Robin of Sherwood: The Television Series
Created | Updated Mar 11, 2003
"He's coming...the Hooded Man is coming!"
-The last words of Ailric of Loxley before his death at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham
The Legends of Robin-in-the-Hood
For people of a certain age in the United Kingdom there has only ever been one Robin Hood (or should that be two?). Forget the films in which Errol Flynn pranced about in his daft tights and "Rawbin of Locksley" as portrayed by Kevin Costner in "The Prince of Thieves." The real Robin Hood was Robin of Sherwood, the "Hooded Man," who led his band of outlaws against the tyranny of the Norman ruling classes from the greenwood on the network television series of the same name. Played by two different actors over the space of three series, Robin's adventures captured the imagination of a generation and to this day the haunting sound of Clannad's "Robin; the Hooded Man" theme takes them right back to the tracks and trails of Sherwood Forest.
First appearing in the UK in the early 1980's, RoS was written and created by Richard Carpenter (though some later episodes were penned by Anthony Horowitz) who was well versed in the actual tales of the outlaw that have come down the years as opposed to the later adaptions of the legend for contempory audiences. Rather than following in the footsteps of previous versions of the story, Carpenter grounded his interpretation firmly in the history of the late middle ages providing a vibrant and believable backdrop for the events of the series. He also used the original material in existance to lend a certain quality and clarity that other incarnations of the tales lacked.
Over the years there has been much speculation and wild theorising by historians and writers of fiction alike as to the actual identity of the figure who was the inspiration and subject of the original tales of Robin Hood (which continues to this day). Many differant names have been suggested and countless locations for the exploits of the famous outlaw and his band. But rather than favour one version of the story over another, Carpenter took a very novel approach to the issue when forced to solve a practical problem and actually managed to stay faithful to more than one popular version of the story.
In the original folktales of the middle ages, Robin Hood had been named as one "Robin of Loxley" and given the social status of a common man forced to flee the justice of his lord and survive in the depths of the forest by robbing travelers along the roads which ran through it. These tales were the toast of the tavern and much loved by the common folk of the time. But in later versions of the tale which were produced with the help of the first printing-presses, Robin had evolved into "Robert: Earl of Huntingdon" and was now a nobleman deprived of his estates by the nefarious plottings of his enemies. The reason for this drastic change in Robin's status was mainly due to the fact that the new printed editions of the story were only within the reach of the realtivly wealthy, most of whom were still members of the aristocracy. Of course these upper-class readers wanted to identify with their hero and they had more in common with the well-bred and chivalrous Robert than they did with the lowly outlaw from the small South Yorkshire village of Loxley.
So when leading man Michael Praed was lured away to the US by a role in the soap opera Dynasty, it was to these conflicting identities that the writer looked to resolve the problem posed by the loss of Roben of Loxley from the cast. Acknowledging the differant threads to the changing identity of Robin Hood, Carpenter featured not one, but two separate characters in the course of the series. Both bore the pseudonym "Robin Hood," but the first was Robin of Loxley and the second was Robert, Earl of Huntingdon. Thus the figure of Robin Hood was presented more as a mantle which could be adopted by many distinct individuals over time as each adopted the role of the "Son of Herne" and became the "Hooded Man."
Since its first broadcast in the UK all those years ago the series has been seen across the world in many countries and counts fans among the young and the old in each until the US production company Showtime pulled its funding. As a result the UK production company Goldcrest was forced to follow suit and the third series became the final outing for robin and his band of outlaws. Even today the qulaity of the writing, acting and production values set the series apart from other interpretations of the legend. Indeed for many the series is the one truly difinitive treatment of the legend of Robin Hood.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Robin of Loxley (Michael Praed)
Born of Saxon stock in a time when the predominantly Norman ruling classes made a point of oppressing all beneath them, Robin was orphaned at an early age after his father Ailric of Loxley was killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham for his part in a failed uprising of the Saxon populace against their Norman superiors. Raised in secret by the village miller after the settlement of Loxley was raised to the ground by the soldiers of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin grew to manhood alongside his younger foster brother Much (the miller's own son). After feeling first hand the harsh and oppressive hand of the Sheriff of Nottingham himself in the shape of Sir Guy of Gisburne, Robin flees to the safety of Sherwood Forest with a likeminded band of fugitives.
