Robin Of Sherwood - The Complete Series 1 (DVD)

...The program in question ... Robin of Sherwood, one that in my opinion is the treatment of the Robin Hood myth against which all others are judged and found to be lacking. Of course I decided there and then to snap them up at the extremely reason price of £10.49 each for seasons 1 and 2 and £20.98 for season 3, and then discovered just how popular they were, as they had already run out of stock and I had to wait nearly three weeks to get them.
...these DVDs feature pictures of Robin on disc 1 (and bonus) and the whole of the merry men on disc 2. I would say that it's not the best quality printing however, which is a shame.

~~~The Storyline~~~

As I said before, for me Robin of Sherwood is the definitive treatment of Robin Hood. When compared to the previous incarnations its in a class of its own, and as for Prince of Thieves, what were they thinking, it doesn't ... more

On one of my regular visits to Play.com, I was enormously surprised, and not just a little bit delighted to see that they were selling all three seasons of one of my favourite programs of yesteryear at a highly discounted and very pleasing price.

The program in question ... Robin of Sherwood, one that in my opinion is the treatment of the Robin Hood myth against which all others are judged and found to be lacking. Of course I decided there and then to snap them up at the extremely reason price of £10.49 each for seasons 1 and 2 and £20.98 for season 3, and then discovered just how popular they were, as they had already run out of stock and I had to wait nearly three weeks to get them.

Having finally received and just finished watching season 1, I put in a product proposal, and now you have the chance to join me as I wallow in nostalgia and the previously hidden lusting of my teenage years.

~~~The Boxset~~~

The season is presented across 2 DVDs contained within two standard sized DVD cases, these then fit into a very nicely decorated slip case that features a exceptionally yummy picture of Michael Praed. Just so you know, all four boxsets follow this format. Also included in this boxset is a bonus disc, with previously unseen footage.

Don't you just love the fancy pictures they put on DVDs nowadays, no, well I do, I feel its all part of the package, and these DVDs feature pictures of Robin on disc 1 (and bonus) and the whole of the merry men on disc 2. I would say that it's not the best quality printing however, which is a shame.

~~~The Storyline~~~

As I said before, for me Robin of Sherwood is the definitive treatment of Robin Hood. When compared to the previous incarnations its in a class of its own, and as for Prince of Thieves, what were they thinking, it doesn't even come close.

The story begins in the village of Loxley, and as the village is being destroyed by Norman soldiers, Ailric, the village leader manages to get his son Robin to safety before being killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham's men. With his dying breath he warns the Sheriff that “The Hooded Man” is coming......

15 years later and Robin has grown up, with his foster brother Much and finds himself in trouble with Guy of Gisbourne, over the little matter of the killing of one of the King's deer....

Now this is just how the first episode begins, as it and indeed the series continues we meet many more of his “merry men” along with the villains. After the second, each episode is essentially self contained, but there is a feel of continuation throughout. There is a strong storyline to each episode, with plenty of action, close calls and romance throughout.

~~~The sets~~~

The strong storyline was just one factor in making this program successful, another was the sets. They are remarkably realistic, unlike many other versions, they show the squalor in which everyone, including the nobles lived. The forest backdrops were wonderfully atmospheric, as were the castles. I really can't find fault with them, and this was all without the aid of the sophisticated computer equipment we have now.

~~~The soundtrack~~~

Well, how do I describe the most hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, ever experienced in a television series. To start with, let me say that I defy anyone over the age of 30 to not instantly recognise the theme tune, “The Hooded Man”. The soundtrack was provided by Clannad, and they did a wonderful job, the Gaelic feel to the music is a perfect accompaniment to the scenery and action.

~~~The cast and characters~~~

Of course where would the program have been without the excellent cast, a few of which have made household names for themselves since the program finished.

Each of the characters was, to my mind at least, cast perfectly. From Michael Praed as the youthful and energetic Robin, through to Nickolas Grace as the dastardly Sheriff.

Now I'll give a run down of the main characters :

Robin Hood - Played by Michael Praed

Son of murdered village leader Ailric, Robin of Loxely is chosen by Herne the Hunter to become his son. Robin, takes on the role of protector of the people along with his band of outlaws.

Maid Marion - Played by Judi Trott

Lady Marion of Leaford, meets and falls in love with Robin while under the protection of Abbot Hugo. She spends most of the series trying to show the rest of the group that she is as good as any of them, but often ends up nursing them instead of getting involved in any fighting.

Much - Played by Peter Llewellyn Williams

Much the Millers son, is Robin's foster brother. Today we would say he had learning difficulties, but in the time this is set he's described as being simple. I love his naivety, its so refreshing. He adds a little bit of comedy to the program, but also asks some very sensible questions, for example “does dying hurt??”

Little John - Played by Clive Mantle

Gentle giant John Little, seems almost like a big brother to Robin. Although he originally tries to kill him, he is soon a loyal ally in the fight against tyranny.

Will Scarlet - Played by Ray Winstone

Hot headed Will, who lost the love of his life when she was murdered by Norman soldiers, met Robin in the dungeons of Nottingham Castle. He is most likely to hit first and ask questions later, an attitude that causes a little bit of trouble at times.

