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Robin of Sherwood

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Main title caption
Robin Of Sherwood
Format Drama
Created by Richard Carpenter
Starring Michael Praed
Jason Connery
Judi Trott
Nickolas Grace
Robert Addie
Ray Winstone
Clive Mantle
Phil Rose
Mark Ryan
Peter Llewellyn Williams
John Abineri
Philip Jackson
Country of origin UK
No. of episodes 26
Running time One hour
Original channel ITV
Original run 1984-1986

Robin of Sherwood, retitled Robin Hood in the US, was an acclaimed 1980s British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. It was made by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. The show starred first Michael Praed then Jason Connery as two different incarnations of the title character, and was created by Richard Carpenter. Unlike previous adaptations of the Robin Hood legend, Robin of Sherwood combined a gritty, authentic production design with elements of real-life history and pagan myth.

Overview[]

There were three series seasons, comprising a two-hour opening episode and one hour-long episodes, although the pilot is sometimes screened as two one-hour episodes and the episodes comprising "The Swords of Wayland" were transmitted as one episode in the UK on their original screening on a Bank Holiday weekend in 1985. It was shot on film, and almost entirely on location, mostly in the northeast and south-west of England; HTV West in Bristol was the base of operations and most of the filming was done in and around Bristol and its surrounding counties.

Together with Richard Lester's offbeat 1976 film Robin and Marian, Robin of Sherwood is one of the most influential treatments of the core Robin Hood legend since The Adventures of Robin Hood, featuring a realistic period setting and introducing the character of a Saracen outlaw.

Michael Praed played Robin Hood (or Robin of Loxley) in the first two seasons. His "Merry Men" consisted of Will Scarlet (played by Ray Winstone), who changes his name from Will Scathlock after his wife, Elena, is beaten and trampled to death with horses by Brabancon mercenaries; Little John (played by Clive Mantle); Friar Tuck (played by Phil Rose); Robin's adopted brother Much (played by Peter Llewellyn Williams); the Saracen Nasir (played by Mark Ryan); and Lady Marian (played by Judi Trott). As in the legend, Robin is opposed by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Robert Addie), as well as the Sheriff's brother Abbot Hugo (Philip Jackson) (representing all the greedy abbots in the legends). Robin is assisted by Herne The Hunter (John Abineri), who sometimes appears as a forest spirit representing the powers of light and goodness, and sometimes as a mortal man.

Time of the Wolf

Robert of Huntingdon (Jason Connery) and his "Merry Men", in the final episode "The Time of The Wolf" (closing shot).

At the end of the second season, Robin of Loxley is killed and Robert of Huntingdon (played by Jason Connery, whose father Sean Connery had played Robin in Robin and Marian) replaces him as Robin Hood. During the course of the third season, the new Robin discovers that he is the half-brother of his nemesis Guy of Gisburne (an idea suggested to Carpenter by the fact that both actors had blond hair). However, due to the show's cancellation at the end of the third season this particular story arc was never resolved.

The series came to an end when Goldcrest was forced to pull out of the venture due to a downturn in the fortunes of their film arm. Goldcrest had been responsible for critical and commercial hits such as Chariots of Fire (1981) and Gandhi (1982) earlier in the eighties, but had hit a lean spell with such films as Revolution (1985) and Absolute Beginners (1986). As the series was expensive to make, HTV could not afford to produce it alone and no more episodes were made.

Given the time that has elapsed since cancellation, there seems little likelihood of the series returning, with Richard Carpenter having said he has no interest in writing further episodes.[1]

Cast and characters[]

Heroes[]

Villains[]

Others[]

Crew[]

  • Directed by:
    • Ian Sharp (Series I – complete)
    • Robert Young (The Prophecy, The Swords Of Wayland I, II, The Greatest Enemy, Herne’s Son I, II, The Pretender)
    • Alex Kirby (The Children of Israel)
    • James Allen (The Lord Of the Trees, The Enchantment, The Betrayal) **Gerry Mill (The Power of Albion, Cromm Cruac, Adam Bell, Rutterkin)
    • Ben Bolt (The Inheritance)
    • Christopher King (The Sheriff Of Nottingham)
    • Dennis Abey (The Cross Of St.Ciricus) (The Sheriff Of Nottingham)
    • Sid Roberson (The Time Of The Wolf I, II).
  • Written by:
  • Series created by: Richard Carpenter

Music[]

The award-winning music for Robin of Sherwood was composed and performed by Clannad, the Irish folk group. The show's original soundtrack, Legend, was released in 1984 and won the BAFTA award for Best Original Television Music.[2]