Whilst his fellows make plans to slip away from justice quietly, Robin encounters the strange figure of a man dressed in the pelt of a stag who leads him to a hidden cave deep in the forest. The stranger claims to be Herne the Hunter, an ancient pagan deity of the British Isles. Herne charges Robin with the task of standing as the champion of the downtrodden and the dispossessed against the oppression of the Norman nobility. Accepting this role, Robin bands together a rag-tag group of outlaws and makes a stand against the Sheriff and his cronies. The end of the second series saw the original Robin Hood seemingly killed at the hands of the Sheriff's crossbowmen, suffering the exact same fate as his father before him.
Robert of Huntingdon (Jason Connery)
With their leader taken from them at the conclusion of the second series of ROS, the outlaws disbanded and each went their own way. But the finale of that series had seen them rescued from the clutches of Guy of Gisburne by a hooded man who struck down his foes from the shadows with a longbow. Both Gisburne and the outlaws mistook this man for Robin of Loxley, but it was in fact it was a young man by the name of Robert who happened to be heir to the earldom of Huntingdon. Robert had been summoned to the depths of Sherwood by the hypnotic call of Herne the Hunter who informed him that he was to take up the mantle of Robin-in-the-Hood and carry on the battle begun by his predecessor.
Though he saved Robin's band from their enemies, Robert initially turned his back on the role which Herne offered him and returned to his father's estates on the Welsh borders. Later however he was forced to reconsider his decision when the recently pardoned Lady Marion was kidnapped from their lands by the brutal Welsh lord known as Owen of Clum. Returning to Sherwood, Robert there found Friar Tuck and with his help tracked down the rest of the band. After a trying time convincing them that he was truly the new Son of Herne rather than a rich brat playing at being a hero, they finally managed to work together to defeat Owen and rescue Marion from his clutches. With the outlaws reunited, Robert turned his back on his inheritance and led them back to Sherwood to continue their struggle against injustice and oppression.
Nasir (Mark Ryan)
A Saracen warrior far from his homeland, Nasir is at first introduced in the service of the sorceror Baron Simon de Belleme. Silent, stolid and deadly, Nasir competes in the Sheriff of Nottingham's archery contest on behalf of his master and comes very close to victory due to the combination of his own skill with the bow and Belleme's dark arts but is finally beaten by Robin at the last. After the showdown between Robin and Belleme, Nasir allows the outlaw to escape rather than attempt to avenge the sorceror with his twin blades. Later, as the band mourn the loss of their fallen comrades, Nasir emerges from the shadows and offers his services to the band of outlaws.
The orginal script had seen Nasir killed in his confrontation with Robin, but on the strength of Mark Ryan's performance director Paul Knight convinced Richard Carpenter to spare the character's life and rewrite the final scenes of the second episode of the series and have him join the ranks of the outlaws. It is worth noting that this was the first time such a character had been written into Robins band and subsequent characters (such as the Moorish warrior played by Morgan Freeman in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") followed in the same vein.
Marion (Judi Trott)
Rather than following in the footsteps of the rather meek and passive portrayals of "Maid Marion" that had gone before, the Marion of ROS is a woman in everyway equal to Robin Hood himself. Rather than sitting atop a castle tower waiting to be rescued like a traditional damsell in distress, Marion lives in the greenwood with the outlaws and fights along side them. Born the daughter of a powerful nobleman, Marion saught refuge in a monastery whilst her father was away with the armies of the Crusades. When the courts of England were informed of his death and her inheritance of his vast estates, this combined with her beauty made Marion a very desirable prospect for marriage. Her wealth coveted by the church as well as by nobleman suitors, Marion decided to take the vows of a nun and forsake the outside world until Robin of Loxley happened upon her in her bedchamber in Nottingham castle whilst making his escape. After much persuasion and more than a few close scrapes along the way, Robin managed to convince Marion to join him in Sherwood and the two are married on Mayday by Herne the Hunter.
Will Scarlet (Ray Winstone)
Perhaps the boldest and most original depiction of a relativly marginal figure in the traditional legend ever attempted, Will Scarlett brings an almost manic energy to the band of outlaws not least because the character seems based more on a football hooligan than an inhabitant of England in the middle ages. Once a simple man happy live out an average life, Will Scafflock (as he was then known) was changed forever one night when a band of drunken knights broke into his home. The men overcame him and siezed his wife while he was able to do nothing but watch as they proceeded to rape, beat and finally kill her before his very eyes. When they had finished they dropped her lifeless body at his feet and laughed as he wept. Driven beyond reason, Will fell upon the knights. Taken by suprise the knights met their ends at his hands. In the aftermath he rebudded himself "Will Scarlet" after the anger he felt and the blood he had spilled. A fugitive from justice, Will was eventually captured and thrown into the dungeons of Nottingham castle. There he met Robin of Loxley and escaped with him into Sherwood Forest. Without doubt the most volatile and empassioned member of the outlaw band, Will is a man who will never back down from a fight and never fail to leap to the defence of a friend.
