Customer Reviews

Robin of Sherwood: Set Two

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gold Crest created a real winner in its imaginative 1984 "Robin of Sherwood" TV series adaptation of the Robin Hood legend.

The series originally ran for 4 seasons on British TV ... seasons one and two comprise "Part 1" (5 disks) of Acorn Media's DVD collection, and star Michael Praed as Robin of Loxley. Seasons three and four comprise "Part 2" (5 disks) of Acorn's DVD collection, and starred Jason Connery as Robert of Huntington. After wrapping at the end of season 4, the series went into syndication, and was re-aired here in the States in the late 1980's on Showtime ... I was one of the fortunate few who not only knew about the series back then, but also owned a VCR, so I was able to tape it - although the image quality of the masters used by Showtime was depressingly mediocre.

The series went on to develop a small but very loyal cult following. The soulful Celtic-themed music by Clannad (back when they were relatively unknown), the presence of old magic and myths comes to life (Herne the Hunter, Crom Cruac, witchcraft, etc.), and excellent performances by Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet -arguably the best actor on the series), Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham), and Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) all combined to make for a very enjoyable and nostalgic series. It just worked.

Now, here we are 20 years later, and at long last, this little known cult series has been re-released on high-quality DVDs (hooray !), so that it can be seen and enjoyed anew - not just by it's original fans, but by a new generation of viewers as well.

Recommended.

Though I missed Michael Praed as Robin in the Hood, Jason did a remarkable job taking over. I wasn't a big Judi Trott fan but the writing and the filming were excellent. The best of the Robin Hood legends that I have ever seen. The stories are interesting, the humor is great, I still remember lines from these shows after all these years. I was very happy when Set 1 came out, but watching that made me want Set 2, so I was happy to know that it followed shortly.
The filming stays to period and they did not scrimp on sets and extras. The cast is great and very believable.
What more can I say, than what I already have, the BEST of all the Robin Hood movies/series.

I am thrilled to learn that this remarkable show is going to be available on DVD. Both versions, the first starring Michael Praed and the second starring Jason Connery were [in my opinion] the most authentic [looking] of any made to date.

I recently purchased Season 1 and was afraid that I would never see the final chapters available on DVD on this side of the Atlantic.

Waiting till October is going to be very difficult.

I originally saw this series when Showtime brought it over from the BBC/UK back in the 80s and aired it here in the US. I loved it then and it still holds up well today, even if some of the "special effects" do look dated. The acting and dialogue is very well done, and the interaction between the Sheriff and his henchman Guy is often downright hysterical. Too, the transition between "Robin of Locksley" and "Robert of Huntington" was well done and a great concept.

When watching this show, I was struck by how much it reminded me of the Doctor Who episodes that I remember from the time complete with the gratuitous electronic music and the low budgets. I was also a little disappointed that it wasn't the new Robin Hood that I had heard so much about. And that beginning of "Roooobin Roooobin [mumble mumble] dudundadaaaaaa!" was just too much.

But as I watched the thing, I really started to fall in love with the series. The sheriff is always hatching a diabolical plan unless King John screws him over and then he's gotta turn to Robin for help. Everyone keeps breaking into the castle to rescue the rest of the cast. Jason Connery brings an innocence to the role and the rest of the cast does great work. There are moments of Hey!!! That guy! Especially with Ray Winstone and Matt Frewer who shows up as a villain in one episode. Both of whom are vastly different than their quintessential roles in Sexy Beast and Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future respectively. There are also some great moments of medieval legends throughout the series.

It also gets progressively stranger as demonic cities and golems start showing up. I'm quite sure that the original conception didn't involve crazy witches and evil children. Richard O'Brien can only play Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Widescreen Edition) but it's fun to see him playing the demonic wizard (of course, try to watch any of his episodes without yelling "hey Riff Raff..." I dare you) And by the end there seems to be quite a different series coming through. Don't know how far it would have gone (probably would have fizzled out) but there was some serious Twin Peaks level of strangeness peaking through.

