Accompanied once more by the lilting strains of Clannad, Robin of Loxley continues his struggle against the tyranny of Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Also against Satanic Cultists, because this is MYTHIC Robin Hood. That last element got the show in hot water with Professional Hater of Fun Things, Mary Whitehouse, because apparently you shouldn't show satanists as having actual magical powers, or at all.
As a kid, I loved the supernatural elements of Robin of Sherwood. The mysterious figure of Herne the Hunter in his cool stag's head outfit, the sorcerous shenanigans of Robin's adversaries, and so forth. As an adult I am more ambivalent about them, though definitely not for the same reasons as Ms Whitehouse. For me, the issue is that when you have verifiable magic and supernatural forces actively at work in your setting, it stretches credulity and my sense of verisimilitude if no-one outside the core cast ever seems to acknowledge it. "Magic is real" is great, but given that, surely the wicked Prince John should have a pet alchemist brewing potions for him, and so forth.
That quibble aside, I generally enjoyed this jaunt back to the days of my youth. The production values are pretty good for UK show of the era (even if it's sometimes pretty obvious that the castles they're supposed to be living in are not exactly in prime condition), and the cast is solid. I wish a little more was done with Robin's cohorts, though. They are sometimes left a bit short of things to do.
If moody medieval adventures sounds like your kind of thing, check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment