Customer Reviews

Robin Hood: The Complete Series

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

On preparing to sit through 3 seasons of BBC's "Robin Hood," it's best to know what to anticipate. If you're expecting any sort of historical insight or don't want anyone tampering with the "classic" tale of Mr. Hood--then I'd advise you to take a pass. Do I even need to say what "Robin Hood" is about? Robin is a former noble who becomes an outlaw and forms a posse to (duh!) rob from the establishment and aid the poor. This version casts attractive actors, employs anachronistic language, and is firmly rooted in modern (and politically correct) sensibilities. The production is slick, stunts and camerawork exemplary--this is a well crafted entertainment. Most episodes move at a brisk and amusing pace, and even when things seem to lack real danger--the series more than compensates with humor. The plots aren't particularly revelatory, but any lack of originality is likely to be forgiven due to the energetic and likable performances.

And the success of this "Robin Hood" rest squarely on Jonas Armstrong's shoulders. Armstrong is a star! Perhaps a bit slight for a true action hero, Armstrong is wildly appealing and has great comic timing. His need to be loved by the people is a running gag and one that works exceedingly well--but, then again, who wouldn't love this Robin? Keith Allen is a stellar Sheriff of Nottingham, this is comic villainy at its finest. Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne is the show's real menace and does a nice job with a somewhat underwritten part (he isn't fully fleshed out until season 2). Lucy Griffiths plays an earnest Marion--updated to hero status herself just to be fair. At first, the show had trouble incorporating Marion into the main action and her tone was always more somber--but a balance is reached as the show progresses. The secondary players are a bit more sketchy, but are employed to good effect when necessary.

If this version of "Robin Hood" is guilty of anything, it might be a "too cool for school" mentality. It is so intent on being clever with ironic humor and modern attitudes that the sheer adventure is sometimes secondary. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this updating--it just tries so hard to be "hip." From the whimsical episode titles through to the inevitable laugh that ends just about every episode, "Robin Hood" almost defies you to take it seriously--and yet, its ultimate success depends on you doing so. Season One is lightweight. Season Two ups the stakes dramatically with a killer, but controversial, finale. Season Three is more uneven in tone and disliked by many fans--but it also gives Armstrong as well as Armitage their strongest dramatic work. Initially fun, frothy and not particularly filling--this series isn't afraid to ratchet up the seriousness and danger as it progresses. While this may not have been appreciated by all--I felt this unexpectedly hard edge made the show far less predictable and of more emotional consequence. KGHarris, 09/10.

The latest television incarnation of the Robin Hood story (following on from the 1950's The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene, the 1980's cult classic Robin of Sherwood and - if you insist - the ludicrous 1990's New Adventures Of Robin Hood) ran from 2006 to 2009, consisting of 39 episodes and spanning three seasons in total. It ran the gamut from poignant, joyful, suspenseful television to ...well, complete nonsense at times, but when the show was at its peak, it was a wonderful character-driven drama that showcased the remarkable talent of its ensemble cast and tapped into our lasting fascination with the legends of Robin Hood.

Robin of Locksley and his faithful manservant Much return home from five years fighting the Third Crusade (yes, *five* years, that's your first clue that the writers never bothered with silly things like research and accuracy) only to find that the England has changed in their absence. Nottingham is ruled by the tyrannical and slightly unhinged Sheriff Vaizey, and Locksley's lands and estates have been seized by the deep-voiced, dark-stubbled, leather-clad Guy of Gisborne.

Neither is there a warm welcome waiting in the arms of Lady Marian. Robin's childhood sweetheart is severely unimpressed by his reappearance - at least, that's what she wants him to think. When the injustice and barbarism becomes too much for Robin to bear, he openly defies the Sheriff and goes into hiding in Sherwood Forest, collecting a ragtag bunch of outlaws on the way. Embracing the familiar "rob from the rich to give to the poor" mantra whilst simultaneously trying to woo back his beloved Marian, Robin Hood begins his personal crusade against the regime.