Little John (Clive Mantle)
Perhaps the best known of all Robin's band of outlaws, John Little is a giant of a man who first appears in the series as a henchman Simon de Belleme, held in thrall by his dark magics. Dressed in black and sporting a pentagram drawn upon his broad chest, Little John towers above all other characters and presents an intimidating figure. Sent to ambush Robin at a river crossing in Sherwood by his master, Little John is bested by the quicker and more wiley outlaw who removes the arcane sigils from his body as he lies unconscious after the fight. When he comes round Little John is a changed man, freed from the spell of the sorceror he recounts the tale of his capture and enslavement to Robin and vows revenge. Despite his great stature, indeed maybe because of it, Little John is a truely gentle and sensetive soul. Slow to anger but terrible when roused, he wields a quaterstaff with skill as well as strength.
Friar Tuck (Phil Rose)
A pious man of the cloth and unflinching guardian of Marion, the corpulant cleric is a very deceptive character indeed. Rather than being an ineffectual fat slob, Tuck proves himself time and again to be a highly intelligent and wiley individual often using his station and appearence to lull others into a false sense of security. In the times when Marion saught sanctuary in the church, Tuck adopted a role somewhat like that of a surrogate father and sheltered her as best he could from the shemes of those who would have exploited her for their own advantage. When she flees for the safety of the greenwood persued by the soldiers of the Sheriff of Nottingham, she does so with only the protection of Tuck which proves to more than adequate. By the time the outlaws have deserted Sherwood after the demise of Robin of Loxley, only Tuck remains there choosing to continue the life they had lead. The fact that Tuck has had an education and can of course read are great assets to the band and the friar is often called upon to be the voice of reason among the group when others let their tempers get the better of them.
Much (Peter Llewellyn Williams)
A simple soul at heart, Much was the son of the miller in the village of Loxley and grew up with Robin who's father left him in the man's care before his death. Always having good intentions, Much came to the conclusion one day that if he could bring down one of the King's deer then he would be able to relieve the relative poverty in which his family was living. Maybe Much reasoned that as the King had so many deer in his forests that he wouldn't miss just one to feed his hungry subject, but unfortunatly the laws of the land were not as benevolent as he supposed and he found himself imprisoned along with Robin who had tried in vein to save him. In the violence and retribution that followed their escape, Guy of Gisburne became the second Norman to raise the homes of the villagers of Loxley in only two decades and in the process made a point of killing Much's father to drive home the point that he and Robin would be hunted down like dogs. Totally commited to the casue and totally devoted to both Robin of Loxley and later Robert of Hutingdon, Much matures over time into a character who while still good-hearted and inclined to think the best of people is no longer the nieve boy who poached from the King's forest all those years ago.
The Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace)
The quintissential villain of the piece and the most enduring foe ever faced by both Robin of Loxley and Robert of Huntingdon, Robert de Rainault the Sheriff of Nottingham is a man who plots long and hard against his enemies but always seems to meet with frustration in the end. The creators of the series expalined that in the case of the Sheriff their aim was to make him "reactionary and stupid, like a tory minister" and it has to be said that they suceeded. Greedy, mean-spirited and possesed of a certain degree of base cunning, the Sheriff is a volatile man given to sudden outbursts of temper when his efforts to further his aims go awry (a regular occurance usually blamed without fail upon his underlings). A foe of Robin of Loxley's father Ailric, the Sheriff was involved in the crushing of a Saxon rebellion of which he was a ringleader. Guessing that Ailric would attempt to keep an ancient British artefact known as the "Silver Arrow" from the hands of the Normans, the Sheriff lay in wait for him with a troop of crossbowmen at a bleak and lonely stone circle where it had been hidden. After his men had shot Ailiric full of crossbow bolts the Sheriff siezed the arrow and kept it a closely guarded secret until using it to draw Robin out by offering it as the prize in an archery competition. From that point on the Sheriff and whomever might be hidden in Sherwood and going by the name of Robin Hood have been the bitterest of enemies.
