Robin
Hood
****
The
legendary 'Prince of Thieves' robber of the rich, giver to the poor
has returned to our screen in the BBC’s £8m production of
Robin Hood.
Writer Dominic Mingella has played it safe and opened with a story we
are all familiar with, Robin has returned after five years of fighting
in the Crusades with King Richard to find the Sheriff of Nottingham
over taxing and starving the people of Loxley. Robin proceeds to cause
a bit of trouble and become an outlaw.
We’ve heard this all before you might cry and this is true but…
The writers have created a clever mix of modern and medieval that makes
archery and being an outlaw almost sexy and with a good blend of action
and humour there is something for everyone.
In the title role is Jonas Armstrong best known for his part in Channel
4’s Teachers and at 25 years old he is much younger than his predecessors
no doubt to appeal to a female audience. In the opening episode Armstrong
doesn’t portray Robin as a wealthy landowner more like Loxley’s
badboy but with the right blend of gravitas and cheekiness.
Accompanied by his manservant much actor Sam Troughton whose grandfather
Patrick donned the mantle of Robin Hood in the BBC’s 1953 series
is a great injector of humour.
Armstrong banters well with Lucy Griffiths who is Marian, the pair have
real chemistry and there is potential in the development of their relationship.
It is Keith Allen who has the most difficult role as the Sheriff of
Nottingham as he is inevitably going to be compared to Alan Rickman
and it may take a few weeks even a whole series to make the part his
own.
The BBC has thrown money at this series left right and centre as they
aim to capitalise on the Saturday night 7pm audience that have turned
in to watch Doctor Who over the past two years. It’s
hard to believe that the project was almost shelved when in August tapes
which were reported to be the copy of the show were stolen and ransomed
for £1m.
It will take a couple of weeks for the show to bed down as we are slowly
introduced to new characters such as Little John, but whether conflict
between Robin and the Sheriff can be sustained effectively over 13 weeks
remains to be seen.
by Helen Earnshaw
