Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" (NBC, 1956-57) was one of several costume adventure series produced in England that followed the very successful release of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (CBS, 1955-58) a year earlier on CBS. Produced by Sapphire Films, the company that produced "Robin Hood" and "The Buccaneers" (CBS, 1956-57), "Sir Lancelot" brought the legend of King Arthur and Camelot to the small screen. Although it only lasted a single season, "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" is historically important in the annals of television history as it was the first British television series with multiple episodes produced in color.

"The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" was issued on DVD in its entirety in England by a company called Network, but previous U.S. DVD releases have been limited to a few selected episodes on discs such as The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Volume 1 and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Vol. 1. With the release of this 3-DVD, 30-episode set from Timeless Media, those previous releases are no longer necessary for anyone collecting episodes from the show; this release has it all. The series' entire run of 30 episodes is included in this set and the audio/visual quality, while far from perfect, represents a major improvement over all previous U.S. DVD releases of the series. Most importantly, 12 of the 14 color episodes that were produced have survived the ravages of time and are included in this set. Some of the color episodes are faded and a few are quite vivid, but the color episodes were, apparently, only broadcast during the 1956-57 season and subsequent airings of the series were broadcast in black & white. So it's a revelation to see the color schemes employed for this show after more than half a century.

William Russell is well cast in the starring role as the gallant knight, and other cast regulars included Ronald Leigh-Hunt as King Arthur (Bruce Seton portrays Arthur for the first three episodes), Jane Hylton as Queen Guinevere, Cyril Smith as Merlin and Robert Scroggins as Squire Brian. British character actors like Nigel Green and Derren "Derry" Nesbitt are featured as different characters in numerous episodes, and Patrick McGoohan makes one of his earliest television appearances as a villainous knight in one of the series' early episodes titled "The Outcast."

This release is a must for anyone who enjoys the British costume adventure shows of the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s. Timeless Media has also released episode compilations of The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Buccaneers and William Tell. All of these series are enjoyable and highly recommended.

My rating for "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" is closer to **** & 1/2 due to some comparatively minor film flaws here and there as well as some of the faded color issues previously mentioned, but it's really not much of a deterrent to anyone's enjoyment of this series.

Before you buy this, please understand what you're getting. Don't expect any continuity with previous Arthurian tales. Try to ignore the charaters' names and let the stories speak for themselves.

As to those stories, it's clear that this series was aimed at a young audience. In short order Lancelot 'adopts' young Brian to serve as his squire, and Brian proceeds to steal the show. Each week will dish up another problem for Lancelot to solve, and Brian's help will be essential.

Given this youthful focus, and the mores of the time, it's no surprise that this series delivers peril without tragedy, and combat without bloodshed. Humorous moments are plentiful, and any flirtation between Lancelot and Guinevere is strictly courteous (in the original sense of the word).

Within these boundaries the series provides a lot of good, clean fun. The characters are quite engaging. I'm especially fond of Merlin, who's more showman than sage. Lance is on to him, but they quickly come to an understanding.

This is a cutesie little 50's offering, but no Robin Hood or William Tell. This one strays even farther from any possible connection with history...I think the main difference is that this one can't decide if the protagonist is a hero or a comedian. The Round Table is presented pretty much as a collection of characters, none of whom are particulary outstanding in any way. None of the crises that arise are particularly interesting or important. One gets the feeling that England is a sort of medieval Gillegan's Island...but without the laugh track...which sounds like a plus, but if you had it, you'd at least know when they were TRYING to be funny...I recommend Robin Hood and William tell, and even Buccaneers, over this series---still, it's better than what's being turned out now...

The series is as I remember it...It is not only fun to watch, but the stories are a heck of a lot better than most of the stuff today...

This DVD set is likely to be primarily of interest to fans of classic Dr. Who. The title character is played by William Russell, who went on, a couple of years later, to play Ian Chesterton, one of the first Doctor's companions.

While it's definitely interesting to watch William Russell in a different role, I fear that the series has little else going for it. The acting is about as wooden as the practice swords that the knights use while sparring. The actors seem to do their best, (many of the actors, including Russell, have proved themselves able to do far better in other programs) but there is little they can do with the painfully bad dialogue and silly story lines. Robert Scroggins, as Lancelot's young squire Brian, does about the best job -- maybe he was too young to be embarrassed by it all. The fight scenes are lumbering, and the nature of the story lines means that every episode has at least one fight scene.

Having said all that, it does manage to be fairly entertaining, and it's quite inexpensive for a 3 disc set. So if you are a fan of classic Dr. Who, or 1950's television, it's worth picking up.

The DVDs are of reasonably good quality, though there no extras of any kind.