Sir Guy of Gisburne (Robert Addie)
A member of the Norman nobility and the leader of the Sheriff's soldiers, Guy of Gisburne is a man who while professing to live by a strict code of honour is in fact a dispicable character willing to sink to any depths to suceed. As the Sheriff's principal lackey it falls to Gisburne to put his master's schemes and plots into effect as well as sticking the boot in when required. In the Sheriff's name Gisburne willingly burn the homes of innocent peasants, puts men to the sword and tries in vein to bring Robin Hood and his band to justice. Watching Gisburne's repeated failures, perhaps the kindest thing that can be said is that he never gives up and always comes back to harry the outlaws despite repeated humiliations such as being dunked in a lake and stripped to his underclothes and sent back to Nottingham hogtied over the back of his horse. It could be said that Gisburne is only following the orders of the Sheriff of Nottingham's orders and the inept plans that he has concocted, but then when Guy shows any spark of independant though the results are inevitably disasterous. As the Sheriff makes it plain at one point, Gisburne is not employed to think for himself.
Abbot Hugo de Rainault (Philip Jackson)
The brother of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Hugo de Rainault is every bit as avaricious, sly and despicable as his sibling. Enjoying a position of great power, prestiege and privlege within the church, hugo is sure to exploit every oppertunity that comes his way as a result. Working in concert with the Sheriff at various schemes and plots that are to their mutual advantage, Hugo has his tentacles in the attempts to relieve Marion of her ancestral lands and wealth and pops up at various points along the way to lend his weight to his brother's cause (though the result is seldom spectacular to say the least). During the filming of the series the de Rainault brothers were known on set as the "ugly sisters" due to their extravegant costumes and pompus characters. The DVD of the first series of ROS features a wonderful outtake in which the pair burst into a rendition of "Sisters, sisters" in the middle of a tense scene which shows the cameraderie and humour shared by the cast and crew.
Herne the Hunter (John Abineri)
The mentor of both Robin of Loxley and Robert of Huntingdon, the man known as Herne the Hunter is in fact a perfectly ordinary man save for the fact that he is periodically used as a mouthpiece by the ancient Celtic deity sometimes known by the same name. It is the intimidating figure of Herne in his headdress made from the scalp and skin of a stag, who charges both men who become known as Robin Hood to take up weapons in his name and make a stand against the injustices of the world around them. Based upon the deity known to the ancient British as "Cernunnos" or the "Horned God," Herne was a god associated with the sacred art of the hunt and revered as one of the most important figures in the large pantheon venerated by the Celts of the island kingdom. The introduction of the figure of Herne and other elements of mysticism to the tale are yet another original feature of the series on the part of the writer Richard Carpenter. Prior to ROS there had been little or no such content in the treatment of the legend in the past and its addtion to the tale lent a new perspective to the legend linking one of Englands' most enduring heros of legend to the pagan past of the nation. Herne and the Hooded Man have struck a deep chord of resonance with many pagans the world over as a result.
EPISODE GUIDE
Series One
-Robin Hood and the Sorceror (Part 1)
-Robin Hood and the Sorceror (Part 2)
-The Witch of Elsden
-Seven Poor Knights from Acre
-Alan A Dale
-The King's Fool
Series Two
-The Prophecy
-The Children of Israel
-Lord of the Trees
-The Enchantment
-The Swords of Wayland (Part 1)
-The Swords of Wayland (Part 2)
-The Greatest Enemy
Series Three
-Herne's Son (Part 1)
-Herne's Son (Part 2)
-The Power of Albion
-The Inheritance
-The Sheriff of Nottingham
-The Cross of St Ciricus
-Cromm Curac
-The Betrayal
-Adam Bell
-The Pretender
-Rutterkin
-The Time of the Wolf (Part 1)
-The Time of the Wolf (Part 2)
Related Internet Links
"Chronicles of Sherwood," a well designed UK tribute site is located at:
http://www.neopagan.freeserve.co.uk/
"Spirit of Sherwood," the official US Robin of Sherwood fansite can be found at:
http://dutepp0.et.tudelft.nl/~tirza/RoS/
The official Michael Praed wesbite detailing the actors bio, acting credits, current upcoming projects and much more, resides at:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/8116/
Perhaps the most sucessful member of the cast after the series ended, Ray Winstone is paid hommage to at:
http://www.copperlily.com/AboutRayWinstone/
There's even a fansite devoted to the silent but deadly Nasir which is located at the following address:
http://silent-arrows.com
And finally, if you want to delve further into the Celtic enchatment of the music of Clannad you can find all you'll ever need at:
http://www.clannad.net/
-The last words of Ailric of Loxley before his death at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham
The Legends of Robin-in-the-Hood
For people of a certain age in the United Kingdom there has only ever been one Robin Hood (or should that be two?). Forget the films in which Errol Flynn pranced about in his daft tights and "Rawbin of Locksley" as portrayed by Kevin Costner in "The Prince of Thieves." The real Robin Hood was Robin of Sherwood, the "Hooded Man," who led his band of outlaws against the tyranny of the Norman ruling classes from the greenwood on the network television series of the same name. Played by two different actors over the space of three series, Robin's adventures captured the imagination of a generation and to this day the haunting sound of Clannad's "Robin; the Hooded Man" theme takes them right back to the tracks and trails of Sherwood Forest.