Friar Tuck - Played by Phil Rose

Fiercely protective of his “little petal” (Marion), Friar Tuck is a jovial character, who was once the Sheriffs chaplain. He injects a great deal of comic relief into the program.

Nasir - Played by Mark Ryan

Saracen Nasir, was at one time bewitched by a sorcerer into trying to kill Robin. Now part of the outlaw gang, he is an expert swordsman and knife thrower. Now to let you in on a little secret, of all the character, Nasir was the one I lusted over as a teenager, he just seemed so mysterious.

The Sheriff of Nottingham - Played by Nickolas Grace

The pompous sheriff, is haunted by the words spoken by Robin's father at the beginning of the series. He is a cruel, calculating man with a great love of money, and a great hatred of Robin Hood and all that he stands for.

Guy of Gisbourne - Played by Robert Addie

Bumbling Guy, is always one step behind Robin, never quite managing to catch him. As the sheriffs right-hand man he has a fair amount of power, but doesn't have the brains to use it.

Herne The Hunter - Played by John Abineri

Half spirit, half man, Herne is a mysterious creature who inhabits the forest and tries to bring balance to the land through his “son” Robin. He is Robin's guide and mentor through his various adventures.

Man in cell (and Arthur) - Played by Stuart Linden

I couldn't describe the characters without including the crazy old man in the dungeon and his pet rat “Arthur”. A reoccurring character throughout the seasons, he is just so funny.

~~~The pretender~~~

Now I couldn't review this program, without at least a passing reference to the most well known film about Robin Hood and a quick comparison, so here goes.

The film in question is “Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves”(POT), and to me it takes many of it's ideas from this series. For example, the Saracen, well Robin of Sherwood, did it first, and in my opinion did it better. Then there's the mysticism, while in Robin of Sherwood, it was Robin who had the magic on his side, it was woven seamlessly into the plot, while in POT the witch seemed rather contrived to me.

I also found POT romanticised the era somewhat, while Robin of Sherwood, was far more gritty and realistic. Just watch and see how King Richard is portrayed.

~~~The extras~~~

Now that's enough about the program itself, now onto the extras, and the first thing I'm going to say is that the set is absolutely stuffed with bonus material.

^^The bonus disc^^

The Electric Theatre Show Unseen Footage

21 previously unseen scenes from the TV entertainment program “The Electric Theatre Show”, including interviews with the stars, and writers and behind the scenes as the program is made.

Some were without sound, but this was all in all very interesting.

Clannad Promotional Footage

Basically a video of Clannad performing The hooded man. Nice, relaxing music, but not particularly interesting.

^^Disc 1^^

Original Mono soundtrack

Why you would want to watch this with a mono soundtrack, I don't know, but you get the chance to.

Commentary with creator Richard Carpenter and director Ian Sharp
(Episodes 1 and 2)

Pretty self-explanatory, but basically they explain how their ideas for the episodes progressed and how they created the effects and atmosphere.

~~~~~

Stills Gallery

A total of 128 stills from the season. Several of which could possibly make good wallpapers for your computer.

~~~~~

The Electric Theatre Show

An entertainment program from the 80's that focussed on Robin of Sherwood. OK, but looked very dated.

~~~~~

The making of Robin of Sherwood

A retrospective look at how the program came into being, along with the actors take on how the program was made. Very entertaining, if only to see how old the cast look now.

~~~~~

Robin The Hooded Man Promo by Clannad

A video the comprises of a mix of Clannad singing, with scenes from the program.

~~~~~

^^Disc 2^^

Commentary for episode 6

~~~~~

Stills Gallery

A further 47 photos

~~~~~

The making of Robin of Sherwood (pt 2)

The concluding part of the documentary

~~~~~
Richard Carpenter's Original Treatment

A transcript of Richard Carpenter's original notes as he was developing the program, in a readable format. Gives quite an incite into his train of thought.

~~~~~

Series One Outakes

At last the bloopers reel, the best part of any extras if you ask me.

~~~~~

Textless Title Screens (mute)

A look at the title sequence without any words, or sound. Very pretty, but very poor quality picture.

~~~~~

Biographies

A look at the careers of some of the stars in written format.

~~~~~

All in all the extras were very entertaining, and worth a look at, with few fillers.

~~~Picture and sound quality~~~

Both the picture and audio seem to have been enhanced, and considering the age of the program they are very good, and seeing as these are DVDs they won't deteriorate as VHS would. However, some of the extras have not been cleaned up, and the picture quality can be quite poor in them.

~~~Other Info~~~

Original Air Date : 1983
Rating : PG (some violence)
Feature Running Time : 300minutes (approx.)
Region : 0 (PAL)
Picture : 4:3 and 16:9
Sound : Dolby Surround
Languages : English
Subtitles : None

Price : £29.99 at http://www.networkdvd.co.uk/product.php?GROUP_ID=11&PROD_ID=36

or £10.99 from Play.com

~~~My Opinion~~~

I love this boxset, not only does it contain one of my all-time favourite series, but it's packed with special features, which actually add to it's value for money. But this is not just for the nostalgia freak, my 13 year old son has watched and enjoyed it, as have my other children. Although, there is some violence, it's not as graphic as many programs produced today, in fact I don't think you ever see any blood. And of course for any child studying medieval history, it gives a pretty accurate, warts and all look at the period.
 

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