Robin of Sherwood

Robin of Sherwood

1984
Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood

Robin of Sherwood

8.4 | TV-PG | en | Drama

Robin of Sherwood was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel Showtime and on PBS. The show starred Michael Praed and Jason Connery as two different incarnations of the title character. Unlike previous adaptations of the Robin Hood legend, Robin of Sherwood combined a gritty, authentic production design with elements of real-life history, 20th century fiction, and pagan myth. The series is also notable for its haunting title music by Clannad, which won a BAFTA award.

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Seasons & Episodes

3
2
1
EP13  The Time of the Wolf (2)
Jun. 28,1986
The Time of the Wolf (2)

Gisburne has joined the Sons of Fenris and manages to capture Robin and his men as well as the Sheriff of Nottingham. With Robin in his power, Gulnar completes his creature using dark magic and sends it on his way. Safe in Halstead Abbey, Marion foresees a tragedy at the Ring of the Nine Maidens and for Robin even victory may come with great loss.

EP12  The Time of the Wolf (1)
Jun. 21,1986
The Time of the Wolf (1)

The Sheriff is ordered by the King to collect grain from the villages of Nottingham, as more provisions are needed for the troops in France. Knowing that the villagers will not survive the winter without their hard-earned grain, the outlaws secretly steal the grain back during the night, causing the Sheriff a lot of embarrassment when the King's men come to collect it in the morning. In desperation, the Sheriff blames the whole fiasco on Gisburne, resulting in Gisburne running away and a price being put on his head. Seeking sanctuary, Gisburne flees to Grimstone Abbey, but is not greeted by monks at the door.

EP11  Rutterkin
Jun. 14,1986
Rutterkin

'Mad Mab' is an old hermit who lives happily with her family of pigs, including her 'baby', Rutterkin. Edgar of Huntingdon, Robert's uncle, captures Rutterkin and later Mab, accusing the old woman of being a witch (and the pig her familiar), paid by the Earl, Robert's father, to cause the death of King John, who has been beset by a mysterious illness. The Earl is arrested for treason and sentenced to death. In trying to rescue him, most of the outlaw band is taken as well.

EP10  The Pretender
Jun. 07,1986
The Pretender

Taking up with a 12 year old French princess, King John has annulled his marriage to Queen Hadwisa, who vows revenge against her former husband and the new queen, Isabella. Her plan is to have Isabella murdered while on a pilgrimage and make it appear to have been done by Robin Hood. Hadwisa's family believe they have enough support among the barons to depose King John and replace him with a new young man who claims to be Arthur of Brittany, John's nephew. While Arthur infiltrates the outlaw band, Gisburne becomes involved in the plot. Gisburne is only too eager to advance his position and finish off Robin Hood all at the same time. The Sheriff, however knows that "if Queen Isabella dies, we shall ALL hang," but gravely ill from a dog bite, he is unable to stop Gisburne.

EP9  Adam Bell
May. 31,1986
Adam Bell

The Sheriff's young nephew, Martin, is kidnapped by Adam Bell, an ageing outlaw who was the Robin Hood of his day, but now robs only for himself. The Sheriff, using his hostage, Much, as a bargaining chip, persuades Robin to rescue the boy from Bell.

EP8  The Betrayal
May. 24,1986
The Betrayal

King John, furious over the disappearance of the past several tax collections from Nottingham, schemes to put an end to the outlaws by ending their popular support. A band of his soldiers, led by the merciless Roger de Carnac, masquerades as Robin's band, committing atrocities against villagers throughout the shire.

EP7  Cromm Cruac
May. 17,1986
Cromm Cruac

After Much is injured in a pit trap, the outlaws seek help for him at the nearest village, Cromm Cruac, a place no one has heard of until now. All is not right, as becomes evident by the things the men see and the way some of them begin to act. Robin must confront Gulnar, a sorceror who once served Owen of Clun.

EP6  The Cross of St. Ciricus
May. 10,1986
The Cross of St. Ciricus

Robin and his band rescue from bandits a desperately ill woman en route to the shrine of St. Ciricus at Croxden Abbey. She confesses a startling secret to Tuck and later to Robin. Gisburne, on orders from the Sheriff, is also on his way to the Abbey to steal the sacred cross. Robin must stop him, but finds the nature of their enmity has changed.

EP5  The Sheriff of Nottingham
May. 03,1986
The Sheriff of Nottingham

Robert de Rainault, high Sheriff of Nottingham, failing one time too many to end the activities of Robin Hood, is dismissed by the king and replaced by Philip Mark, "The Butcher of Lincoln". Mark captures six villagers from Wickham and sends out word that Robin Hood must turn himself in or the captives will die the next noon, and six more the day after that until Robin is captured. Nasir must face the new Sheriff's servant, Sarak, a masked assassin out of the Saracen's past.

