The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV Series) The Knight with the Red Plume (1956) User Reviews

An interesting, if slightly underwhelming start.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 22 January 2023]

Sir Lancelot wants to join The Knights of The Round Table, he travels to Camelot, but is first given a series of tasks that he must complete, including a duel with The King's Champion.

It's a solid, if slightly clunky first episode, I'll be honest, I had no idea this show existed, once again, so much appreciation for Talking Pictures. I'll watch a few more to try and get a better opinion.

Here Sir Lancelot is rightly played as valiant, capable, tough and intelligent. I really liked the character of Merlin.

The production values are actually pretty decent, some nice location work and some really nice costumes. That theme tune really was something.

The fight scenes are perhaps not the best, but I imagine they would have really appealed to a young audience in 1956.

I'm keen to see more of William Russell, best known perhaps for his role in Dr Who alongside William Hartnell as Ian Chesterton, a role he astonishingly picked up briefly again in 2022, quite a dashing figure.

5/10.

When knights were bold

[Paularoc · 4/10 · 27 September 2012]

While I vividly remember Robin Hood, I have no recollection of this series. This is the pilot episode where Lancelot must prove his worth before becoming a Knight of the Round Table. Sir Gawain challenges him to a fight to the death since Lancelot killed his brother in battle. The jousting scene between the two was quite good but the broad sword fight, not so much. Interesting bit of humor when Lancelot deduces a trick Merlin used but promises not to tell anyone about it. However, I found Russel's portrayal to be wooden and lacking in charm. The production values are about what one would expect from a 1950s television show but the show is a pleasant enough diversion for children. The music of theme song (in days of old, when knights were bold) just does not fit; the music (but not the lyrics, of course) are more suited to Jim Bowie or some such show.

The Knight with the Red Plume

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 13 June 2020]

This is an early ITC series made for the early days of ITV. As ever ITC had an eye for the American market.

For a show made in 1956, it would come as a surprise that the main star William Russell is still alive as of June 2020. Russell would go on to a further highlight in his career as schoolteacher Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who.

This series is squarely aimed at a family audience. Russell plays Lancelot travelling far in the hope he can become one of King Arthur's knights of the round table. He already beats three of King Arthur knights before he sets foot in the castle.

Merlin however gets a message via signal from a reflection of the sun in a mirror as to what has occurred.

King Arthur asks Lancelot to prove himself and Sir Gawaine challenges him to a duel as he believes Lancelot killed his brother.

It is all shot in the studio apart from the duel with Sir Gawaine which was shot outside. It is very much a simple story.