The first season was written, filmed and produced by Tiger Aspect for the BBC on very short notice, commissioned to fill in the Saturday night slot whilst Doctor Who was on hiatus, and which faced an extra setback when several of the tapes were stolen on location in Hungary. The speed with which the project went into development is apparent throughout its first season, what with some unevenness in tone and pacing, dialogue dubbed over footage, and episodes written largely as stand-alone stories with little sense of continuity from week to week.

Eyebrows were certainly raised at certain creative decisions: the colour-blind casting, the odd blend of contemporary and period costumes, the outrageous anachronisms (which over the course of the show included modern slang, Tai Chi, cargo pants, casinos, ninja-stars, mousetraps, hang-gliding, knowledge of CPR, and facial prosthetics - and that's just scratching the surface) and the infusion of the medieval setting with rather clumsy attempts to be both politically correct *and* politically relevant. This involved commentary on terrorism, religious intolerance, eastern warfare, and a pacifist-preaching, Koran-reading, scimitar-wielding version of the English hero. Historians howled in disbelief; even the casual viewer may have winced a couple of times; but on the whole, one very clear message was being broadcast: don't take this too seriously.

And yet one couldn't deny that there were moments of true innovation amidst both the predictability and the general insanity. For the first time in any portrayal, Guy of Gisborne showed that there might be more to him than just a hulking lackey of the Sheriff. Marian had better things to do than spy for Robin or fend off Guy's advances: her alter-ego was the masked and cloaked Night Watchman, a vigilante who provided food and medicine to the poor long before Robin jumped on the band-wagon. Much was not a half-witted peasant, but rather a highly-trained-and-trusted servant to Robin. Allan-a-Dale didn't strum a lute; he was a fast-talking con-artist and thief. Will Scarlett was neither cheerful nor psychotic; he was an introspective teenager in which still waters ran deep. Our Saracen character was a woman; an educated physician called Djaq who was brought to England as a slave but who stayed to help out the heathens. And the Sheriff gave Alan Rickman a run for his money as the completely over-the-top tyrant who is brutally effective, ridiculously hammy, and terrifyingly conscienceless.

There was potential here, potential that was largely utilized in the ensuing season, which had a much better understanding of what worked and what didn't. Which is to say: the writers realized that show's strength lay in its characters, and each one gets development across the course of season two.

Season two raises the stakes, what with Robin and Marian's love affair taking place against a backdrop of increased danger. After a jilted Gisborne destroys Marian's home and forces her and her father to take up residence in the castle, Marian decides to make the most of her punishment by spying upon the Sheriff and Gisborne, and passing information onto Robin.

Robin has plenty of problems of his own, what with the accumulation of treacherous Black Knights in Nottingham and the existence of a traitor within his own camp. (Minor season two spoilers ahead...) Unbeknownst to his comrades, Allan-a-Dale has been coerced into servitude by Gisborne, forcing him to walk a tightrope as he tries to placate his temperamental new boss whilst secretly protecting his former friends. Between Guy, Marian, Robin, Allan and the Sheriff there's a fascinating dynamic, both in the power they wield over each other and the relationships they forge despite it, and it makes for riveting television: suspenseful, morally complex, and brilliantly acted.

Though slightly more low-key than the main players, there's also plenty for the remaining outlaws to do. In the wake of Allan's absence (who was the third point of the show's secondary and far more subtle love triangle) Will Scarlett and Djaq drift closer together, whilst Much feels threatened by the growing presence of Marian in Robin's life. Little John still mourns the loss of his family whilst acting as a pseudo-father figure to the younger outlaws, and Sir Edward (Marian's father) finally grows a backbone after a season-and-a-half of casting disapproving glares at his daughter's antics.

The characterization was strong and the storylines tightly plotted, with plenty of foreshadowing that hinted at Prince John's plans to usurp the throne and attempts by King Richard to return to England. Robin and Marian get secretly engaged amidst the increasing turmoil going on in the forest and castle, and with a range of interesting guest stars and intriguing plots, season two was heading toward an exciting climax.

And then... it happened. Spoilers ahead.

