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| Robin Hood : The Complete BBC Series 1 Box Set [2006] | ![Robin Hood : The Complete BBC Series 1 Box Set [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bMU7kuJ4L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: John Mckay
Actors: Keith Allen, Richard Armitage, Jonas Armstrong
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £34.99
Buy New: £24.98
You Save: £10.01 (29%)
New (12) from £17.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 3281
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Running Time: 675 minutes
Number Of Items: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5014503224820
ASIN: B000VA3J8E
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: October 29, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Weak, low-fat, politically correct version of Robin Hood August 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I initially gave up on this series after the first couple of tedious episodes on the BBC. I thought I'd give it a second chance though and started watching the re-runs on UK Gold. Sorry to say it doesn't get any better and it definitely hasn't grown on me.
I see the main problem being that the creators couldn't make up their minds whether it was intended to be a comedy or not. Certainly the appointment of the legendary comic genius Keith Allen as the wise-cracking sheriff suggests the former. And yet most of the other players are painfully sincere. Robin, in particular, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst lookalike Jonas Armstrong, is cringingly understated almost to the extent of being regarded as a supporting actor. Lucy Griffiths delivers Marian's lines in an uninterested flat monotone and doesn't look the part either and one-dimensional Richard Armitage just looks permanently embarrassed playing Guy of Gisbourne in his long black Gestapo coat!
I know it's supposed to be Robin Hood brought up to date, but the silly anachronisms, most notably in the costumes and in snippets of politically-loaded dialogue, just irritated me. If you want a contemporary Robin Hood, then why not go the whole hog and set it on a council estate with a real modern hoodie man? Sorry but for me it just didn't work.
The writers have clearly jumped through hoops to tick every politically correct box possible (no Friar Tuck, because I guess that would be "fattist"), but have omitted to deliver much in the way of entertainment.
Far far weaker than ITV's Robin of Sherwood, lacking the charm of the classic Richard Greene version and not as funny (except for a few scenes with Keith Allen) as Men in Tights or Maid Marian and her Merry Men, this feeble version fails on almost every count.
It's not as bad as Bonekickers though.....
 It's alright but... July 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have only recently got into this series, and i haven't seen many episodes yet. It does have some positives, and the story isn't too bad. There are some quite original plot lines too.
Some of the charcters are quite good, I find i cannot help laughing at the sheriff's antics.
The main downer though is the political corectness, probably a symptom of having been made by the BBC.
I really felt that this show was actively promoting Islam at times. Having muslim charcters is one thing, but there seem to be a disproportionate number here, they are always put across as the ones who are prepared to negotiate and who want peace, and are very often given a stage to openly talk about thier religion. Whereas christianity is barely given a mention, and is sometimes portayed in quite a negative light.
We are also constantly reminded of the superiority of Islamic civilisation over western. This is certainly true to some extent, but it often comes across as arrogant, sneering and sometimes downright patronising.
Sometimes one is left wandering why robin and the crew even bother fighting for england, when we are supposedly so backwards and ignorant, and bears sole responsibilty for atrocities commited during the crusades.
Enjoy this series as light entertainment by all means. It is good for that, but i would say try not to be taken in by the PC attitudes and phrpaghanda. Perhaps buy it from a marketplace seller, so the bbc don't get profit
A wasted opportunity April 2, 2008
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
I wanted to like this series, I really did. I awaited its first transmission with baited breath, regularly visited the internet to find information about it, and counted down the days to the first episode transmission. What a let down! It fails for a number of reasons and I think the reason it has annoyed me so much is that so many of its faults were, in hindsight, so easily rectified. The actor playing Robin, good as an actor that he is, is just not Robin for me. He looks like he's just finished his paper round! The character of Little John was 2 dimensional and a bit too....Scottish? I understood the character of John Little was from Yorkshire, not the Scottish Glens. Marion was one of the saving graces of the series, well written and cast to someone who can act well and striking. The rest of the merry men? Mostly pretty dull and either reactionary or cliched. I couldn't care less for Will Scarlet and Alan A Dale, despite having a history of being a minstrel, sounded like a cockney geezer! How drab in an attempt to make it somewhat contempory. Where was Tuck? I understood the writers said they didn't include Tuck as they didn't think it was right to `Laugh at fat people in this day and age' ??? Why would we laugh at him, if he was well written and courageous? This smacks of the problem of the whole series, it is all about how it looks and not about how it actually is. Too much effort in having green hoodies and not enough time spent on plot development and character depth. And excitment! The character of Djac was interesting and clearly derived from Nasir in Robin of Sherwood, but female. Nice twist though.
The sheriff looks and acts like he's wandered off stage from Panto at Southend-on-Sea (purple eye make up? I don't think so, do you?) and Guisburne in black leather may be good for the mums watching, and although he also was well acted with the script given, all the smouldering looks, well it just didn't wash with me.
I hoped it would improve with series 2, but if anything it got worse! I saw a documentary prior to the first series, and the actors were asked whether they had looked at previous versions of Robin Hood, in particular Robin of Sherwood. They responded laughing and almost sneering at what had been done previously; sorry chaps, your version is not a patch on Robin of Sherwood, on any level. To compare that series to this one is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a wheelbarrow!
 Cracking good fun! March 11, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I only caught the odd episode of Series 1 Robin Hood when it was originaly broadcast on TV and also missed the early episodes of series 2! Then I became hooked!
This box set gave me a great way to catch up on all the great fun I had been missing. The early portrayal of the characters were slightly different, as they then matured and developed during s2.
The extras provided great insights in to the sets, costumes and characters. I loved the commentories as well. All I can say is that it will be watched time and time again!
I would have like to have seen some 'deleted scenes' or out takes. Also I would have liked an interview with Keith Allen ( the Sherif ), and there is always space for lots more Richard Armitage ( Sir Guy!) swoon!
Robin Hood.... December 3, 2007
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I agree completely with other reviewers that it's not good at all that the three single volumes seemed to be the only release that was going to happen... I've bought them all and love them but would have preferred to have a box set with extras!!
As I haven't got the extras, I can only review the series itself... and what a series! There has been so many Robin Hood productions over the years but I think that this one has been so successful because it reaches its target audience... it has introduced the legend to a new generation in a way that they can understand!
It's fast-paced, funny and I know I for one will be keeping this in my dvd collection!
The only question now is: "should I wait for the Series 2 Boxset?"
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