The BBC has a lot of programming that is just lost on the North American crowd, but I for one like the change of pace. Its graded on a different scale so it is hard to place against our own TV programming. Shows like the new Dr Who and its spinoff Torchwood have a cult following. And their latest take is on the British iconic hero of legend Robin Hood. The entire first season has already aired in the UK, but not in North America.
his companion is not a Moorish warrior sworn to save Robin’s life, but a more realistic partner, his man-servant Much (Sam Troughton, Alien vs. Predator). I say “realistic” because, since Robin is from a wealthy family,and so where he goes Much goes, including off to war. Much also offers comic relief with his selfish moaning and demands to be treated like a free man - though he’s not sure what a free man really is.Though the action scenes and general look of this Robin Hood is on par with The Prince of Thieves, England itself gets more of a starring role here - viewers see how the nobleman of the time were persuaded and bullied into agreeing with the most powerful men in the county, in this case the Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen, Viva Blackpool).
It’s just too bad for the Sheriff that Robin returns from overseas with a strong sense of justice and ruins the Sheriff’s plans - the Sheriff is a conniving, manipulative man who uses political corruption to gain a monopoly of land.
Jonas Armstrong plays Robin, and Lucy Griffiths plays his Marion. Armstrong bears a STRONG resemblance to Ryan Gosling. In this twist, Marion is not the damsel in distress but a heroine working on the political insides.
I really got into the series despite the fact that I just couldn’t take the Sheriff of Nottingham seriously. He was just too campy to really be considered a threat. Also, many of the earlier episodes seem to all have this “one of us was captured and we have to break them out of the impenetrable dungeons of Nottingham” thing over and over. But as the series went on, the story got better.
I was hoping for a second season, and it remains to be decided. The last episode had a bit of an 80s ending with the freeze frame fist in the air and all.
So now we get to see this on the air in Canada, but unless your satellite picks up BBC Canada, then you wont be getting a peek south of the 49th parallel.
April 23rd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I watched this when it originally aired in the UK, and I was really impressed with it. The fight scenes were a lot of fun to watch, they weren’t boring at all.
Some of the actors were great in it as well. I was really impressed with the actors who played Much, and Guy of Gisborne.
I would definately recommend this to everyone, though there are some episodes which are quite dark & disturbing in tone. There are some later episodes which I would probably not allow my kids to watch (if I had any).
Also Rodney, I think BBC America has already shown this in the States earlier this year.
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
BBC America is currently showing this on Saturdays at 9:00. I think they’re up to episodes 6. I’m a little behind, myself, having 2-3 episodes on the Tivo.
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I’ve already seen the series and it’s a fun series. I agree that at the beginning it’s repetitive, but the story develops nicely. Hoping for season 2