While not all of the show's music is found on the Legend album, some additional pieces can be found on Clannad's albums Macalla (released 1986) and Clannad: Live in Concert, 1996 (released 2005). In November 2003, Clannad revealed on their official web site that "there were several other pieces of music recorded for the 3rd series of Robin of Sherwood that were not included on the Legend album. Unfortunately no-one has been able to locate the master tapes of this music. The search is continuing and hopefully one day these recordings will be able to be released."[3]

Episodes[]

Episode title Original Air Date (UK) Guest cast

Series 1[]

Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, part 1 28 April 1984 Mark Audley (as Dickon), Paul Duggan (as Tom Fletcher)
Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, part 2 - NB both parts originally broadcast in UK as one single feature-length episode. 28 April 1984 Mark Audley (as Dickon), Paul Duggan (as Tom Fletcher)
The Witch of Elsdon 5 May 1984 Angharad Rees (as Jennet of Elsdon), Cornelius Garrett (as Thomas of Elsdon)
Seven Poor Knights from Acre 12 May 1984 Yves Beneyton (as Reynald de Villaret), Duncan Preston (as Heinrich von Erlichshausen), Simon Rouse (as Siward)
Alan A Dale 19 May 1984 Peter Hutchinson (as Alan a Dale), Stephanie Tague (as Mildred)
The King's Fool 26 May 1984 John Rhys Davies (as King Richard), Gary Waldhorn (as Hubert Walter), Martin West as Martin

Series 2[]

The Prophecy 9 March 1985 George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Simon Dutton (as Mark), John Nettles (as De Leon),
The Children of Israel 16 March 1985 David de Keyser (as Joshua de Talmont), Katharine Levy (as Sarah de Talmont)
Lord of the Trees 23 March 1985 Oliver Tobias (as Bertrand de Nivelle)
The Enchantment 30 March 1985 Gemma Craven (as Lilith)
The Swords of Wayland, part 1 6 April 1985 Rula Lenska (as Morgwyn of Ravenscar), Dallas Adams (as Peter Verdelet), Norman Bowler (as Adam the Miller)
The Swords of Wayland, part 2 - NB both parts originally broadcast in UK as one single feature-length episode. 6 April 1985 Rula Lenska (as Morgwyn of Ravenscar), Dallas Adams (as Peter Verdelet), Anthony Steel (as Earl Godwin)
The Greatest Enemy 13 April 1985 Robert Daws (as Hubert de Giscard)

Series 3[]

Herne’s Son, part 1 5 April 1986 George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Michael Craig (as the Earl of Huntingdon), Oliver Cotton (as Lord Owen of Clun), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Daniel Peacock (as Sergeant Sparrow)
Herne’s Son, part 2 12 April 1986 George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Michael Craig (as the Earl of Huntingdon), Oliver Cotton (as Lord Owen of Clun), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Daniel Peacock (as Sergeant Sparrow), Wayne Michaels (as Man Guarding Signal Fire)
The Power of Albion 19 April 1986 George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Max Faulkner (as Oliver)
The Inheritance 26 April 1986 Cathryn Harrison (as Isadora), Cyril Cusack (as Agrivaine), Jeremy Sinden (as Mortimer), Derrick O'Connor (as Raven), James Woodard (as King Arthur), Hywel Bennett (as voice of King Arthur)
The Cross of St. Ciricus 3 May 1986 Dorothy Tutin (as Lady Margaret), Brendan Price (as Abbot Martin)
The Sheriff of Nottingham 10 May 1986 Lewis Collins (as Philip Mark), Valentine Pelka (as Sarak), Robert Daws (as Hubert de Giscard), Maureen Bennett (as Alison)
Cromm Cruac 17 May 1986 John Horsley (as Abbot of Thornton Abbey), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Claire Parker (as Elena), Ian Redford (as Tom the Miller), Graham Weston (as William the Blacksmith)
The Betrayal 24 May 1986 Matt Frewer (as Roger de Carnac), Ian Redford (as Tom the Villager)
Adam Bell 31 May 1986 Bryan Marshall (as Adam Bell), Patrick Travis (as Matthew), Amanda Hillwood (as Lady Isabel), Charlie Condou (as Martin), Leo Dolan as (Moth) Alan Roberts and Chris Chivers as Outlaws.
The Pretender 7 June 1986 Reece Dinsdale (as Arthur), Patricia Hodge (as Queen Hadwisa), William Russell (as The Duke of Gloucester)
Rutterkin 14 June 1986 Michael Craig (as the Earl of Huntingdon), Ian Ogilvy (as Lord Edgar of Huntingdon), Annabel Lee (as Mad Mab)
The Time of the Wolf (Part One) 21 June 1986 Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), John Harding (as William Brewer), Maureen Bennett (as Alison), Iain Armstrong (as Villager)
The Time of the Wolf (Part Two) 28 June 1986 Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), John Harding (as William Brewer), Maureen Bennett (as Alison), Iain Armstrong (as Villager)

In repeats, episodes have frequently been broadcast out of order, and alternative orders have been suggested. Those which can be placed in a definite order are: Robin Hood and the Sorcerer - the story begins and the gang is formed. The Witch of Elsdon - James and Martin join the gang. Seven Poor Knights from Acre - James is killed. The King's Fool - King Richard returns. The Prophecy - the Sheriff is absent; King Richard dies. The Children of Israel - the Sheriff returns. The Greatest Enemy - the first Robin is killed. Herne's Son - the gang is re-formed. The Power of Albion - Gisburne and the Sheriff discover the second Robin's identity. The Time of the Wolf.