By this stage, it should be common knowledge that season two ends with the death of Marian at the hands of Gisborne. After she partakes in a succession of contrived and completely out-of-character activities (including the attempted murder of another character), the episode accumulates in a ridiculously overwrought and eroticized death scene in which our heroine is brutally impaled on Gisborne's sword before managing to coherently exchange lengthy wedding vows with Robin despite a fatal stomach wound which nonetheless shows no signs of any bleeding. As deaths scenes go, it's a horrific way to say goodbye to such a beloved and iconic figure.

Perhaps we'll never know the whys or wherefores of this creative decision, as reports on what exactly was happening in the writers' studio are varied and conflicting. The BBC seemed eager to foist the blame onto Lucy Griffiths, citing Marian's death as a necessary development after the actress declared her intention to "seek opportunities in Hollywood" (despite there being no evidence that Lucy went anywhere except back to England after the season wrapped up). The episode writer Dominic Minghella cites shock value on the DVD commentaries as his reason for killing Marian, and the thousands of outraged fans who wrote in to the BBC received an automated email from Commissioning Editor Sandra Brandist who stated: "We felt that Robin Hood mattered most to our audience, and what mattered most to Robin was Marian, and therein lay the most compelling and dramatic climax to the end of Series 2. Robin Hood is a returning drama series that we hope will be entertaining families for years to come. In order to achieve this we need to make difficult decisions to ensure the series survives, and that there's room to introduce new characters and new storylines."

The cast itself was rather suspiciously closed-mouthed about the whole affair, save for Richard Armitage who made it very clear in several interviews that it was a) the writers' decision, and that b) he was NOT happy about it. Finally, co-creator Foz Allen, who remained a producer even after his partner Minghella left the show under the cloud of all this controversy, claimed: "What does Robin cherish most? Marian. So, what happens when you take Marian from Robin? What happens to him?" (As it turns out, the third season's answer to this question was no more profound than: "He gets over it.")

Whatever happened, happened. Marian was gone, as were Will Scarlett and Djaq, who do not die, but apparently cease to exist, considering they are never again seen, heard from, or even mentioned in passing throughout the entirety of season three. Marian's death deprived the show of its emotional centre, but losing two popular characters like Will and Djaq only worsened the situation. Even Carter, a favourite guest star, reappears in the final episode, only to be killed off in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. The storylines that had been building up over the previous two seasons had now been abruptly dismantled, the audience's emotional investment in the characters and their relationships had been shattered, and it was virtually impossible to rebuild or replace what had been lost. It was a hefty price to pay for some cheap shock value.

I've already spoken at length on season three, and little of it needs to be repeated here except to say that your enjoyment of the final season will depend largely on your opinions concerning Robin and Guy. They are really the only two characters that matter in the third series, with every other character sadly reduced to a plot point or an extra, and as such the show's success or failure will most likely hinge on your estimation of their characterization.

When it came to Robin, the writers had the opportunity to explore a depiction of the first Robin Hood in history that has ever had to deal with the murder of his beloved Marian. This was largely squandered in favour of sensationalized melodrama, (which included long-lost siblings, cat-fights, dysfunctional families, and meaningless love triangles) and many will find Robin's demeanour in the wake of Marian's murder quite baffling.

There's very little change in his personality or behaviour, and the only thing that Marian's absence facilitates in his story-arc is the opportunity for two incredibly inappropriate relationships with two rather unpleasant women. The sister of his wife's killer and an illiterate peasant are obviously destined to fail as girlfriend material; the audience knows it, and Robin knows it. So why waste our time with it? What was the point in depriving Robin of Marian if we're not going to see how he copes without her? Why create a flawed hero if he isn't going to struggle and overcome those flaws? What should have been a long, slow journey out of despair, in which Robin honours Marian's memory instead of explicitly stating that he wants to forget it, is obliterated by the second episode in which we see him grinning merrily as Much holds up two bags of gold from an ambushed wagon and cries: "we're back!"

Too soon, writers. Too soon.

Guy fares a little better, in that he actually *gets* an emotional journey to take after Marian's murder; yet in direct opposition to the stance the writers take with Robin, it may be a case of too little, too late. Guy gets redemption, but unlike the likes of Angel or Xena (two shows built on a redemptive theme), there isn't enough time for any meaningful atonement.