First appearing in the UK in the early 1980's, RoS was written and created by Richard Carpenter (though some later episodes were penned by Anthony Horowitz) who was well versed in the actual tales of the outlaw that have come down the years as opposed to the later adaptions of the legend for contempory audiences. Rather than following in the footsteps of previous versions of the story, Carpenter grounded his interpretation firmly in the history of the late middle ages providing a vibrant and believable backdrop for the events of the series. He also used the original material in existance to lend a certain quality and clarity that other incarnations of the tales lacked.
Over the years there has been much speculation and wild theorising by historians and writers of fiction alike as to the actual identity of the figure who was the inspiration and subject of the original tales of Robin Hood (which continues to this day). Many differant names have been suggested and countless locations for the exploits of the famous outlaw and his band. But rather than favour one version of the story over another, Carpenter took a very novel approach to the issue when forced to solve a practical problem and actually managed to stay faithful to more than one popular version of the story.
In the original folktales of the middle ages, Robin Hood had been named as one "Robin of Loxley" and given the social status of a common man forced to flee the justice of his lord and survive in the depths of the forest by robbing travelers along the roads which ran through it. These tales were the toast of the tavern and much loved by the common folk of the time. But in later versions of the tale which were produced with the help of the first printing-presses, Robin had evolved into "Robert: Earl of Huntingdon" and was now a nobleman deprived of his estates by the nefarious plottings of his enemies. The reason for this drastic change in Robin's status was mainly due to the fact that the new printed editions of the story were only within the reach of the realtivly wealthy, most of whom were still members of the aristocracy. Of course these upper-class readers wanted to identify with their hero and they had more in common with the well-bred and chivalrous Robert than they did with the lowly outlaw from the small South Yorkshire village of Loxley.
So when leading man Michael Praed was lured away to the US by a role in the soap opera Dynasty, it was to these conflicting identities that the writer looked to resolve the problem posed by the loss of Roben of Loxley from the cast. Acknowledging the differant threads to the changing identity of Robin Hood, Carpenter featured not one, but two separate characters in the course of the series. Both bore the pseudonym "Robin Hood," but the first was Robin of Loxley and the second was Robert, Earl of Huntingdon. Thus the figure of Robin Hood was presented more as a mantle which could be adopted by many distinct individuals over time as each adopted the role of the "Son of Herne" and became the "Hooded Man."
Since its first broadcast in the UK all those years ago the series has been seen across the world in many countries and counts fans among the young and the old in each until the US production company Showtime pulled its funding. As a result the UK production company Goldcrest was forced to follow suit and the third series became the final outing for robin and his band of outlaws. Even today the qulaity of the writing, acting and production values set the series apart from other interpretations of the legend. Indeed for many the series is the one truly difinitive treatment of the legend of Robin Hood.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Robin of Loxley (Michael Praed)
Born of Saxon stock in a time when the predominantly Norman ruling classes made a point of oppressing all beneath them, Robin was orphaned at an early age after his father Ailric of Loxley was killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham for his part in a failed uprising of the Saxon populace against their Norman superiors. Raised in secret by the village miller after the settlement of Loxley was raised to the ground by the soldiers of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin grew to manhood alongside his younger foster brother Much (the miller's own son). After feeling first hand the harsh and oppressive hand of the Sheriff of Nottingham himself in the shape of Sir Guy of Gisburne, Robin flees to the safety of Sherwood Forest with a likeminded band of fugitives.