EP4  The Inheritance
Apr. 26,1986
The Inheritance

An old man and his beautiful daughter live alone in the ancient castle of Caerleon. They are about to be attacked by a horde of brigands led to the castle by a former employee of the old man's. This traitor knows there is a priceless treasure in the castle, but never found out exactly what it was. The daughter seeks out Robin Hood to defend her, her father and the treasure that is beyond price. Robin must ultimately make a staggering choice of loyalty.

EP3  The Power of Albion
Apr. 19,1986
The Power of Albion

Before his death, Loxley gave Albion to Marion. She kept it safe for a year at the home of her father, who begged her to have no more to do with the outlaws. She attempts to give it to Robert, but he still says no one could take Loxley's place. When the band tries to stop a torturer en route to Nottingham, Robert is wounded by a poisoned arrow and falls gravely ill. After returning home from going to aid Robert, Marion and Albion are taken by the Sheriff. Although Gisburne is sure Robert of Huntingdon is the new Robin Hood, no one will believe him. Robert is able to masquerade as a shallow, young nobleman and make friends with the Sheriff as part of a scheme to free Marion. After the true powers of Albion are revealed, Robert, whom everyone now calls Robin, knows he is truly Herne's son.

EP2  Herne's Son (Part 2)
Apr. 12,1986
Herne's Son (Part 2)

Robert of Huntingdon and the reformed Merry Men set out to rescue Marion from Clun, and Huntingdon claims the mantle of Robin of Sherwood.

EP1  Herne's Son (1)
Apr. 05,1986
Herne's Son (1)

After the death of Loxley, the outlaw band have gone their separate ways. Robert of Huntingdon, the man called by Herne, has rejected his calling, saying no one else could be The Hooded Man. He cannot escape his destiny. Robert's father, the Earl of Huntingdon, hosts a party to gain favour with vile, border lord Owen of Clun. Marion of Leaford attends with her father, who has bought her a pardon from the king. Clun makes unseemly advances toward Marion. When no one else will help her, Robert, to his father's horror, defends her in a swordfight against Clun. When Clun kidnaps Marion, Robert must reassemble the outlaw band to rescue her.

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8.4 | TV-PG | en | Drama , Action & Adventure , Sci-Fi | More Info
Released: 1984-04-28 | Released Producted By: Goldcrest , HTV Cymru Wales Country: United Kingdom Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

Robin of Sherwood was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel Showtime and on PBS. The show starred Michael Praed and Jason Connery as two different incarnations of the title character. Unlike previous adaptations of the Robin Hood legend, Robin of Sherwood combined a gritty, authentic production design with elements of real-life history, 20th century fiction, and pagan myth. The series is also notable for its haunting title music by Clannad, which won a BAFTA award.

