"Robin of Sherwood" Robin Hood and the Sorcerer (1984)

Director:

Ian Sharp

Writer:

Richard Carpenter (created and written by)

TV Series:

"Robin of Sherwood" (1984)

Original Air Date:

28 April 1984 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Drama

Plot:

Young Robin watches his home village of Loxley being burned to the ground by Norman soldiers and his father Ailric...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Magic | Cult Favorite | Fencing | Swashbuckler

Cast

Toby Lee	...	Young Robin
Wayne Michaels	...	Ailric of Loxley
Betty Francis	...	Much's Mother
Geoffrey Greenhill	...	Miller
Nickolas Grace	...	Robert de Rainault
Clive Mantle	...	Little John
Anthony Valentine	...	Baron de Belleme
Michael Praed	...	Robin of Loxley
Peter Llewellyn Williams	...	Much
Robert Addie	...	Sir Guy of Gisburne
Ray Winstone	...	Will Scarlet
Paul Rainbow	...	Tom the Fletcher (as Paul Duggan)
Mark Audley	...	Dickon
Stuart Linden	...	The Old Prisoner
Philip Jackson	...	Abbot Hugo de Rainault
Phil Rose	...	Friar Tuck
Judi Trott	...	Lady Marion
John Abineri	...	Herne the Hunter
Mark Ryan	...	Nasir
Harry Herring	...	Clerk
Thomas Henty	...	Flambard
Kim Hicks	...	Belleme's Woman
Gillie Roper	...	Belleme's Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Wilsher	...	Outlaw (uncredited)

Directed by
Ian Sharp

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Carpenter		created and written by

Produced by
Patrick Dromgoole	....	executive producer
Paul Knight	....	producer

Original Music by
Clannad

Film Editing by
Terry Maisey

Casting by
Esta Charkham

Costume Design by
Lynnette Cummin

Makeup Department
Cherry West	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Murray	....	first assistant director
John Parris	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ken Bridgeman	....	assistant designer
Peter Smith	....	props

Sound Department
Tony Anscombe	....	dubbing mixer
Gus Lloyd	....	boom operator
Jim Roddan	....	sound editor
Ken Scrivener	....	dubbing mixer
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer

Stunts
Terry Walsh	....	stunt coordinator
Brian Bowes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve Dent	....	stunts (uncredited)
Max Faulkner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Michaels	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Pearce	....	camera operator
Tony Shearn	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Laura Cairns	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Hedley England	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Julie Baines	....	production assistant
Moira Brenard	....	production secretary
Gabe Cronnelly	....	archery advisor
Christopher Dando	....	location manager (as Chris Dando)
Steve Dent	....	horse master
Elaine Matthews	....	continuity

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Carpenter		creator

Film Editing by
Brian Freemantle		(season 3)
David McCormick		(season 2)

Sound Department
James Mather	....	sound editor
Martin Pearce	....	sound assistant (season 3)

Special Effects by
Ken Lailey	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Tom Delmar	....	stunt double

Editorial Department
Jacky Norrie	....	assistant editor (season 2 and 3)

Country:

UK

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Trivia:

Wayne Michaels, who plays Ailric of Loxley, is leading man Michael Praed's stunt double and one of the series' general regular stuntmen. Although he is killed off in one the very first scenes of the episode, Michaels can also be seen as a contender in the archery competition later on, as well as a solder chasing Much and Robin through the forest following their little deer incident.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ailric leaves his village with young Robin he has only about three arrows in his quiver. When he drops off Robin at the mill and rides away, his quiver is full of arrows.

Quotes:

Sir Guy of Gisburne: What is your name, serf?
Robin Hood: I'm not a serf, I'm a free man.
Sir Guy of Gisburne: If I say you're a serf, you're a serf!

Bad story, bad acting, bad action!

I don't get it! Why on earth so many rate this episode and the series as a whole so high. Maybe because I didn't grow up with this version of the Robin Hood legend, living in Denmark. I was first fascinated by the book of Howard Pyle and later "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1955) series when a neighbour got TV. It was about social justice and injustice, rebellion and brave fighting, taking from the rich and giving to the poor, comradeship, loyalty and patriotism and not least: Humour and never forgetting the joy of life! The mood in this episode is rather dark, mysterious and loaded with the weight of destiny. I could live with that as such, but then accompanied with bad acting, laughable, clumsy fighting and a lame plot, I had to give up!