I suppose like most movie junkies I've seen numerous takes on the Robin Hood legend - both proper versions and those adapted to modern times. Of course the Errol Flynn version still remains the one to beat in my book (with the hilariously ridiculous Kevin Costner version still hands down the worst - why was that a hit?). As for TV, I still have a soft spot for Mel Brooks' little-seen 1975 spoof, When Things Were Rotten, starring Dick Gautier. But Robin of Sherwood is certainly the most authentic feeling adaptation I've ever seen of the legend, with its small budgets enhancing, not limiting, the gritty feeling that we're really out in Sherwood Forest with a band of rag-tag rebels, fighting the Crown. And the series' inclusion of mystical elements (borrowing quite a bit from the cross-referencing of the Arthurian legends in books and films) nicely expands the rather limited potential, had the series focused strictly on the popularized legend, for weekly plots concerning Robin tricking the Sheriff of Nottingham every week, and rescuing Maid Marion ad nauseam.

If you're a fan of the series, then you know that at the end of the second series, Robin of Loxley was killed off, when actor Michael Praed decided to leave the series to work on ABC's Dynasty (as, ahem, Prince Michael of Moldavia). Fortunately, there are two major branches of the Robin Hood legend in England, one being Robin of Loxley assuming the title of Robin Hood, and the other being Robert of Huntingdon, the son of a nobleman, leading the motley group of Wolf's Head rebels including Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Nasir the Saracen (added for this series and stolen by Costner and company), and Much, Robin's adopted brother. Series creator and writer Richard Carpenter, Executive Producer and Story Consultant Paul Knight, and third series Producer Esta Charkham decided to go with the physical opposite of previous Robin Praed, by casting lithe, blond-haired Jason Connery (the son of Sean Connery, who did an interesting take on the Robin mythology in Richard Lester's Robin and Marion).

This third series of episodes establishes Robert of Huntingdon assuming, rather reluctantly at first, the mantle of the new "Robin Hood" when forest pagan god Herne the Hunter declares him the new owner of Albion, Robin of Loxley's magical sword. As Robert searches out the disbanded members of Robin's original Merry Men, he must convince them, one by one, that he is not only worthy of the original Robin's leadership role, but also that fighting the injustices of the aristocracy and the corrupt church is still a vital necessity. The gang, dispirited and dejected after the death of Robin, are leery of reuniting, but gradually, they come to believe that Robert - who takes the name Robin Hood when he assumes ownership of Albion - is sincere in his efforts to right the wrongs of the peasants (even though he's a nobleman), and that Herne the forest god has indeed picked him for the task of carrying on the original Robin's legacy. The series' biggest twist turns out to be the introduction of the subplot where Sir Guy of Gisburne learns that he is Robin's half-brother (a subplot that unfortunately wasn't fully explored due to the early cancellation of the series).

Clearly, by this third season, Robin of Sherwood needed to branch out from the typical "Robin Hood" stories, and the increasing reliance on mystical, pagan subtexts - along with healthy doses of swordplay in every episode - invigorated the characters and gave a nice cross-textural feel with the sword and sorcery genre. Often playing like a road company version of John Boorman's Excalibur (with a little of Mad Max's costuming and macho posturing thrown in, as well), Robin of Sherwood feels like those inexpensive Hammer excursions into pagan waters, with Robin's "mission" as often wrapped up with cosmic forces as it is with any socio-political tit-for-tat. And except for a few missteps (The Time of the Wolf's golem replica of Robin, complete with ridiculous Dracula teeth!), the episodes of Robin of Sherwood: Set 2 are a lively bunch, with plenty of action when the exposition threatens to take precedence.

There was concern when the third series commenced that young Connery wouldn't be accepted by the series' large worldwide audience (the series even played in the Soviet Union - who no doubt enjoyed stretching Robin's mission into some kind of mediaeval socialist redistribution of wealth). I remember when he debuted with Robin Hood on Showtime; there was quite a bit of media attention paid to him, which quickly died off when he didn't seem to follow up on the hype. I actually enjoyed him more than Praed; there's a lightness to Connery's performance, a half-submerged smile on his face that suggests much more fun than the brooding pretty-boy Praed. While physically he still seems a little light for the action duties, he looks the part and is comfortable with the bow, sword and staff. It's a pity that Goldcrest (the movie company behind Chariots of Fire and Gandhi) no longer had the resources to bankroll the entire series (when Showtime retrenched and failed to commit substantial monies to the fourth series); the third season would prove to be the last for Robin of Sherwood. In one of the many extras on Robin of Sherwood: Set 2, producer Esta Charkham seems to feel that the series had really run its course by the end of the third series, but the more-than-competent action choreography, the sprightly, often times witty scripts, the grimy authentic locales, good costuming, and the entertaining performances (I particularly enjoyed Nickolas Grace's hammy turn as the Sheriff) of Robin of Sherwood: Set 2 would seem to indicate that there were many more stories that could have been told about Robin and his Merry Men. It's a pity they weren't.

DISC ONE:

Herne's Son (Parts One & Two)
With Robin of Loxley dead and his band of outlaws scattered, the forest deity Herne chooses a new champion: Robert of Huntingdon, the Earl's son. But the privileged young man remains reluctant to accept Herne's commission. Only when the evil Lord Owen of Clun kidnaps the Lady Marion, and the Sheriff of Nottingham extorts 500 gold marks from her father, does Robert reassemble the band and follow his destiny as Robin Hood.