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Cast

Jason Connery , Judi Trott , Ray Winstone

Director

Patrick Dromgoole

Producted By

Goldcrest , HTV Cymru Wales

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Reviews

grammymember By mistake, I ordered a series from the BBC, their new version of Robin Hood. Very disappointing in comparison with RoS. Terrible costuming and backgrounds. While I enjoyed the Sheriff, who took cues from the Nick Grace character, the rest of the cast left much to be desired. As a "for instance", Marion's costuming looked suspiciously like it came from Walmart. And Sir Guy, well, he looked a bit like a character from an outer space movie! RoS has stolen the spotlight, probably forever, in the telling of this tale. Cast, costuming, story lines, scenery, filming and soundtrack by Clannad are all superb, as is evidenced by all the continual feedback some 26 years on. RoS is a timeless classic. My thanks to all who made the series.
linda-702 Hi, I have to say you got some wrong information about the series here. The main author was Richard Carpenter, he created the series. Later on there were some other authors but they only did a few episodes.The first director who did most of the series (I think complete series 1) was Ian Sharp who created the distinct look of Robin of Sherwood.Clannad did indeed see some of the material and they read the scrips. I know this for sure because Richard Carpenter told it on a Con in England last year.I think this is a masterpiece of Television-Entertainment, because it has great characters and cast, good costumes and great story lines. For me still one of the best TV-series ever!
spasmo dunson I watched this series on PBS back in the eighties and still watch the old tapes every couple of years or so. Very atmospheric and creepy sometimes. This is a very good show as the characters are all well defined and acted. You are drawn into the plot and come to care for these people. The villains are almost laughably evil, especially the Sheriff of Nottingham. Man, I would love to beat the s--t out of that snotty little bastard. Nicholas Grace does an excellent job and must have had a great time being the Sheriff. His whipping boy, Sir Guy, is equally hissable but is also pathetic. Lots of murder and mayhem in this series, along with tons of black magic and Devil worship and things of that nature. I noticed it got an award for children's television which is surprising. If I had kids, I would not let them watch this. Outstanding use of locations in this show also. It is now on DVD, so go out and buy it.
Jacobe I. of Ginsbourne The greatest compliments to the other commentator here at IMDb who asked himself why this series didn't "get stuck" in its time to last a lot longer like many other series in the 80s did.It is not true the series would have gotten worse if further continued.I will at the end of this my comment post some thoughts about the other movie realizations, rather: attempts of the Robin Hood legend.First of All, Robert Addie (Gisburne), you are among us all, you live forever.Nothing is as fun as the entire two, if one wants, three seasons of this absolutely unique series. And at the same time absolutely agreeing with the mostly new and revolutionary findings of Terry Jones' history documentations about Egypt, Greece, Rome, Konstantinopel, the Goths and Barbarians, and the middle ages and crusades (...yes, THE Monthy Python-Terry Jones):If you have seen those brilliant and funny Jones-Docs you will better, much better understand all the historical background stuff Carpenter, the writer of the Robin of Sherwood-series (which happens to be the brother of John Carpenter, who made "The Thing", their third brother makes music), intended to tell us.The writer of "Dick Turpin", "Catweazle" and the first two seasons of "Robin of Sherwood", called "Kip" Carpenter, is my movie overlord. He's better than all those others who criticize his "sword-and-sorcery" element or "defectiveness" (taken from the Robin of Sherwood Webring) of this series (that I can not see) or have other non-fundamented criticism of which there existed a lot back then and still now.That's why, when you get to know this "Robin of Sherwood" better, you'll be severe. You will at first loathe the third season. Not only that: I did myself go thru this, and on top of it, I have only taken up the first two seasons into my deepest heart - DESPITE the fact that Praed, the actor of Robin, left this series, because after the series had enormous success, he was offered a probably better paid role in an absolutely ridiculous Canadian series called "The new Adeventures of Jules Verne" - already the title reveals the emptiness of the whole project. Praed went for money, and not for fame, he didn't stick with his gang and kin, I mean: as actors.Actors who personally represent the afterwards "really", in our present time famous and legendary faces and characters of the Robin-Legend. The potential of this series could and should have been let blossomed a lot more without any degrading niveau of content and historical message and rebellious accuracy regarding current political issues.Again, obligatory to say: A change of the main role was forced by Praed's stupid decision of leaving Robin of Sherwood for a silly remake-series of the Verne-tales and brilliantly woven into the filming of the story. Still it is in some aspects a catastrophe.Anyway: If one is informed about this, and that Connery was maybe really advertised by his father, but that the young Connery DID NOT AT ALL "chase Praed away", how I prejudicially thought in the first place, then one can absolutely enjoy the 3rd season. Sad here is that the script was not anymore written by Superman Kip Carpenter, so we don't have anymore that critical and free-thinking historical background like i.e. in "The Witch of Elsdon", or in "The King's Fool", two episodes of the first series that is A) funny, B) historically educating and C) brilliantly acted. ==="Don't trust the Lion!"Unlike many other characters that wished him dead for the sake of their own gain of power, Richard Lionheart, as shown in RoS and as in real history, was a greater authority than John or others, but used it only for his wicked idea of the crusade and the war against Normandie in France. He slaughtered and had slaughtered much more than tens of thousands of Christians, Muslims and Jews in the "wholy" crusades, and his soldiers even devoured the children they slayed out of hunger or poverty. On top of that, after his capture by the Saracens (muslims) in the crusades, Britain was squeezed out for his ransom, 100.000 marks (at that time, 11th century, comparable to approx. 30 Billion - 30'000'000'000.- Dollars of current value), to get him safely back, and then he just visited England for a month to return to Normandie (in France, where the Norman Invaders went first) for the crusades (one learns that in the episode "The King's Fool"). For this new crusade, possibly kind of a revenge for his capture, Richard Lionheart again "drains the country of money" (cited out of Clive Mantle's mouth, when he lectures Robin in being critical with even the King). Robin criticizes this warfare unsocial ruling of Richard's, he addresses Richard himself, telling him "The poor gave everything to set you free, how CAN you ask more of them?" - Richard: "...Give me your courage and strength, not your words!" ...Later, in private, Richard orders the assassination of Robin...So, the crusaders were the real "barbarians".P.S: Already when I watched Kostner in 91, I got upset, because after-wards, I found out in history course in school that Richard was not that good just man as displayed by Sean Connery in his appearance at the end of "Prince of the Thieves". Well, as Terry Jones would put it: It is a lie, a treacherous lie!" Sean plays humorist and charismatic, and his son does a better job than expected in the third season of "Robin of Sherwood".Again: Praed is, according to my info up to now, the one who left Sherwood for a stupid Verne-series nobody with brains will EVER remember or want to remember.