Robin Hood

When I first saw it I thought it was really bad and almost didn't watch it again. The first episode was cringe-worthy.But... I stuck with it and with each passing week it got better and better. Now, I'm hooked. It's great entertainment. People who say that it is not historically correct are just being picky. Not many people care whether it is correct or not. As long as it is good drama and entertaining then it will be watched. Robin Hood has all of those things. Brilliant drama, occasionally funny and has got a hint of romance running through it. The actors, though not widely known are great and Robin Hood gets better as each week passes. Definitely something you should give a try.

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.

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.

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

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.