Robin Hood
I thought I would wait until I have seen at least two episodes of this before writing about it.
The BBC have created a new series of Robin Hood. Essentially I think to try and do for Saturday night viewing in autumn, what Doctor Who does in spring.
I had some pretty high hopes that this would be good. After all the BBC are renowned for making good series like this. However I was disappointed. I never expected it to be as good the excellent Robin of Sherwood made back in the 80's. But I expected it to at least pretty decent.
The first and worst mistake they have made is pandering to children. It is a big mistake these days when they assume a family show means focusing on what children will like. You have to understand if you make something for adults children will often love it. Example being Robin of Sherwood. In that they did not pander at all towards children and yet I loved it when I was little. Dumbing things down for children means you often isolate a large part of your audience. However on the reverse not doing this wont lose the children, they will still love it.
My next problem was them trying to use some techniques that do not work and come off as cheesy. Such as when he back-flips from the second storey of a building. they decided this was so fabulous they had to show it again and again in quick succession from different angles. this came off as poor directing and trying to over sensationalising. Perhaps the director was a fan of Errol Flynn but that stuff does not work in modern day British TV programmes. Added to this the music i very cheesy and sounds like something from a bad American TV series or movie.
Next were the inaccuracies. I may be being a little picky but certain glaring mistakes about the era annoy me. I do not mind them getting away with little things to further the story but it bugs me when characters do or say something that somebody of the time simply would not do or say. An example, of this was when the Sheriff was going to cut out a tongue every hour before someone gave up Robin Hood. He did a tick-tock sound to show how time was ticking away. This bugged me because there was no such thing as clocks like this for many centuries after so there is no way the Sheriff would do this.
Next the overall appearance. its too clean and perfect looking. People look like they bathe everyday and wash their clothes in modern day washing machines with modern day detergents. Back then people were grubby and unclean. Also Maid Marion had very very modern makeup on which looks out of place. Why do this? Her makeup should be appropriate to the time or even better none at all which is far more likely. the costumes were also all wrong. The armour of the soldiers did not look as they should. Guy of Gisborn was wearing some leather outfit with collars that looked like it would fit far more in today's society than back then. Also the castle and villages were too clean and ordered. They did not loom lived in. all this did not make for a very authentic setting.
I also dislike they did not use some of the fundamental scenes everybody knows from Robin Hood. they may use some in future but I think if you do robin Hood you use some of what everybody knows such as when he meets Little John the staff fight over the river. This was not done.
One final thing that bugs me is it appears they are going to have Robin Hood as whiter than white and never kill anybody even in self defence. that is not how he would be. I resent them portraying him in this way as though we cannot handle a hero who has to kill when he has no other choice.
Overall this was a very poor effort from the BBC and I expected much more from them.
I personally shall stick to watching my Robin of Sherwood DVD's.
The BBC have created a new series of Robin Hood. Essentially I think to try and do for Saturday night viewing in autumn, what Doctor Who does in spring.
I had some pretty high hopes that this would be good. After all the BBC are renowned for making good series like this. However I was disappointed. I never expected it to be as good the excellent Robin of Sherwood made back in the 80's. But I expected it to at least pretty decent.
The first and worst mistake they have made is pandering to children. It is a big mistake these days when they assume a family show means focusing on what children will like. You have to understand if you make something for adults children will often love it. Example being Robin of Sherwood. In that they did not pander at all towards children and yet I loved it when I was little. Dumbing things down for children means you often isolate a large part of your audience. However on the reverse not doing this wont lose the children, they will still love it.
My next problem was them trying to use some techniques that do not work and come off as cheesy. Such as when he back-flips from the second storey of a building. they decided this was so fabulous they had to show it again and again in quick succession from different angles. this came off as poor directing and trying to over sensationalising. Perhaps the director was a fan of Errol Flynn but that stuff does not work in modern day British TV programmes. Added to this the music i very cheesy and sounds like something from a bad American TV series or movie.
Next were the inaccuracies. I may be being a little picky but certain glaring mistakes about the era annoy me. I do not mind them getting away with little things to further the story but it bugs me when characters do or say something that somebody of the time simply would not do or say. An example, of this was when the Sheriff was going to cut out a tongue every hour before someone gave up Robin Hood. He did a tick-tock sound to show how time was ticking away. This bugged me because there was no such thing as clocks like this for many centuries after so there is no way the Sheriff would do this.
Next the overall appearance. its too clean and perfect looking. People look like they bathe everyday and wash their clothes in modern day washing machines with modern day detergents. Back then people were grubby and unclean. Also Maid Marion had very very modern makeup on which looks out of place. Why do this? Her makeup should be appropriate to the time or even better none at all which is far more likely. the costumes were also all wrong. The armour of the soldiers did not look as they should. Guy of Gisborn was wearing some leather outfit with collars that looked like it would fit far more in today's society than back then. Also the castle and villages were too clean and ordered. They did not loom lived in. all this did not make for a very authentic setting.
I also dislike they did not use some of the fundamental scenes everybody knows from Robin Hood. they may use some in future but I think if you do robin Hood you use some of what everybody knows such as when he meets Little John the staff fight over the river. This was not done.
One final thing that bugs me is it appears they are going to have Robin Hood as whiter than white and never kill anybody even in self defence. that is not how he would be. I resent them portraying him in this way as though we cannot handle a hero who has to kill when he has no other choice.
Overall this was a very poor effort from the BBC and I expected much more from them.
I personally shall stick to watching my Robin of Sherwood DVD's.