Whilst his fellows make plans to slip away from justice quietly, Robin encounters the strange figure of a man dressed in the pelt of a stag who leads him to a hidden cave deep in the forest. The stranger claims to be Herne the Hunter, an ancient pagan deity of the British Isles. Herne charges Robin with the task of standing as the champion of the downtrodden and the dispossessed against the oppression of the Norman nobility. Accepting this role, Robin bands together a rag-tag group of outlaws and makes a stand against the Sheriff and his cronies. The end of the second series saw the original Robin Hood seemingly killed at the hands of the Sheriff's crossbowmen, suffering the exact same fate as his father before him.
Robert of Huntingdon (Jason Connery)
With their leader taken from them at the conclusion of the second series of ROS, the outlaws disbanded and each went their own way. But the finale of that series had seen them rescued from the clutches of Guy of Gisburne by a hooded man who struck down his foes from the shadows with a longbow. Both Gisburne and the outlaws mistook this man for Robin of Loxley, but it was in fact it was a young man by the name of Robert who happened to be heir to the earldom of Huntingdon. Robert had been summoned to the depths of Sherwood by the hypnotic call of Herne the Hunter who informed him that he was to take up the mantle of Robin-in-the-Hood and carry on the battle begun by his predecessor.
Though he saved Robin's band from their enemies, Robert initially turned his back on the role which Herne offered him and returned to his father's estates on the Welsh borders. Later however he was forced to reconsider his decision when the recently pardoned Lady Marion was kidnapped from their lands by the brutal Welsh lord known as Owen of Clum. Returning to Sherwood, Robert there found Friar Tuck and with his help tracked down the rest of the band. After a trying time convincing them that he was truly the new Son of Herne rather than a rich brat playing at being a hero, they finally managed to work together to defeat Owen and rescue Marion from his clutches. With the outlaws reunited, Robert turned his back on his inheritance and led them back to Sherwood to continue their struggle against injustice and oppression.
Nasir (Mark Ryan)
A Saracen warrior far from his homeland, Nasir is at first introduced in the service of the sorceror Baron Simon de Belleme. Silent, stolid and deadly, Nasir competes in the Sheriff of Nottingham's archery contest on behalf of his master and comes very close to victory due to the combination of his own skill with the bow and Belleme's dark arts but is finally beaten by Robin at the last. After the showdown between Robin and Belleme, Nasir allows the outlaw to escape rather than attempt to avenge the sorceror with his twin blades. Later, as the band mourn the loss of their fallen comrades, Nasir emerges from the shadows and offers his services to the band of outlaws.
The orginal script had seen Nasir killed in his confrontation with Robin, but on the strength of Mark Ryan's performance director Paul Knight convinced Richard Carpenter to spare the character's life and rewrite the final scenes of the second episode of the series and have him join the ranks of the outlaws. It is worth noting that this was the first time such a character had been written into Robins band and subsequent characters (such as the Moorish warrior played by Morgan Freeman in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") followed in the same vein.
Marion (Judi Trott)
Rather than following in the footsteps of the rather meek and passive portrayals of "Maid Marion" that had gone before, the Marion of ROS is a woman in everyway equal to Robin Hood himself. Rather than sitting atop a castle tower waiting to be rescued like a traditional damsell in distress, Marion lives in the greenwood with the outlaws and fights along side them. Born the daughter of a powerful nobleman, Marion saught refuge in a monastery whilst her father was away with the armies of the Crusades. When the courts of England were informed of his death and her inheritance of his vast estates, this combined with her beauty made Marion a very desirable prospect for marriage. Her wealth coveted by the church as well as by nobleman suitors, Marion decided to take the vows of a nun and forsake the outside world until Robin of Loxley happened upon her in her bedchamber in Nottingham castle whilst making his escape. After much persuasion and more than a few close scrapes along the way, Robin managed to convince Marion to join him in Sherwood and the two are married on Mayday by Herne the Hunter.
Will Scarlet (Ray Winstone)
Perhaps the boldest and most original depiction of a relativly marginal figure in the traditional legend ever attempted, Will Scarlett brings an almost manic energy to the band of outlaws not least because the character seems based more on a football hooligan than an inhabitant of England in the middle ages. Once a simple man happy live out an average life, Will Scafflock (as he was then known) was changed forever one night when a band of drunken knights broke into his home. The men overcame him and siezed his wife while he was able to do nothing but watch as they proceeded to rape, beat and finally kill her before his very eyes. When they had finished they dropped her lifeless body at his feet and laughed as he wept. Driven beyond reason, Will fell upon the knights. Taken by suprise the knights met their ends at his hands. In the aftermath he rebudded himself "Will Scarlet" after the anger he felt and the blood he had spilled. A fugitive from justice, Will was eventually captured and thrown into the dungeons of Nottingham castle. There he met Robin of Loxley and escaped with him into Sherwood Forest. Without doubt the most volatile and empassioned member of the outlaw band, Will is a man who will never back down from a fight and never fail to leap to the defence of a friend.
