The Region 2 DVDs (UK and Europe) have been available for about a year in three boxed sets. Last month, Network Videos released a limited edition (1,500 copies) Region 1 (USA, Canada, Japan) boxed set of 8 DVDs containing all three series. It's available directly from Network (www.networkvideos.co.uk).
The first series of Robin of Sherwood sneaked onto British TV screens in 1983. It was something of a "builder", as the movie moguls say. With the young, handsome Robin of Loxley (Michael Praed) leading his small band of young Saxon outlaws against the nasty Normans to a backdrop of pseudo-Celtic mysticism, pagan deities and beautfully-filmed greenwood, it quickly began to capture the imagination of those who saw it -- especially those of us who played FRPs.
The show is set, as are most 20th century retellings of the legend, in the reign of Richard the Lionheart. The first series ends with Richard's return from the Crusades; the second is set in the late 1190s, and the third in the reign of King John. No, the characters don't get any older -- don't ask, or you'll spoil the magic. And the magic is what makes this series so special, so endearing and so enduring.
For although Robin of Sherwood has its feet firmly rooted in solid medieval history -- we see feudal relationships in action, governmental bureaucracy at work, peasants tilling the soil and craftsmen making their wares -- its head is in the clouds. There are witches, evil sorcerers, Satanists and mysterious Saracens. Robin himself is the "Hooded Man", chosen champion of Herne the Hunter, benign pagan deity of the wildwoods.
To blend such diverse elements together could so easily have gone wrong -- you only need look at Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves or, worse, the glam-rock of The New Adventures of Robin Hood to see how badly it can go.
That Robin of Sherwood succeeded is a tribute to the skill of writer, cast and crew. Somehow, despite its fantasy elements, it produced something earthy and captivating. Not history, nor fantasy, but a kind of "mystic history".
The acting from the young cast -- Praed and the outlaws were all in their early-20s when the show was made -- is excellent. It has constantly amazed me that their subsequent careers have not made them better known. Praed himself had a guest role in Dynasty, and a large part in a Brit mini-series, Riders, which was complete tosh. Mark Ryan (Nasir) was the fight arranger for First Knight; Robert Addie (Guy of Gisburn) was Mordred in Excalibur; only Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) has really made a name for himself, with a string of critically-acclaimed British gangster movies (Face, Nil by Mouth, Sexy Beast and others).
One of the most endearing features of the series is the group dynamics between the outlaws. Because the group is small (seven, including Robin -- about the size of the average gaming group), each gets their chance to shine. The characters are wonderfully drawn -- Scarlet, the perpetually angry, near-psychotic killer; Little John, the earthy, independent and affable giant; Much, the simpleton who hero-worships Robin; Nasir, the silent, efficient Saracen assassin; Tuck, the gentle, loving monk; Marion, the fragile beauty with a will of steel and the guts to match. Sparks fly as they establish their relationships with each other.
The relationship between the other group, the three main baddies -- the Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace), Guy of Gisburn (Robert Addie) and Abbot Hugo (Philip Jackson) -- is also explored: the sour bile between the Sheriff and the Abbot, brothers who between them hold all secular and religious power in Nottingham, yet are constant rivals; the snide, witty bullying of Gisburn by the Sheriff; Gisburn's sneaky, underhand attempts to get his own back. Much time and energy is spent making these perpetual baddies into three-dimensional villains we love to hate. And just as you start to feel sorry for Gisburn as he endures another round of bullying from the Sheriff, he'll go off and murder a peasant.
Most of the episodes follow a fairly standard pattern. The outlaws and the Sheriff are, naturally enough, at odds with each other, and there's invariably a third force to spark the particular story -- it might be something the outlaws must deal with (a plea for help, a new baddie), or something the Sheriff or Gisburn must handle (new orders from the King, another baddie or, in one case, the Sheriff's upcoming nuptials -- "Are you trying to be funny, Gisburn? Stop cheering. It's a wedding, not a celebration. What do I want with a mealy-mouthed, pasty-faced, seventeen-year-old virgin!")
At the risk of being long-winded, I'd like to pick out a handful of episodes of particular note.
Robin Hood and the Sorcerer was the original double-length pilot episode. Its production is a little shaky, but it manages to assemble the outlaws together and set the tone for all subsequent episodes. Gisburn catches Robin and Much poaching and throws them into the dungeons, where they meet Will Scarlet. During the breakout, Robin catches his first glimpse of the Sheriff's ward, Lady Marion. Meanwhile Baron Simon de Belleme, a truly nasty individual with mystical powers, comes to visit the Sheriff, bringing with him his charmed "familiar", John Little, and his bodyguard, the hashishim Nasir. De Belleme seeks a virgin to sacrifice, and Marion looks choice. During the subsequent shenanigans Robin assembles his gang, gets adopted by Herne the Hunter and, of course, rescues Marion.
The King's Fool closes Series 1, when Richard the Lionheart (John Rhys Davies -- Gimli in LOTR) comes to Sherwood to recruit Robin for his wars in France. Robin's blind faith in the King's justice and honour is slowly disabused as Richard proceeds to auction off royal offices and pardons to the highest bidder. Slowly the outlaws desert him and return to Sherwood. Robin is left sadder, but wiser. The nice thing about this episode is it's solidly built on real history -- the auction of offices at Nottingham really did take place, and much as presented by the show.
The Children of Israel (Series 2) has the Sheriff arranging a massacre of Nottingham's Jews in order to avoid paying a debt to a moneylender, who happens to be a master of the Kabbalah. Gisburn, finally fed up with the Sheriff's bullying, falls for the moneylender's daughter and helps her family escape. Meanwhile Scarlet and Robin have a serious disagreement, which results in Will leaving the outlaws. An interesting episode, which explores racism and faith, and adds a new tension into the relationship between Robin and Will.
Herne's Son (double episode, Series 3). With Robin of Loxley missing, presumed dead, Herne chooses a new Hooded Man, the Norman noblemen Robert of Huntingdon (Jason Connery -- Sean Connery's son). In order to rescue Lady Marion from an unwilling marriage, he must assemble Loxley's old gang, which isn't easy since they're scattered to the four corners of Britain and have a major distrust of Norman nobles. Cue new round of group dynamics as Robert tries to win the outlaws' faith and trust. The episode also introduces a new baddie, the sorcerer Gulnar (Richard O'Brien -- Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dark City, Dungeons & Dragons) who keeps appearing every now and again for the rest of the series.
If all this sounds like the demented ravings of a passionate fan-boy, well, it is. Robin of Sherwood had a profound influence on my gaming, with a mood and atmosphere I still strive to achieve in the games I run. I firmly believe it has a place on the shelf of every fantasy gamer.
The series also provided the direct inspiration for at least one RPG setting: Graham Staplehurst's Robin Hood: A Giant Outlaw Campaign (ICE, 1987, now OOP).
Extra features on the DVDs include new "making of" documentaries and commentaries on selected episodes, both of which are worth listening to for tips on story-telling techniques, and selections of out-takes, which range from the dull to the absolutely hilarious.
