Robin of Sherwood: Set 2 (Blu-ray)

Considered one of the finest film versions of the Robin Hood mythos ever created, ROBIN OF SHERWOOD broke the age old trappings of Robin and his band of merry outlaws living basically a fun-filled and carefree life in Sherwood Forest; robbing from the rich, giving to the poor and battling the evil Sheriff of Nottingham all in the name of King Richard the Lionheart and set it in the gloomy, Pagan civilization of a downtrodden Sherwood. Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn set a cinematic standard for the character that (like Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce did with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson) was not exactly faithful to the legend, but so beloved by film goers that every movie and television series for decades followed their lead. With Robin Hood it took the outstanding 1976 Richard Lester film ROBIN AND MARION to break the long standing clichés that many of the legends portrayed them to be: Robin as the illiterate soldier and the merry men as a band of desperate outlaws just trying to survive. When 1984’s ROBIN OF SHERWOOD hit television screens in the UK, the laughing man in tights image was shattered forever.

The first two series of ROBIN OF SHERWOOD followed Robin of Loxley (Michael Praed,) basically a nobody peasant, who is chosen by the mystical spirit Herne the Hunter (John Abineri) to be his “son” (ie. The champion of the poor and the oppressed.) Robin assembles his band of merry men, falls for the Lady Marion (Judi Trott) and fights the good fight against the Sheriff (Nickolas Grace) and Guy of Gisbourne (Robert Addie.) That is until the final episode of Series Two where the Sheriff and Guy finally overwhelm Robin and kill him with a flurry of arrows.

So what do you do with a Robin Hood series after you kill Robin Hood? Creator Richard Carpenter came up with a brilliant solution to this dilemma. The legend and mythos of Robin Hood is not set in stone. There are various versions with wildly different origins of the character throughout all of England. What Carpenter did was to continue the series with the origin of one of the other Robin Hoods of legend, Robert of Huntingdon (Jason Connery.)

Acorn Media’s ROBIN OF SHERWOOD: Set 2 covers the entirety of this third and sadly final season of the series. Robin of Loxley is dead. The merry men have disbanded. Marion, mourning the loss of her husband, has been pardoned thanks to her wealthy father’s financial influence. Deep in the misty forest, Herne the Hunter has chosen a new son, the wealthy Earl of Huntingdon’s son, Robert. However, can Robert reunite the men of Sherwood and truly embrace the mantle of The Hood?

ROBIN OF SHERWOOD holds up remarkably well some two and a half decades after its original airing. While I think Clannad’s acclaimed musical score didn’t age quite so well, it is very effective in creating the mystical Pagan-infused mood of the series. Connery makes for a decent Robin of the Hood, but the supporting cast is absolutely top notch with Clive Mantle and Ray Winstone stealing scenes left and right as Little John and Will Scarlet respectively.

The cancelling of the series was in no way based on the quality of the episodes or the viewership dwindling. The company that made the series, Goldcrest, was once a potentially big film distributor with Academy Award winners CHARIOTS OF FIRE and GANDHI under their belt. However they hit a string of expensive film flops with the likes of REVOLUTION and ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS and the company buckled, being unable to finance the expensive ROBIN OF SHERWOOD. This final series is every bit as good as the first two. If you are itching to return to Sherwood and fight alongside the merry men, ROBIN OF SHERWOOD is one of the best television voyages you can take.

THE DISC:
The entire series has been re-mastered for high definition and the results are really outstanding. The full frame 1.33 transfer boasts bright, very well saturated colors that really bring out the richness of the forest and John Biggs’ lush production design. Detail and contrast are quite good also bringing out the textures of the costumes and every nick and scratch in the swords. The series has never looked better.

Audio is available in either the original 2.0 mono (which sounds very clean and robust) or a new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix. Both mixes are excellent with very good fidelity. The surround mix mostly gives Clannad’s BAFTA winning score a sonic boost as the series was originally recorded in mono. Whichever mix you choose, you won’t be disappointed.

THE EXTRAS:
Commentary tracks for nine episodes are a mixture of fun banter/reminiscence and good solid behind the scenes information. Participants include actors Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle, Nickolas Grace, Anthony Horowitz, producer Esta Charkham and writer Sid Roberson.

Isolated score tracks are available for three episodes.

“Nothing’s Forgotten: The Making of ROBIN OF SHERWOOD Series Three” is an excellent feature-length documentary covering the show’s final season with most of the cast and creative team contributing fond memories of their time in Sherwood forest.

“Robin Hood 1-2-3: A Screen Swordplay Demonstration” has Mark Ryan and Bob Chapin showing us how some of the series basic swordplay came into being.

“It’s Showtime” is a Tom Bosley hosted promotional look at the third season’s US premiere on Showtime.

“Series 3 Outtakes” are fun and worth a look.

“US Opening Titles” is the un-restored opening credits with the “Robin Hood” title.

“Esta Charkham’s Photographic Retrospective,” a “Promotional Still Gallery” and possibly the most extensive “Photo Gallery” ever for a television series on home video adds up to well over 400 images, most available in high def.

“The Hooded Man, Clannad and Robin of Sherwood” is a great featurette from 2002 with Maire Brennan of Clannad talking about the genesis of the music for ROBIN OF SHERWOOD.

And finally, the “TV-AM Location Report” is a vintage news report talking about the return of the series.

MY SAY:
A great (and many say the definitive) retelling of the Robin Hood legend gets a five-star release in hi-def with this absolutely perfect Blu-ray set. Highly Recommended!

Acorn Media / 1986 / 681 mins / NR