Little John (Clive Mantle)
Perhaps the best known of all Robin's band of outlaws, John Little is a giant of a man who first appears in the series as a henchman Simon de Belleme, held in thrall by his dark magics. Dressed in black and sporting a pentagram drawn upon his broad chest, Little John towers above all other characters and presents an intimidating figure. Sent to ambush Robin at a river crossing in Sherwood by his master, Little John is bested by the quicker and more wiley outlaw who removes the arcane sigils from his body as he lies unconscious after the fight. When he comes round Little John is a changed man, freed from the spell of the sorceror he recounts the tale of his capture and enslavement to Robin and vows revenge. Despite his great stature, indeed maybe because of it, Little John is a truely gentle and sensetive soul. Slow to anger but terrible when roused, he wields a quaterstaff with skill as well as strength.
Friar Tuck (Phil Rose)
A pious man of the cloth and unflinching guardian of Marion, the corpulant cleric is a very deceptive character indeed. Rather than being an ineffectual fat slob, Tuck proves himself time and again to be a highly intelligent and wiley individual often using his station and appearence to lull others into a false sense of security. In the times when Marion saught sanctuary in the church, Tuck adopted a role somewhat like that of a surrogate father and sheltered her as best he could from the shemes of those who would have exploited her for their own advantage. When she flees for the safety of the greenwood persued by the soldiers of the Sheriff of Nottingham, she does so with only the protection of Tuck which proves to more than adequate. By the time the outlaws have deserted Sherwood after the demise of Robin of Loxley, only Tuck remains there choosing to continue the life they had lead. The fact that Tuck has had an education and can of course read are great assets to the band and the friar is often called upon to be the voice of reason among the group when others let their tempers get the better of them.
Much (Peter Llewellyn Williams)
A simple soul at heart, Much was the son of the miller in the village of Loxley and grew up with Robin who's father left him in the man's care before his death. Always having good intentions, Much came to the conclusion one day that if he could bring down one of the King's deer then he would be able to relieve the relative poverty in which his family was living. Maybe Much reasoned that as the King had so many deer in his forests that he wouldn't miss just one to feed his hungry subject, but unfortunatly the laws of the land were not as benevolent as he supposed and he found himself imprisoned along with Robin who had tried in vein to save him. In the violence and retribution that followed their escape, Guy of Gisburne became the second Norman to raise the homes of the villagers of Loxley in only two decades and in the process made a point of killing Much's father to drive home the point that he and Robin would be hunted down like dogs. Totally commited to the casue and totally devoted to both Robin of Loxley and later Robert of Hutingdon, Much matures over time into a character who while still good-hearted and inclined to think the best of people is no longer the nieve boy who poached from the King's forest all those years ago.
The Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace)
The quintissential villain of the piece and the most enduring foe ever faced by both Robin of Loxley and Robert of Huntingdon, Robert de Rainault the Sheriff of Nottingham is a man who plots long and hard against his enemies but always seems to meet with frustration in the end. The creators of the series expalined that in the case of the Sheriff their aim was to make him "reactionary and stupid, like a tory minister" and it has to be said that they suceeded. Greedy, mean-spirited and possesed of a certain degree of base cunning, the Sheriff is a volatile man given to sudden outbursts of temper when his efforts to further his aims go awry (a regular occurance usually blamed without fail upon his underlings). A foe of Robin of Loxley's father Ailric, the Sheriff was involved in the crushing of a Saxon rebellion of which he was a ringleader. Guessing that Ailric would attempt to keep an ancient British artefact known as the "Silver Arrow" from the hands of the Normans, the Sheriff lay in wait for him with a troop of crossbowmen at a bleak and lonely stone circle where it had been hidden. After his men had shot Ailiric full of crossbow bolts the Sheriff siezed the arrow and kept it a closely guarded secret until using it to draw Robin out by offering it as the prize in an archery competition. From that point on the Sheriff and whomever might be hidden in Sherwood and going by the name of Robin Hood have been the bitterest of enemies.
