/10.

William Russell is usually on quite good form in this series depicting the chivalric challenges facing the eponymous knight at the Camelot court of the legendary King Arthur (not always played by the same actor, which could have been a bit confusing were it not for his crown!). There are thirty of these enjoyable 30-minuters that allow us to sit back and enjoy some adventures for the round table knights as they face foes and woes from within and without. The production is adequate, as is the writing and although the stories have little jeopardy or menace, the actors are having good fun making this and there is plenty of horse-borne action to keep each episode agreeable to watch. There usually features a B-list "guest star" to keep an eye on, and there is always loads of plotting and scheming too. Worth watching in a binge if you can - they pass the time surprisingly easily.