The BBC presents this “re-imagining” of the Robin Hood legend as a television show is quite the time, but the best lines belong to the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham (who is obviously having the time of his life in the role).
What the back of the box says:
His ally in Nottingham is Marian (Lucy Griffiths), the sweetheart he left behind when he left for the Crusades. As the series progresses and the gang fights on, how long can Marian keep amorous Gisborne (Richard Armitage) at bay, will the Sheriff succeed in cornering Robin Hood, and what will Robin make of the sinister truth behind Gisborne and the Sheriff’s secret plotting? The state of England is rotten and Robin and the gang will learn that doing good deeds in Nottingham is a dangerous business indeed…”
Robin Hood is a new series from the BBC that takes the legend and tweaks it a little for the kiddies of today. This might not sit well with some viewers since it makes Robin Hood a little bit of a pacifist and carries over a Saracen character such as was seen in the Kevin Costner movie (though not the same one). However, nitpicking aside, this series is quite fun and features some fine performances.
Jonas Armstrong makes a likeable Robin (though a bit thin as compared to Errol Flynn), Gordon Kennedy is excellent as Little John, Sam Troughton’s Much provides a great deal of the comic relief (ironically his grandfather Patrick Troughton (of Doctor Who fame) played Robin in the BBC’s ‘50s Robin Hood television show), and Lucy Griffith’s Marian is more of a modern girl who has her own sense of daring-do that might fit better in our modern times that the times of Robin Hood.
The person that is absolutely grand is Keith Allen as the wickedly sarcastic Sheriff. I always enjoy the baddies and Allen is one of the better ones - think Alan Rickman with even more menace. The show also changes a bit of the Robin Hood myth in that Little John and Robin are not the best of friends, downright hostile in the beginning in fact, and Marian is also not exactly loving towards Robin (or particularly happy to see him) since she feels he chose the Crusades over her.
Disc 1:
Episode 2: Sheriff Got Your Tongue?: The Sheriff resorts to brutal, random torture in an attempt to find Robin, who has no choice but to give himself up for imprisonment. Robin threatens to kill the Sheriff if he harms one more person to get to him. Although Robin soon escapes, the Sheriff learns his enemy's one weakness.
Episode 3: Who Shot the Sheriff?: Robin Hood is blamed when a mysterious sniper murders innocent people in Nottingham. When the Sheriff is nearly killed, he further incriminates Robin as the shooter. Desperate to stop the killings, Robin forms an unholy alliance with the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Disc 2:
Episode 5: Turk Flu: The Nottingham Fair arrives, bringing with it the lure of the silver arrow competition. But Robin must resist temptation until he has dealt with something more pressing: the Sheriff's move to buy Saracen slave labor for his lethal mine. Will Robin put the mine out of business and get to Nottingham in time to win the prize?
Disc 3:
Episode 7: Brothers in Arms: A family reunion between Allan and his long-lost brother Tom turns sour when Tom and his crooked friends tag along with the gang and eventually leads to mortal danger for Marian.
Episode 8: Tattoo? What Tattoo?: King Richard's birthday turns out to be a day of surprises for the gang. First, Djaq (Anjali Jay) is captured when they raid Gisborne's party at Locksley Manor, then Robin unexpectedly discovers a terrible secret about Gisborne which sends Robin spiraling out of control.
Episode 9: A Thing or Two about Loyalty: Castle scientist Lambert invents explosive black powder, but worries it could be a lethal weapon in the hands of someone like the Sheriff. Lambert hides his notebook and the Sheriff is desperate to find it.
Disc 4:
Episode 11: Dead Man Walking: A routine trip to Locksley to collect new weaponry descends into chaos when Robin and Little John witness the capture of their bow maker and the arrest of Little John's son.
Episode 12: The Return of the King: The glorious news spreads that King Richard is returning to England. For most it hails a return to much happier days, but for Will and Allan it means a return to their lackluster former lives. And for Robin and Marian it means her impending marriage to Guy of Gisborne.
Episode 13: A Clue: No: England welcomes home King Richard and the tragic events of the previous episode threatens to break Robin Hood’s spirit and put an end to his days of robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Robin Hood is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features are spread over the discs with the fifth being entirely devoted to special features.
Disc one has a commentary on “Sheriff Got Your Tongue?” with Gordon Kennedy, Lucy Griffiths, executive producers Foz Allen and Dominic Minghella, and composer Andy Price. Disc two features the 15 minute “Hood Academy” featurette that shows the sword, archery, fighting, and equestrian training the cast had to do to prepare for the show. Next are 7 minutes of character profiles (cast/crew talking about the characters) for Robin, Marian, and Roy that you can watch all using “play all” or by character. “Parent Hood” has a commentary by Kennedy, Griffiths, Richard Armitage, Allen, and Minghella.
Disc three has a 5 minute character profile on Guy of Gisborne. “Tattoo? What Tattoo?” has a commentary from Armitage, Jonas Armstrong, Sam Troughton, Anjali Jay, and composer Price. Disc four has a 4 minute character profile of the Sheriff. “A Plan: No” has a commentary by Jay, Armstrong, Troughton, Allen, and Price. Disc five is entirely special features and includes the 29 minute “Robin Hood: The Making of…,” the 16 minute “Dressing Hood” covering the costumes, the 11 minute “Designing Hood” covering production design, and 6 minutes of character profiles for Little John, Will Scarlett, Djaq, and Much.
This version of Robin Hood is quite a fun ride and features a fine bit of villainy from Allen. The disc is loaded with special features and fans of the show should find it well worth the purchase price. If you’re offended when they tinker with the Robin Hood myth (such as if you didn’t like the inclusion of the Saracen character in Costner’s film) then you still might find something to enjoy in this fine series.
Robin Hood – Season 1 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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