Essentially, we're now dealing with a character that has murdered the woman he claimed to love, and who the writers now expect us to pity for his grief over her death. Guy does garner some sympathy in several touching scenes with a young girl called Meg, but in this season alone he kills an unarmed teenage boy, dangles a child over a cliff, is compliant when Prince John announces his plans to rape a female prisoner, repeatedly tries to murder his own sister, and never shows any remorse for any of the other innocent lives he's taken over the course of three seasons. For those not willing to go to the time and effort it takes to try and justify Guy's actions, they may find that by the time his eleventh hour redemption rolls around, they've run out of reasons to care about it.

Yet it is Jonas Armstrong and Richard Armitage who undoubtedly carry season three, and when the writing matches their talent they are more than ready to deliver heartfelt and stirring performances. The raw anguish and latent fury within both of them in the season opener borders on frightening, and both actors try to infuse their roles with some degree of melancholy and weariness throughout the episodes that follow, even as the writers continually force them into situations that are increasingly nonsensical. The final few episodes in which the two form an uneasy alliance demonstrates the remarkable chemistry between Armstrong and Armitage, creating a strangely touching "friendship" that is once more let down by the utter absurdity of the circumstances that the writers create for them (would you believe me if I said Robin and Guy team up despite Marian's murder in order to save the life of their secret half-brother, a ninja-pirate who is named Archer on account of the arrowhead shaped birthmark on his stomach?)

Sadly, there's little to say about the rest of the cast. With three of its pivotal characters gone, the writers desperately tried to fill the void with a plethora of new faces, a tactic that resulted only in the marginalization of the original cast members. There's a wonderfully campy and hilarious rendition of Prince John (pity he's only around for three episodes) and Gisborne's sister Isabella is quite a game-changer, even though her erratic characterization means she is only as helpful or as insane as she needs to be in order to drive the plot forward, and is far too vulnerable to pass as a genuine threat when Guy and Robin team up against her. And it was more than a little disturbing that a woman who had clearly been mentally and physically abused by a sadistic husband for years was ultimately passed off as an irredeemable villain.

Tuck finally turns up only to be relegated to the token black guy who never behaves like the monk that he's ostentatiously supposed to be, and the outlaw dynamic of season three inexplicably revolves around the random inclusion of a village girl called Kate, the singularly most pointless and annoying character ever to appear on the show. Not since Lana Lang have a team of writers tried so desperately hard to make their audience like a character, whilst simultaneously giving them no reason to feel anything but a strong desire to chuck her in the lake. She seems to have been included for politically-correct requirements, in that there just HAS to be a girl in the boy's club, a decision that ends up being more insulting than empowering to female viewers considering that Kate never does anything but get kidnapped by bad men, throw herself at Robin, and whine. Her, we did not like.

In juggling all these newcomers, Much, Allan and Little John are reduced to little more than walk-on extras: Much pines for Kate, Little John lifts heavy objects, and Allan is killed off in a death scene that makes even Marian's look good by comparison. They deserved better.

So much untapped potential, so much promise left unfulfilled, so many set-ups and storylines that led only to letdowns. Season three is riddled with continuity errors and requires a constant struggle to keep up with characters' ever-changing desires and motivations, and by the end of the show, all but one of the original cast members had quit for greener pastures (Sam Troughton's character survived the carnage, but had made it clear he wasn't returning for the proposed season four). With a depleted cast and flagging ratings, the BBC pulled the plug on "Robin Hood."

So, is it worth it? In hindsight, the pros and cons of the show are pretty evenly matched. The cast's enthusiasm and mad energy in the first two seasons is off-set by their considerably more subdued performances in the third, but some may find the darker subject material of the last season to be a welcome change from the lighter hi-jinks of the previous ones. Parents should know that although it claims to be a "family-friendly" show, this isn't necessarily something you want to leave your kids with, as despite the stylised violence and the complete lack of blood and gore, there is plenty of controversial material, including torture, casual adultery, on-screen deaths (including that of a child in early season one) and increasing themes of violence toward women, who by the third season, only seem to exist in order to be fought over, threatened, and/or killed off.

Newcomers who are armed with foreknowledge of certain plot developments and willing to take a chance on the show's good points may be the right audience - sometimes it's easier to enjoy a show when you already know where it's going to end up (just try to not get *too* attached to any of the characters; that'll only end badly). However, established fans of the show should be forewarned that this "boxed set" is simply new packaging that contains the three previously sold seasons. It is NOT a new edition, it's just the three seasons that have already been individually released (with the same cover art and all) inside a bigger box. There are no extra goodies that were not previously contained on the original releases; no outtakes, no deleted scenes, no commentaries for season three. If you already have the three separate boxed seasons, then there's no need to invest in this one.

I haven't seen other versions of Robin Hood besides the one with Russel Crowe (which I thought was rather average) and the one with Kevin Costner (which is your typical knight-in-shining armor & damsel-in-distress sort of film), so when I came across this series I was pleasantly surprised. Seasons 1 & 2 maintain a good balance of comedy & action while driving the storyline along.

I now have the opinion that Jonas Armstrong is the only one who can truly play Robin Hood, but I also found myself loving Keith Allen's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham. When the bad guys are on screen without the accompanying hero, my eyes are still glued to the screen.

If you haven't seen the show though, you should be forewarned about season(series) 3. (I'll try to keep this vague enough so I don't give anything away, but be forewarned if you don't want anything given away). I could deal with the way they ended season 2, but everything seems to fall apart in season 3, so expect a lot of variations in the final season. Not only do a lot of the former characters get shoved to the background, but the new characters they introduce come nowhere close to filling that void. Prince John is the only character, in my opinion, that comes close to the former characters that mixed comedy/action. And, there were a few episodes I thought were a complete waste of time as they had nothing to do really with Robin Hood protecting the people of Nottingham, and instead seemed to try and set up characters for another season after Jonas Armstrong's departure. If you prepare yourself for a letdown after two great seasons of show though, then you should be able to sit back and watch without too much angst.

If you loved the show and can forgive the faults in season 3, then get the whole series. It's well worth it. In my opinion, the performances by some of the actors like Keith Allen, Richard Armitage, and Jonas Armstrong make it worth buying the pathetically disappointing 3rd season. I looked around quite a bit before buying the complete series, and amazon had the cheapest price I could find. Even with the way things fall apart at the end, I'm still glad this one is on my shelf.

Modern day approach to Robin Hood with young hot men wearing pants instead of tights, Robin himself often wears a hoodie instead of a cape. The character development and antics of Allan A Dale along with Marian's role as a physical heroine instead of a maiden in distress make this series especially refreshing and appealing. After watching the entire series, I immediately made my husband watch it all over again with me. He enjoyed it, though he didn't think he would. I highly recommend watching it as opposed to all of the weak and pitiful garbage they are showing on television these days.

This take on Robin Hood is one of the best! And yes its not historically correct but it is action packed, dramatic,comical,and has it all! The 1st season is great, I came across it on netflix and fell in love immediately! Before I finished season 2 on netflix I went straight to amazon to purchase the complete series. I was hooked from the very momment I saw Jonas armstrong on the screen and when he spoke it was a done deal! Season 2 was just as good if not better than season 1. I was not happy with the ending but knew it wasnt going to stop me from watching season 3! Season 3 even with some characters missing still had me hanging on the edge of my seat and I think brings the show full circle. I will say the ending is a sad yet happy ending. what do I mean by this well what I tell everyone is I compare it with the Gladiator (Russell Crowe) ending. It was sad yes but happy and made sense why it ended that way! This series is deffinitely something you want on your shelf to enjoy over and over again! And after watching Jonas Armstrong play Robin at least for me there is NO ONE who can ever match his performance! He is ROBIN HOOD!!!!!!!!!

I was a little skeptical about this at first - but was hooked instantly. This is an AMAZING series - fun for everyone! HIGHLY recommend this, it's fantastic!!!

If you think you've seen it all when it comes to Robin Hood, including seemingly countless movie retakes and endless television variants, think again, and take a look at this BBC epic remade for an audience looking for a modern version of this medieval story. It's everything you might come to expect from the BBC: lush visuals (and I mean, REALLY lush), beautiful filming, impressively convincing settings (a combination of real and CGI content), and a cast capable of meeting up to all of it. But it's the sum of all these elements, combined with a great use of wit and referential humor (the series contains lots of hidden, and some, not so hidden, allusions to modern events and people) that make this a stand out show that's not only really fun to watch, but also helps us learn the Robin Hood story all over again.