Episode chronology[]

In Series 1, Alan A Dale does fit where it is placed, but could possibly fit after The King's Fool (this seems unlikely, however, since Gisburne is apparently killed in The King's Fool and his survival is mentioned in The Prophecy). In Series 2, The Lord of the Trees appears to take place before The Children of Israel (the Sheriff is still absent), and The Swords of Wayland before The Prophecy (Marion still thinks her father is dead); The Enchantment probably belongs immediately before The Greatest Enemy (Herne prophesies that the events of that episode will happen "soon"). In Series 3, the order of the episodes between The Power of Albion and The Time of the Wolf is a little less certain. See the articles on individual episodes for details; but the only change suggested in the chronology at www.robinofsherwood.org is to move The Sheriff of Nottingham to after Rutterkin (since it includes references to that episode and Adam Bell).

The Spirit of Sherwood website places the episodes in the following order, with proposed dates:

Series 1-2:
1-2: Robin Hood and the Sorcerer (1 & 2). April - 1 May 1193.
3: The Witch of Elsdon (3). May 1193.
4: Seven Poor Knights from Acre (4). 1193.
5: Alan a Dale (5). 1193?
6: The King's Fool (6). March 1194.
7-8: The Swords of Wayland (11 & 12). Early Summer - 1195?
9: Lord of the Trees (9). 1196?
10: The Children of Israel (8). 1198?
11: The Prophecy (7). After 6 April 1199, before 27 May 1199.
12: The Enchantment (10). Spring 1202.
13: The Greatest Enemy (13). c. May 1202.

Series 3:
1-2: Herne's Son (1&2). c. March/April 1203.
3: The Power of Albion (3). c. April/May 1203.
4: Adam Bell (9). Winter 1203-Spring 1204.
5: The Betrayal (8). Winter 1204-05.
6: The Pretender (10). Early 1205?
7: The Cross of St Ciricus (6). mid-Summer 1205.
8: The Sheriff of Nottingham (5). late-Summer 1205.
9: Cromm Cruac (7). End-October. c.1206?
10: The Inheritance (4). Midsummer. 1209?
11: Rutterkin (11). c.1211 or 1212.
12-13: The Time of the Wolf (12 & 13). 1211 (or 1212).

Places of action[]

Villages[]

  • Loxley - burned village, childhood home of the first Robin.
  • Wickham - village where Meg, lover of Little John lived. An important setting in the series.
  • Cromm Cruac - village-phantom, created by Gulnar (Seen only in the episode Cromm Cruac).
  • Elsdon - (Mentioned in the episode Witch of Elsdon).
  • Bystead - Village used a camp by the Knights Templar.
  • Hathersage - Home of Little John (never seen, only mentioned).
  • Uffcombe - village attacked by Hounds of Lucifer.

Castles and cities[]

Abbeys[]

DVD releases[]

  • "Series 1 - Part 1 - Episodes 1 To 3 DVD."
  • "Series 1 - Part 2 - Episodes 4 To 6 DVD."
  • "Series 2 - Part 1 - Episodes 1 To 4 DVD."
  • "Series 2 - Part 2 - Episodes 5 To 7 DVD."
  • "The Complete Series 1 DVD." ASIN B00005Q3VG, ASIN B000L21290
  • "The Complete Series 2 DVD." ASIN B000066NSI
  • "Series 3 - Part 1 - Episodes 1 To 6 DVD." ASIN B00006L9YS
  • "Series 3 - Part 2 - Episodes 7 To 13 DVD." ASIN B00006SKVF
  • "Complete DVD."
  • "The Complete Series. (NTSC)"

In the US and Canada, the first and second series have been released by Acorn Media in a five DVD set. A second set, containing the complete third season was released on October 9th, 2007

Audio Dramas[]

