Customer Reviews

Robin Hood

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

 

 

If you've never seen "The Adventures of Robin Hood" television series, this is a good starting point with enough episodes to whet your appetite for more. The series was one of the very first British television imports, and ran on the CBS network from 1955 through 1958, and later in syndication. Richard Greene stars as the appealing hero, supported by some very good British character actors, including Alan Wheatley who's terrific as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. The production was very innovative for its time, placing many of the props on wheels so that sets could be quickly constructed without having to move the cameras. Several blacklisted Hollywood writers, including Ring Lardner, Jr., were employed on this series, writing under aliases.

While there have been a few other releases of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" television episodes on DVD, this DVD set from Platinum Disc Corporation is the largest to date in the U.S., collecting 12 episodes of the series on two discs. And, unlike the 21-episode set released several years ago by Marathon Music & Video on VHS, all of the opening titles and closing credits are intact. In fact, several of the opening sequences even reference the show's U.S. sponsor, Wildroot Hair Tonic.

I've yet to see a truly great release of Robin Hood episodes on either VHS or DVD, as all U.S. releases to date have used 16 millimeter syndication prints of episodes that have fallen into the public domain rather than the original film elements. So, in that regard, the visual quality of the episodes in this collection are variable with the episode "The Fire" looking the best to these eyes. Despite their sometimes ragged-looking edges, all of the episodes are watchable and, ultimately, enjoyable.

While this set includes two DVDs, one may also purchase the discs as singles. Recommend for those interested in classic television of the 1950s and/or those who enjoy costume adventures. The episodes included on each disc are shown below.

Disc 1:

Too Many Earls
Blackmail
The Vandals
Dead of Alive
The Fire
Brother Battle

Disc 2:

Children of Greenwood
The Miser
Goodbye Little John
The May Queen
Queen Eleanor
Food for Thought

A highlight of my childhood, the "Robin Hood" series is still fun these many years later. Though the plots are almost painfully thin and the acting somewhat wooden, these simple tales of right and wrong, where justice always prevails, offer a refreshing break from the unending violence and ambiguous morality of modern television fare. If you have young kids (11 or under, I'd say), you might still get them hooked on these shows.

The quality of the episodes is less than perfect (somewhat dark with weak audio), but they are certainly acceptable. All in all, a great investment!

Given the rather uneven transfer quality of the 12 episodes in this collection and the fact that they are not in their original broadcast order (some are from Season #1 and some from Season #2) anyone really interested in watching the series should think about just purchasing the more recent Mill Creek release. It includes all 143 episodes (four seasons worth) in their original order and the discounted price is around $15.

I purchased from Amazon.co.uk each of the four seasons of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" - all 143 episodes - for about $20 per season.

Digital transfer was excellent and our entire family has enjoyed the series. Packaging involved sturdy plastic cases, each containing 2 DVD's, with 8 episodes per disk. I found this a great value and wanted to recommend it to others interested in the Robin Hood series.