Sir Guy of Gisburne (Robert Addie)
A member of the Norman nobility and the leader of the Sheriff's soldiers, Guy of Gisburne is a man who while professing to live by a strict code of honour is in fact a dispicable character willing to sink to any depths to suceed. As the Sheriff's principal lackey it falls to Gisburne to put his master's schemes and plots into effect as well as sticking the boot in when required. In the Sheriff's name Gisburne willingly burn the homes of innocent peasants, puts men to the sword and tries in vein to bring Robin Hood and his band to justice. Watching Gisburne's repeated failures, perhaps the kindest thing that can be said is that he never gives up and always comes back to harry the outlaws despite repeated humiliations such as being dunked in a lake and stripped to his underclothes and sent back to Nottingham hogtied over the back of his horse. It could be said that Gisburne is only following the orders of the Sheriff of Nottingham's orders and the inept plans that he has concocted, but then when Guy shows any spark of independant though the results are inevitably disasterous. As the Sheriff makes it plain at one point, Gisburne is not employed to think for himself.
Abbot Hugo de Rainault (Philip Jackson)
The brother of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Hugo de Rainault is every bit as avaricious, sly and despicable as his sibling. Enjoying a position of great power, prestiege and privlege within the church, hugo is sure to exploit every oppertunity that comes his way as a result. Working in concert with the Sheriff at various schemes and plots that are to their mutual advantage, Hugo has his tentacles in the attempts to relieve Marion of her ancestral lands and wealth and pops up at various points along the way to lend his weight to his brother's cause (though the result is seldom spectacular to say the least). During the filming of the series the de Rainault brothers were known on set as the "ugly sisters" due to their extravegant costumes and pompus characters. The DVD of the first series of ROS features a wonderful outtake in which the pair burst into a rendition of "Sisters, sisters" in the middle of a tense scene which shows the cameraderie and humour shared by the cast and crew.
Herne the Hunter (John Abineri)
The mentor of both Robin of Loxley and Robert of Huntingdon, the man known as Herne the Hunter is in fact a perfectly ordinary man save for the fact that he is periodically used as a mouthpiece by the ancient Celtic deity sometimes known by the same name. It is the intimidating figure of Herne in his headdress made from the scalp and skin of a stag, who charges both men who become known as Robin Hood to take up weapons in his name and make a stand against the injustices of the world around them. Based upon the deity known to the ancient British as "Cernunnos" or the "Horned God," Herne was a god associated with the sacred art of the hunt and revered as one of the most important figures in the large pantheon venerated by the Celts of the island kingdom. The introduction of the figure of Herne and other elements of mysticism to the tale are yet another original feature of the series on the part of the writer Richard Carpenter. Prior to ROS there had been little or no such content in the treatment of the legend in the past and its addtion to the tale lent a new perspective to the legend linking one of Englands' most enduring heros of legend to the pagan past of the nation. Herne and the Hooded Man have struck a deep chord of resonance with many pagans the world over as a result.
EPISODE GUIDE
Series One
-Robin Hood and the Sorceror (Part 1)
-Robin Hood and the Sorceror (Part 2)
-The Witch of Elsden
-Seven Poor Knights from Acre
-Alan A Dale
-The King's Fool
Series Two
-The Prophecy
-The Children of Israel
-Lord of the Trees
-The Enchantment
-The Swords of Wayland (Part 1)
-The Swords of Wayland (Part 2)
-The Greatest Enemy
Series Three
-Herne's Son (Part 1)
-Herne's Son (Part 2)
-The Power of Albion
-The Inheritance
-The Sheriff of Nottingham
-The Cross of St Ciricus
-Cromm Curac
-The Betrayal
-Adam Bell
-The Pretender
-Rutterkin
-The Time of the Wolf (Part 1)
-The Time of the Wolf (Part 2)
Related Internet Links
"Chronicles of Sherwood," a well designed UK tribute site is located at:
http://www.neopagan.freeserve.co.uk/
"Spirit of Sherwood," the official US Robin of Sherwood fansite can be found at:
http://dutepp0.et.tudelft.nl/~tirza/RoS/
The official Michael Praed wesbite detailing the actors bio, acting credits, current upcoming projects and much more, resides at:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/8116/
Perhaps the most sucessful member of the cast after the series ended, Ray Winstone is paid hommage to at:
http://www.copperlily.com/AboutRayWinstone/
There's even a fansite devoted to the silent but deadly Nasir which is located at the following address:
http://silent-arrows.com
And finally, if you want to delve further into the Celtic enchatment of the music of Clannad you can find all you'll ever need at:
http://www.clannad.net/