The classic and inspirational stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are brought to life through "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" - bravest of all the Knights.
Presented here is the entire series of 30 action-packed episodes of this classic show,
some of them presented here for the first time in colour.
Only one season was made. 1956.
William Russell stars as Sir Lancelot. He played Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who.
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DVD Information & Episode titles.
The Knight with the Red Plume - Ferocious Fathers - The Queen's Knight - The Outcast - Winged Victory - Sir Bliant - The Pirates - The Magic Sword - Lancelot's Banishment - Roman Wall - Caledon - Theft of Excalibur - The Black Castle - Shepherd's War - The Magic Book - The Ruby of Radnor - The Lesser Breed - Witches' Brew - Sir Crustabread - Maid of Somerset - Knight Errant - Double Identity - The Lady Lilith - The Bridge - The Ugly Duckling - Knights' Choice - The Missing Princess - The Mortaise Fair - The Thieves - The Prince of Limerick.
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Time: 750 mins
Subtitles: None
Sound: Mono/English
Picture: 4:3
Number of Discs: 3 (For some reason the region 2 version has 4 discs.)
Some episodes colour some black and white.

Another great set from Timeless. Quality a little rough in places in some episodes but over-all I found the episodes fine, and for the price; for the age - I think this is a pretty good set and a worthy addition to my classic tv shelf. Some of the episodes are in color - though frankly I wish they had remained in black & white.

I don't actually remember this show at all and so I am hooked. Like The Adventures of Robin Hood, it is a good companion set to that and a great fill in for half an hour (each episode).

Great memories and simple pleasures of the past. Well worth the look for classic tv fans!!!

I got this set for my son for Christmas. He started watching it and then we were all there. Good clean entertainment for the whole family. I have loaned it out and everyone has enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

A fun mid-fifties series, putting you right back into Arthurian England. William Russell is very believable as Sir Lancelot, and Robert-Leigh Hunt the best King Arthur. Back-up cast add a lot to the episodes. Similar storylines: damsel in distress being held captive by bad knight rescued by good knight (not always Lancelot) but still very engaging and I watch mine everyday.

The legends this series is based on have had many interpretations in book and film. So I can forgive the anachronisms in clothing styles and liberty taken with story lines - like the creative addition of Brian, which really made the show for me. I was enchanted by this TV series in 1956 when I was eight years old, and it enchanted me again when my husband gifted me the series on DVD for Christmas 2011. The pull of nostalgia on viewing the series from some fifty years distance is extremely compelling. My memories of the characters are sharper than my memories of other shows of this era, even if other shows are considered better. This show struck a strong cord in my psyche. And why it did, I really don't know.

What I do know is I now see in the show, 1950's values overlaying a medieval scenario inhabited by charming characters with engaging humor. This show may well have partially sparked the humor I put in my own writing, even today. Also, it may have been the start of my public service ethic (seriously) and the choice of my first real employment as a teenager - swimming pool lifeguard. It may be what underlies my twenty year service in the Coast Guard Auxiliary (civilian volunteer component of the Coast Guard) doing search and rescue on Lake Michigan. You see, I bought the ethics of knighthood as an eight year old child despite the show's 1950's attitude that it was a men's club only and my role as a female was to be abducted and then rescued. I ignored the gender issue and identified with Brian and his dream of joining a group of people dedicated to do good in the world. Perhaps his overcoming his own humble background encouraged me to overcome my "gender handicap" as many girl children of the 1950's eventually did through the women's movement of the 1960's and 1970's.

Both Lancelot and Brian, for me, made this show. But they were well backed up with the silliness of Sir Kay whose buffoonery made me laugh, King Arthur who represented authority with dignity, and the Queen who represented how women should behave (except for me, of course). I realized on viewing the DVD episodes that I had accurately remembered the voice tones of both Brian and Lancelot over all these years: Lancelot's burbling laugh and Brian's soft and soothing voice. As an 8 year old, I liked their looks but as a 63 year old, I realize what eye candy they both really were. If I had been a teenager when I first saw the show, I might have done one of two things: laughed it off as silly and not watched again after the first episode or, I might have developed a crush on either or both of these male actors and avidly mooned over the show each week. But discovering them as an 8 year old - I imprinted on them. That runs much deeper than a fleeting teenage obsession. So I may try to introduce them to my seven-year-old granddaughter. Perhaps she is of the wrong generation to be enchanted by them. But little does she know that Grandma who pays for and drives her to her taekwondo lessons, and is proud of her high gold belt and her 3rd place in a tournament, might be pushing the martial arts instead of ballet lessons because half a century ago an enchanting TV show kick-started Grandma's dreams.