# Robin Hood on BBC America- anyone else's guilty pleasure?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 6, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569 "2007-08-06T03:20:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/1 "2007-08-06T03:20:28Z")

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Hi all…

I’ve become a Robin Hood addict. Despite…  
The weirdly modern clothes

The often cliche and all too modern slang

The bloodless battles…

and of course… the 70’s tv action type music whenever there is a “fight scene”.  
Anyone else watching? Is this series even still alive in the UK or is like 5 years old already?

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### Author: ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/2 "2007-08-06T03:46:31Z")

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I believe what’s airing on BBC America now is reruns of the first season, which were first aired in the US a few months ago. The entire first season was just released on DVD.

And yes, I watched them, and loved them.

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### Author: ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/3 "2007-08-06T04:18:23Z")

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Thanks for the head’s up! I’ve been looking for a new series to watch on disc.

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### Author: ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/4 "2007-08-06T04:35:53Z")

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**Robin of Sherwood** was the better series.

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### Author: ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/5 "2007-08-06T09:07:05Z")

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Hmm, you know somebody said that the last time we discussed the new Robin Hood show, so I checked out some of the endless repeats of _Robin of Sherwood_ they show here on ITV3.

Holy nostalgic rose-tinted spectacles, it’s dreadful. Bad, bad acting and stories that move at a snail’s pace. I would actually rather watch new Hood than that, and I remember quite liking _Sherwood_ at the time.

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### Author: ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/6 "2007-08-06T10:53:53Z")

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[QUOTE=Usram]  
Holy nostalgic rose-tinted spectacles, it’s dreadful. Bad, bad acting and stories that move at a snail’s pace. I would actually rather watch new Hood than that, and I remember quite liking _Sherwood_ at the time.  
[/QUOTE]

I’m so glad there’s someone else that thinks that, I thought it was just me that couldn’t see the greatness in _Robin of Sherwood_. When RH first aired I was discussing it on a British TV board and there was a general consensus that RH was inferior to RoS, but when I checked out RoS (couldn’t really remember it from the original run, although I did watch it) I found it almost unwatchable, in much the same way as I find _The A-Team_, _Macguyver_ and _Knightrider_ unwatchable now, despite loving them years ago.

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### Author: ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/7 "2007-08-06T13:06:54Z")

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[QUOTE=silenus]  
**Robin of Sherwood** was the better series.  
[/QUOTE]

Yes, and that recently started coming out on DVD

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### Author: ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/8 "2007-08-06T13:35:44Z")

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I tried watching the new show, but after five minutes it seem so determinedly stupid that I couldn’t go on.

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### Author: ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/9 "2007-08-06T15:23:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> The bloodless battles..

Well in fairness they aren’t _always_ bloodless, and they do at least try to provide some rationale as to why Robin doesn’t kill people (other than “because it’s 8pm on a Saturday and the kids are still up”).

I loved it - it was Saturday evening TV done to perfection.

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### Author: ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/10 "2007-08-06T18:54:40Z")

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Hi all…

Yes- it is kinda goofy and silly but the witty comebacks- especially from the Sheriff, the kinda tortured but still mostly bad Guy of Gisborne (sp?) and the really adorable Robin made it really grow on me. This weeks episode with the “assasination squad” had its own special brand of cheesiness but it was still charming if you don’t take it all too seriously.

I wasn’t really complaining about the bloodless battles but you do have to suspend disbelief sometimes and I really liked the episode where Robin wanted to kill Guy and his gang had to talk him out of doing it because he was known for not being a killer.

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### Author: ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/11 "2007-08-07T01:14:16Z")

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aww, it’s not a guilty pleasure. I LOVED season 1! I downloaded the episodes long before they started airing in the United States…now I know what the Europeans go through with our shows! After those god awful Kevin Costner and Mel Brooks Robin Hood movies, it was great to see some new life breathed into the character.

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### Author: ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/12 "2007-08-07T13:07:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I really liked the episode where Robin wanted to kill Guy and his gang had to talk him out of doing it because he was known for not being a killer

Plus he’s got the whole “I saw/killed too much in the Crusades” schtick going on.

**Trivia!** Much is played by Sam Troughton - grandson of Patrick Troughton (the 2nd Doctor).

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### Author: ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/13 "2007-08-07T13:09:32Z")

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Oh and trivia again (sorry):

**Trivia!** The Sheriff is played by Keith Allen who is, of course, Lily Allen’s dad.

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### Author: ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/14 "2007-08-07T13:14:19Z")

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[QUOTE=Szlater]  
I’m so glad there’s someone else that thinks that, I thought it was just me that couldn’t see the greatness in _Robin of Sherwood_. When RH first aired I was discussing it on a British TV board and there was a general consensus that RH was inferior to RoS, but when I checked out RoS (couldn’t really remember it from the original run, although I did watch it) I found it almost unwatchable, in much the same way as I find _The A-Team_, _Macguyver_ and _Knightrider_ unwatchable now, despite loving them years ago.  
[/QUOTE]

Make that three of us. RoS was _godawful_. From the terminally stupid new-agey pagan overtones to the terminally wafty new-agey Celtic music (an\*\* Irish \*\* band providing music about an **English** hero - perhaps even England’s national hero - whose dumb idea was _that_?) it was\*\* _rank_\*\*.

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### Author: ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/15 "2007-08-07T13:30:38Z")

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[QUOTE=Boulter’s Canary]  
Make that three of us. RoS was _godawful_. From the terminally stupid new-agey pagan overtones to the terminally wafty new-agey Celtic music (an\*\* Irish \*\* band providing music about an **English** hero - perhaps even England’s national hero - whose dumb idea was _that_?) it was\*\* _rank_\*\*.  
[/QUOTE]

I have the discs in my Netflix queue, so maybe I’ll see it this way when they roll around. Right now, while I enjoy _Robin Hood_’s cheesiness to a degree, I remember _Robin of Sherwood_ as being better. 20 year old nostalgia? Maybe.

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### Author: ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/16 "2007-08-07T14:00:46Z")

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\*\*Trivia! \*\*Harry Lloyd, who plays Will Scarlet, is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens!

(This is fun.)

I generally like the show, but the costuming makes me feel a little ill. I watched some of the behind-the-scenes ads on On Demand, so I’m well aware of what they’re trying to do, and authenticity doesn’t even come withing three light years of the costumer’s intent. But c’mon…why the hell does Jaq look like she just got a deal on some old Army Surplus clothing?

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### Author: ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2007, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/17 "2007-08-08T08:49:33Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> But c’mon…why the hell does Jaq look like she just got a deal on some old Army Surplus clothing?

The Missus was always impressed by Marion’s ability to find quality make-up in the middle ages. 😃

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### Author: ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2007, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/18 "2007-08-08T08:54:27Z")

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I was unimpressed. It’s just too weirdly modern - If they’d set it in some kind of parallel universe (in the way that steampunk is often done), then I could have forgiven it, but it was just a big pile of meh.

My daughter spotted a character in it wearing white Nike running shoes.

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### Author: ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/19 "2007-08-08T15:18:05Z")

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[QUOTE=Mangetout]  
My daughter spotted a character in it wearing white Nike running shoes.  
[/QUOTE]  
I haven’t watched it, but according to the OP the anachronisms sound intentional. I can see why to some that would be part of the campy charm, and a turn-off to others.

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### Author: ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-hood-on-bbc-america-anyone-elses-guilty-pleasure/414569/20 "2007-08-08T17:09:43Z")

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You should have seen the old Richard Green series from the 1950s _“Rahbin Hood, Rahbin Hood, riding through the glen…”_

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