Some of the episodes really push into nail biting suspense, and, even with humor so consistently woven into the stories, there is drama to enjoy at every point. Casting for the show was done exceptionally well, with a whimsical, driven Robin Hood (Jonas Armstrong), an evil Sheriff who is part villain, part comic (Keith Allen), and a double-minded Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage, of "MI-5" fame). Other cast members are equally excellent. Little John is passionately played by Gorgon Kennedy, and Sam Troughton's portrayal of "Much" is simplify hilarious, touching, and endearing. This is a group that is as fun to watch as it is easy to believe in their story, and being able to drink in the rich visuals and gorgeous costumes as we do is simply to make a good thing better.

Season One is the basic Robin Hood story, with all the modifications described above. It's great right from the beginning, but, like many shows, as the directors, writers, and producers work through the actual creation of episodes over time, they hone in on what works best, making the episodes stronger as the season progresses. As we move into Season Two, the ante is raised, with even more dramatic and adventurous story lines, but still holding on to what we might see as the traditional story of Robin Hood. Season Three, however, takes the whole thing a step further, and, without giving any plot spoilers, what we can say is that a unique and powerful story line appears, with both the writers and the actors given a chance to expand and innovate with the characters. (Laura Pulver makes her debut in Season Three, and greatly adds to the dramatic undercurrent of the season.) This makes Season Three the most unusual of the set, but its really not to be missed, particularly once one has gone through the first two seasons. (Like many shows, this series is best watched in order of episodes, and by season, because the story successively builds upon itself as it goes.)

You might think that Robin Hood could never interest you in the days of Avatar, but watching even the first few episodes of the set should convince you otherwise.

That you can pick up the entire three season set here at once is a real nice bonus. You might find that you'll enjoy it as much as I have. We have watched it in order from beginning to end three times now. That's how good it is. You'll feel like you've been made a part of Robin Hood's family, and its sad to see the series end each time! Five stars for amazing story telling, acting, sets and scenes, costumes, and directing.

One minor note ...
And this is not to be considered much of a negative in regards to whether you should get the set, but it is an item to note that, for some reason, some episodes of the Season One disks have some uneven black banding in very dark scenes. This only occurs on a rare occasion when the background is completely black (like during the end credits), and then you'll see a back banding problem, which I am assuming is from the digital transfer process. This is pretty unusual for the BBC, and it really isn't much of an issue at all, but I have noticed it. It appears to be minimized or eliminated in the remaining seasons, but you may notice it in the closing and opening credit rolls in Season One. It's not a big deal, and some LCD sets may not even reproduce it.

The BBC incarnation of "Robin Hood" (2006-2009) is not for everyone. If you're a history pedant who frowns at anachronisms, or if you believe that certain elements of the Robin Hood legend are sacred texts not to be tampered with, or if you insist on strict logic in plotlines, then it is most likely not for you. However, if you want good drama with exciting action, complex and interesting characters and a quirky, often tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, then I strongly recommend this show. It's good entertainment, but it's also emotionally involving and thought-provoking.

Jonas Armstrong, to me, will now always be THE definitive Robin Hood. I don't always find his Robin particularly likeable, but he is always compelling -- a genuinely heroic and noble character who also has his flaws and even his dark side, whom you may admire one moment and want to smack one minute later. Despite his boyishness, he exudes genuine leadership quality and charisma.

Lucy Griffiths's Lady Marian is a good match for this Robin. She is another flawed hero who has noble goals but often makes morally questionable choices. Far from being a storybook romance, their relationship is full of conflict and tension from the start, though it also has its sweet moments. Griffiths's acting may be a little lacking at times in the early episodes in scenes that call for emotional intensity (though I wonder if part of that was a deliberate choice, with Marian keeping a tight lid on her emotions early on), but she grew very quickly as an actor, particularly in Season 2.

