The legend of Robin Hood is one that has
transcended its origins in English medieval society
and is still told around the world.
From its beginnings as a subversive folktale to the
early days of cinema, the tales of an outlaw and his
'Merry men' have continued to captivate successive
generations.
Since television began there have been at least three
versions of the legend brought to screen, with varying
levels of success.
The first, and arguably best remembered, was in the 1950's with Richard Greene in the
title role and shot in glorious black & white! This
series is still remembered fondly today by many, with
it's memorable title music "...Robin Hood, Robin Hood
with his merry men...”
Most recently, in the 1990's there was an American made series which
was made in the same vein as 'Hercules' and was somewhat
less than convincing in it's execution; with likely plots
including aliens and time travellers landing in
Nottingham!
From 1983 to 1985 though was perhaps the single best
version of the legend to be thus far produced, for
either television or the cinema.
"The blinded, the maimed, the men locked
in the stinking dark, all wait for you. Children with swollen
bellies - crouching in ditches - wait. The poor, the dispossessed.
All are waiting. You are their hope." - Herne
'Robin
of Sherwood' was the creation of writer Richard
Carpenter who was and still is one of televisions most
respected writers with classic serials such as 'Catweazle',
'Dick Turpin' & ' I was a Rat' to his credit.
Carpenter conceived and wrote much of the ethos and
storylines for Robin of Sherwood, and was remarkable in
that he deliberately wanted to ground the mythos into a
more historically accurate portrayal of life in the 12th
century - where previous adaptations had displayed a
very rose tinted view of life as an outlaw.
Right back to the original Robin Hood ballads the
stories of Robin Hood had always been highly embellished
and subsequently altered till the point that they
actually bore little relation to what was really occurring
in 12th century England!
Carpenter decided he would strip away the barnacles
that had attached themselves to the myth and would
present his own, more plausible, version with for the
first time elements of the 12th century's superstitions and
folklore injected into the legend.
While the series has never been repeated (due to a
clause in the original cast contracts) its reworking of
the myth and the quality of its production has
influenced every version of Robin Hood since.
The 1989 'Prince of Thieves' film with Kevin Costner
owes a heavy debt to Robin of Sherwood's legacy, with
the mercenary Saracen who befriends Robin being one
example!
There are many, many sites on the World Wide Web where
you can get in depth information on the production and
nut and bolts of the R.O.S series, and there is little
I feel I can personally add to that. However, I have
been a keen collector of autographs for quite a while
now with Robin
of Sherwood being a hobby within that hobby.
The following pages are peppered with appropriate Links
that will guide you to some of the best R.O.S
sites out there if you want more hard facts and
information on the series, this site though will deal
with the actors and characters from that series.
'The Sheriff's
Register' is a purely non-profit fan produced site designed to inform and entertain, all images used are for display purposes only and ultimately are property of
Goldcrest Films & Network Videos' and no infringement is
intended.
bravenet.com
