‘Robin Hood’ Makes Merry on BBC America
English Folk Hero Revived for Modern Television Audiences
Twelfth-century England and a classic legend take center stage tonight at 9pm EST when BBC America presents the United States with last year’s BBC One bows-and-arrows hit Robin Hood. The thirteen 45-minute episodes that comprise the adaptation’s first season (a second season is currently underway and will premiere in the United Kingdom this October) were filmed in Budapest, Hungary, to give the settings that authentic, forestial Middle Ages look the familiar plotlines require.
In the first installment, “Will You Tolerate This?,” future outlaw Robin of Locksley (Jonas Armstrong) reunites with his longtime friend and servant Much (Sam Troughton) upon returning to Nottingham after fighting in the Crusades. Following several misadventures on the way to Locksley, the pair finally arrive, and Robin visits Edward (Michael Elwyn), the man whom he knows not only as the respectable Sheriff of Nottingham, but the father of Marian (Lucy Griffiths), the fiancée Robin left in order to join the Crusades. Our protagonist learns at this point that Edward is no longer in charge of enforcing the law and that a despotic new Sheriff (Keith Allen) is instead governing his homeland with an iron fist. Robin immediately resolves to turn things around by speaking the only language the Sheriff seems capable of understanding—forceful resistance. Thus begins his campaign of rebellion on behalf of the “little people” when he first saves several men from a harrowing fate and then heads into Sherwood Forest, where his band of Merry Men will eventually come together.
The modernized Robin Hood received mixed reviews in the United Kingdom, where some critics questioned whether the series would prove entertaining for the entire family, from younger members experiencing the classic legend for the first time, to older members already well-versed in the story from earlier filmed versions and books. Whether positive or negative, however, a substantial number of commentators appreciated the performances of those actors who portray the villains in the cast. Since no legend is worth the time if the bad apples can’t get our juices flowing by being downright rotten, the notable antagonists alone make Robin Hood worth checking out.
Other Good Stuff on TV Tonight:
- Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy: If you and/or your family missed the original telecast on Monday at the late hour of 10pm (at least for some children), ABC kindly repeats its 60-minute documentary about the establishment of South Africa’s new Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls at a more kid-friendly time. [ABC/8:00]
- Designer to the Stars: Kari Whitman: The latest cable design show spotlights the talents of interior decorator Kari Whitman, who also just happens to be a former Playboy model and actress, in case you were wondering. In the premiere episode, Whitman tackles remodeling a kitchen that belongs to the parents of another gal that guys—and some girls—love to love, Jessica Alba. [WE/10:00]
- Dog Show: Another day, another dog show, this time Portland, Oregon’s very own Eukanuba Tournament of Champions 2007. [Animal Planet/8:00]
- Gladiator: For those who need a testosterone boost—or just a smidgen of Roman history—to cap their night off, this five-Oscar flick starring manly Aussie Russell Crowe and smaller but no less accomplished American Joaquin Phoenix should do the trick. [TNT/8:00]
- My Music: The British Beat: The wonders of videotaped footage allow viewers to travel back in time all the way to the 1960s for music’s first British Invasion. [PBS/9:00*]
- Sacrifices of the Heart: A family copes with the patriarch’s early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in a drama penned by Patti Davis, daughter of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who passed away from the disease in 2004. [Hallmark/9:00]
*PBS times may vary—Check your local listings to verify them
All times are PM and EST/Eastern Standard Time
Robin Hood photo courtesy of BBC America
