Tuesday, February 18, 2014

TV Series of the Month – Robin Hood

This month’s TV series: Robin Hood (2006-2009).

The classic story of Robin Hood – a man who fought in the crusades for five years only to return to his home in England to find it is under the merciless rule of the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham. To make things right, Robin turns outlaw and with a band of merry men he robs the rich to feed the poor.

The series is created by Dominic Minghella and Foz Allan. Minghella is also known for his series Doc Martin, while Allan worked on Casualty for a long period of time.

The series has a great cast of fresh faces – a few of which have gone on to make bigger things. Jonas Armstrong stars as Robin Hood. Gordon Kennedy, Sam Troughton, Joe Armstrong, Richard Armitage (who you might recognize from The Hobbit), Keith Allen, Lucy Griffiths (who you might recognize from True Blood), Harry Lloyd, Anjali Jay, Michael Elwyn, David Harewood (who you might recognize from Homeland), Joanne Froggatt (who you might recognize from Downton Abbey), Lara Pulver (who you might recognize from Sherlock), and Toby Stephens (who is in the new series Black Sails) make up the strong supporting group.

This is one of the best incarnations of the Robin Hood character to date (my personal favorite is Disney’s Robin Hood – but mostly for nostalgic reasons, well and also because it is great). What works so well is that the TV series format allows for much more character depth for not only Robin but the supporting players as well. The show also balances a great light/heavy tone allowing it to maximize its comedic and dramatic moments. In many ways, it reminds me of a Joss Whedon show in that way – plus it does not pull its punches. It also offers something for female fans as well, as there are strong female characters that join the fight.  For fans of the Robin Hood story, this is a must-see.


Trailer: Here
Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

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