Not a perfect series by any stretch of the imagination. It's very much trapped in the 80s. The music is very cheesy. The characters are stuck in the episodic happy ending curse. The violence is constant and bloodless. People get hit with swords. They go down and that's all you need to know about it. From today's perspective, that seems a little hypocritical; in that the series wants to show violence without consequences and after the fifth or sixth anonymous henchman goes down in any episode you start to remember The Venture Bros. - Season One and the way the Monarch's Henchmen get a lot of comedy out of their short lives. But if you accept the limitations (and let's face it, you aren't considering buying this thing expecting Shakespeare) then you are in for a great weekend.

The tales of Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws have had popular appeal for centuries. Books, movies and TV series about them have turned up pretty regularly for decades. This is the 1980s iteration, with Robin and Marian, Little John and Will Scarlet and all.

This set comprises the final 13 episodes of a series which originally ran for three seasons. The first two starred Michael Praed as Robin of Loxey, a commoner who obeyed the summons of the forest-spirit Herne the Hunter. He gathered the original band of outlaws and defended the interests of the poor and dispossessed against the greed of the nobility, represented by the Sheriff of Nottingham, until he was cornered and killed. This series picks up with the summoning of Robert of Huntingdon, the son of a powerful noble, to take up the mantle... or hood, as it were. Initially reluctant, Robert (played by Jason Connery) obeys Herne and reassembles the far-scattered band, rescues Marian from the clutches of a semi-barbaric Lord Owen of Clun and embarks on a series of adventures as exciting as they are historically improbable. I am sure that any medieval scholars watching this series are probably gibbering incoherently over some of the plot devices, but then it's not a show for them; it's a show for the rest of us, all fantastical derring-do, lots of fighting, what passes for social justice, lashings of mysticism and magic; all that and music by the group Clannad. There was originally a lot of money spent on this series and it shows. Much of it was shot on location in Northern England, and there are lots of nice details, like the paucity of tableware, and the Sheriffs' collection of hunting birds. The castle interiors look dim and cramped; comfort and privacy are very authentically in short supply, and almost everyone appears to be grimy, rumpled and somewhat shaggy of hair. On the whole, the series has aged very well, as have the actors. But the final episode ends very abruptly and on a bittersweet note, with Marian taking refuge in holy vows. A downturn in the fortunes of the film company which produced the series made it impossible to continue, after setting up such a cliff-hanger!

As suited to such a popular show, the bonus features are generous. Nearly half of the episodes have a commentary track. Two hours worth of other extras are on a separate disc, and to a fan would be worth purchasing as a stand-alone. Two documentaries feature interviews with the actors (nearly all of whom have aged as well as the series has) there is another short feature about Clannad's music, a short morning news feature done about the show, some nice behind-the-scenes footage and the usual bloopers and outtakes. There is also a short filmography for the featured actors, which should solve the puzzle of "where the heck have I seen that face before" for many a consumer of British imports.

This is the second dvd set to the Robin of Sherwood series that was on PBS here in the states or BBC in England. I watched this series as a kid in England and was happy to see it finally come out here in the states. This was the and still is the cheapest place to purchase this set.

Robin of Sherwood is entertainment for both children and adults. Anyone who likes English medieval history and who cheers for the underdog--who likes swordplay, derring-do, lush period settings, magical mysticism, and a touch of both romance and humor--should obtain and watch both Set One and Set Two. Clannad's Celtic music only enhances the atmosphere. This one is a keeper.

I recorded this series from Showtime Network on Beta. I can now throw those beta's away and conserve space. With the demise of broadcast television, to one hour commercials with a little programming added, I can watch what I like without suffering.

Long before Kevin Costner's totally stupid Robin Hood movie there was Robin of Sherwood. Filmed in the UK this was a great series that had realism, authentic music, and some darned good characters. This is actually season 3. The first 2 seasons were very short. I totally recommend it.