The Power of Albion
With outlaws once again ensconced in Sherwood, an infamous torturer known as the King's Devil comes to Nottingham. The sheriff and Guy of Gisburne aim to discover the new outlaw leader's identity by watching Marion, whose father has forbidden her to rejoin the band.

The Inheritance
Herne warns that Robin will encounter "the king that was and the king that is to be" and that he must choose whom to serve. Robin learns the prophecy's full import when a mysterious young woman leads the band to a castle with a secret treasure.

DISC TWO:

The Sheriff of Nottingham
Tired of having taxes stolen, the king appoints a new sheriff: Philip Mark, known as the butcher of Lincolnshire. With Sarak, the Saracen executioner who serves as his bodyguard, the new sheriff terrorizes the villagers in his relentless hunt for Robin Hood.

The Cross of St. Ciricus
After Will becomes convinced that he has contracted leprosy, the band journeys to Croxton Abbey, where a cross has healing powers. En route they rescue a lady from highwaymen, and she makes an astounding confession to Friar Tuck.

Cromm Cruac
When Much severely injures himself in a forester's trap, the band must carry him to the mysterious village of Cromm Cruac. There, the villagers' hospitality seems suspiciously sweet, and the men begin to sense an underlying evil in the place.

DISC THREE:

The Betrayal
King John arrives in Nottingham with a new strategy to defeat Robin Hood: undermining his support among the people. Robert de Carnac, whom the sheriff calls "the Carnage," abets the scheme by leading a group of bandit imposters and terrorizing villagers.

Adam Bell
The famed outlaw Adam Bell comes back to Nottingham and kidnaps the sheriff's nephew. Having captured Much, the sheriff strikes a devil's bargain with Robin: setting Much free in exchange for Robin's help in returning the boy.

The Pretender
Queen Hadwisa plots revenge against her husband for planning to divorce her and take a French girl as his new queen. Against this political intrigue, Robin and his band meet a young man, Arthur, who claims to be a poor steward but seems to be much more.

DISC FOUR:

Rutterkin
Newly arrived in Sherwood, Robin's uncle, Lord Edgar, frames a poor old woman as a witch who casts a spell on King John at the request of the Earl of Huntingdon. He then sets a trap for Robin and his men when they attempt to rescue Robin's father.

The Time of the Wolf (Parts One & Two)
As King John's harsh new taxes threaten the people with starvation, they face an even greater threat. The evil sorcerer Gulnar, once in league with Owen of Clun, returns as the head of a lunatic wolf cult to ravage the land. But Gulnar has a further menacing project in mind: a life-size clay figure that bears a remarkable resemblance to Robin Hood, imbued with the sorcerer's evil magic.

The DVD:

The Video:
Looking not much different than it did on Showtime over twenty years ago, the full screen video transfers for Robin of Sherwood: Set 2 has grain, muddy colors, and at times, a soft picture. However, as I said, that's how it look back then, too, so the look is with the original source materials, and isn't the fault of the transfer.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound mix is pretty straight ahead, with no speaker action to speak of -- I assume the original was presented in mono, and this is just a split mono mix. Thankfully, close-caption options are available.

The Extras:
Wow -- talk about a boat-load of extras! First, we have nine commentary tracks on the first four discs. Nine! Featuring Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle, Nickolas Crace, Anthony Horowitz, Esta Charkham and Sid Roberson, these commentaries are a terrific source of backstage production info, as well as some highly amusing anecdotes (Connery, Ryan, and Mantle prove to be particularly funny raconteurs). Episodes with commentaries include Herne's Son (Parts One & Two), The Inheritance, The Sheriff of Nottingham, Cromm Cruac, Adam Bell, and The Time of the Wolf (Parts One & Two). Next, on Disc Five, we have two 38-minute retrospective documentaries on the making of Series Three, where all the major actors and creative personnel speak fondly of the series (plenty of sold production info is offered, as well). Next, there's a twelve-minute look at Clannad: Scoring Robin of Sherwood, were the series' celebrated soundtrack is discussed ("Robin.....the hooded man!"). There's a cool It's Showtime series promo, with Tom Bosley giving a low-down on the upcoming third series. Next, there's Robin Hood 1-2-3: Screen Swordplay, where actor Mark Ryan breaks out some vintage props and gives a demonstration of his still considerable swordplay. Next, we have a thirteen-minute blooper reel that's actually pretty funny (you can tell everybody had a good time making this series). There's a brief U.S. title sequence, where the series is known as Robin Hood. A TV-am morning show featurette is included, from 1986, looking at the third season, and finally, some cast filmographies round out the considerable bonus features. That's an incredible amount of extras for an admittedly lower-level DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
Original fans of Robin of Sherwood will no doubt enjoy revisiting the Merry Men of Sherwood in this extras-loaded five-disc boxed set, Robin of Sherwood: Set 2. I was surprised at how well the series held up after over twenty years. It's still the best TV rendition of the legend, offering plenty of swordplay, entertaining performances, and a nice helping of mysticism and pagan magic to its sword and sorcery plots. I highly recommend -- particularly for families - Robin of Sherwood: Set 2