In July 2015, Bafflegab Productions, the producers of the audio play/comic book series The Scarifyers, and co-producer Barnaby Eaton-Jones announced that they were adapting a feature-length script entitled Robin of Sherwood: The Knights Of The Apocalypse, written by Richard Carpenter before his death in 2012. Jason Connery, Judi Trott, Ray Winstone, Clive Mantle, Mark Ryan, Phil Rose, Philip Jackson, and Nickolas Grace (Robert of Huntingdon, Lady Marion, Will Scarlet, Little John, Nasir, Friar Tuck, Abbot Hugo, and the Sheriff of Nottingham, respectively) all agreed to reprise their roles for the project, with Daniel Abineri taking the role of Herne in place of his father, John Abineri, who died in 2000. In December 2015, Barnaby Eaton-Jones took over as sole producer of the audio play, with Spiteful Puppet (the award-winning audio company who produced the 'Hood' series of audio dramas) as executive producers; as approved by ITV Studios and Richard 'Kip' Carpenter's estate. After beginning its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in September 2015, the production set a goal of £10,000 within 30 days to cover production costs; due to enthusiastic fan support, however, the goal was reached in just under 24 hours. The audio play was released in 2016, with proceeds going to the Sherwood Forest Trust and the British Red Cross.

The success of the play led to Spiteful Puppet announcing a set of four further 'Robin of Sherwood' plays for 2017, two featuring Jason Connery and two featuring Michael Praed. This release was later pushed back to 2018, however a series of enhanced audiobooks was announced, with the first four being released in December 2017.

Spiteful Puppet Robin of Sherwood Full Cast Audio Plays
Title Author Release Date Notes / Chronology
"The Knights of the Apocalypse (Part 1)" [1] Richard Carpenter 30 June 2016 Set after "The Time of the Wolf" and "What Was Lost"
"The Knights of the Apocalypse (Part 2)"
"The Trial of John Little" [2] Tony Lee 10 December 2018 Part of the "Robin of Sherwood – A New Adventure" boxset. Set during series two.
"King of Sherwood" Paul Birch & Barnaby Eaton-Jones Part of the "Robin of Sherwood – A New Adventure" boxset. Set during series one.
"The Meeting Place" Jennifer Ash (from a story by Barnaby Eaton-Jones) Part of the "Robin of Sherwood – A New Adventure" boxset. Set during series three.
"What Was Lost (Part 1)" Iain Meadows Part of the "Robin of Sherwood – A New Adventure" boxset. Set after "The Time of the Wolf" and before "The Knights of the Apocalypse"
"What Was Lost (Part 2)"
Spiteful Puppet Robin of Sherwood Audiobooks
Title Author Narrator Release Date Chronology
"Mathilda's Legacy" [3] Jennifer Ash Michael Craig 8 December 2017 Set before "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" [4]
"The Templars’ Promise" [5] Iain Meadows Phil Rose 8 December 2017 Set after "Seven Poor Knights from Acre" [6]
"The Blood that Binds" [7] Iain Meadows Nickolas Grace 8 December 2017 Set after "The Cross of St. Ciricus"; Serves as a prequel to "The Knights of the Apocalypse" [8]
"The Waterford Boy" [9] Jennifer Ash Judi Trott 8 December 2017 Set before "The Time of the Wolf" [10]
"Sanctuary" [11] Paul Birch Michael Praed & Nickolas Grace 22 December 2017 Set during series one, after "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" [12]
"The Red Lord" [13] Paul Kane Ian Ogilvy 11 May 2018 Set after "Adam Bell" [14]
"The Baron's Daughter" Jennifer Ash Peter Hutchinson 31 October 2018 Set during series one, after "Alan A Dale" [15]
"Fitzwarren's Well" Jennifer Ash Judi Trott 1st July 2020 Set during series three, between "Rutterkin" and "The Time of the Wolf"


Bibliography[]

  • Robin of Sherwood. HTV and Goldcrest Films, 1984-1986.

Books[]

  • Carpenter, Richard, Anthony Horowitz, and Robin May. The Complete Adventures of Robin of Sherwood. London: Puffin Books, 1990. ISBN 0-14-034450-0. Novelizations of Series One, Two, plus the beginning and end of Series Three.
  • Green, Jonathan. Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse. Chinbeard Books, 2016.. Novelization of the audio drama, with a limited print run. Given to supporters of the crowdfunding campaign for the audio drama.
  • Various (2020). Robin of Sherwood: The Season 4 Collection. Spiteful Puppet & Chinbeard Books (2020). Anthology of novelizations of the audio material and original novels based on the TV series. Intended to represent the unmade fourth TV season. The contents are What Was Lost, by Elliot Thorpe and Iain Meadows; The Power of Three by Jennifer Ash; To Have and To Hold, Elliot Thorpe and Barnaby Eaton-Jones; Queen of the Black Sun by Kenton Hall and Iain Meadows; The Servant by Jennifer Ash; and a second novelisation of Richard Carpenter's Knights of the Apocalypse by Jennifer Ash. Published with a limited print run.

Anonymous, Robin of Sherwood Annual 1987.Chinbeard Books, 2022.

Interviews[]

External links[]

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