Richard Armitage truly shines as Guy of Gisborne, the villain-turned-tormented-antihero who, for many fans, became the real center of the show. The conflict between his ambitious striving for power and his desire for goodness and redemption, with his psychological dependence on the Sheriff of Nottingham thrown into the mix, his love for Marian, his hatred (and hints of reluctant admiration) toward Robin -- all this makes for fascinating drama. You never quite know which way his story will go (unless of course you've been spoiled for some of the big events). Gisborne has appeared as Marian's unwanted suitor and Robin's rival several previous movie and TV versions of "Robin Hood" (including, of course, the 1938 Erroll Flynn movie), but in this version there is enough ambivalence on Marian's part to keep things ... interesting, to say the least. Remember, this is a show on which anything can happen and no legend is sacred.

Any description of the show would be incomplete without a mention of Keith Allen as the Sheriff, having tremendous fun in his "Big Bad" role but also doing a fantastic job of creating a character who manages to be both hilarious and chillingly evil. Despite being thoroughly evil, his Sheriff manages not to come across as one-dimensional: he is cynical, smart, manipulative, power-hungry, and thoroughly contemptuous of all human connections and notions of decency. His relationship with Gisborne, which sometimes looks like an abusive marriage and sometimes like a twisted father/son dynamic, is riveting to watch.

The cast of characters is rounded out by Robin's longtime servant and loyal friend Much, wonderfully played by Sam Troughton; Allan-a-Dale, a petty crook who finds a new life in Robin's gang but later confronts new temptations and conflicts (Joe Armstrong); Little John, the giant outlaw with an often violent temper but a kind heart (Gordon Kennedy); Anjali Jay as Djaq, the freed Saracen slave who turns out to be a skilled medic and fighter; Harry Lloyd as the quietly intense Will Scarlett; and, later on, Lara Pulver as the mysterious and dangerous Isabella and Toby Stephens as the narcissistic, unpredictable, and ruthless Prince John. And that's not to mention guest characters and actors who managed to make a lasting impression in one or two episodes, like Josie Lawrence's Matilda, a midwife and healer falsely accused of witchcraft, or Joseph Kennedy as Carter, a Crusader turned assassin.

While the writing on "Robin Hood" has been criticized for improbable and hole-ridden plots (with a show like this, it's best not to ask questions like "But how did they get from A to B so quickly?" or "Where did those horses come from?"), snappy and intelligent dialogue and highly consistent characterization more than make up for these flaws. The character dynamics, supported by excellent performances, are riveting enough to be make the stories compelling even when the plots stretch credibility. One of the things I admire most about this show is the way it manages to divide our sympathies -- the way the same character can go from deeply sympathetic to deeply unsympathetic in an instant, and the way two characters on opposite sides can both claim our sympathy (and exasperate us at the same time).

The writers and producers made some controversial decisions for the Season 2 finale that changed the course of the show for the third season and displeased many fans. See for yourself. I count myself as a fan of Season 3, though it could have been better and some of the missed opportunities are regrettable. Overall, though, my biggest complaint about this show is that there was not enough of it, with only 39 episodes.

As far as a series is concerned, if you are at all a fan of all things British, then this is a fun television series to watch. The acting is pretty good and the tension between Maid Marian and Robin Hood is keen in this series, which kept me watching! While it didn't feel as heavy handed and dark as some recreations of this tale, it still had plenty of action and fighting sequences, with a storyline that built on itself from episode to episode.

One side note. Guy Gisborne is played by Richard Armitage, the amazing and talented actor from the BBC production of North and South. His Guy Gisborne is so complex, dark, and brooding that you somehow manage to feel sorry for him a time or two. If you're a fan of Robin Hood or British television, I would give this series a try.

Packaging note: This came in a boxed set, but each season is individually included in the box. On the whole, it is a nice looking set that is user friendly and fits in with any other DVD collections you might own.

This show is so crazy. Everything is ridiculous, but it is so entertaining. I've see all of the episodes and it is a great escape for adults and kids. It is violent, but there is never any blood or gore. And this show is not afraid to kill off main characters or undergo wild plot swing. You will be pulling your hair over how dumb some of it is, but even that stuff you will love.