TV Review

Published Monday 16 October 2006 at 13:50 by Harry Venning

Richard Greene, the definitive TV Robin Hood, was once recruited by Eric and Ernie for a Sherwood Forest-based sketch. They even provided him with some very sorry looking Merry Men, including Much The Miller. “He’s not Much” protested Greene.

“No” replied Eric, “but he’s all we could afford”.

The brand new, mega hyped, heavily trailed Robin Hood was equally unrecognisable from his predecessors. Clearly, this Robin was determined to be his own outlaw. But although the show’s style is distinctive it is also very confused, as despite the producers setting out to be historically authentic, they gave up half way through.

Robin Hood wanders in and out of the 12th century at will, with maidens in make-up occupying rude timber dwellings, actors declaiming their lines in RSC tones, punctuated by the occasional “Yipee!”, and with a pretty but physically unprepossessing Robin, who looks more like a member of a boy band than a battle weary veteran of The Crusades. There is also the small matter of Keith Allen’s psycho Sheriff, who appears to have wandered in from another programme as well as a different century.

Episode one followed the traditional storyline, with the Earl of Locksley returning from the Holy Land to find his beloved serfs crushed beneath the weight of oppression, tyranny and Keith Allen’s over acting. The brutes have even cut off the village elder’s hand, a big tactical mistake on two fronts - it enrages Robin to action and the actor playing him has to spend the whole scene with his arms strategically folded.

Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Robin’s state-of-the-art Saracen bow frees four miscreants from the gallows and rebellion is declared.

Stylistically it may be a bit of a mess but this Robin Hood is energetic, exciting and fun. It needs to settle down a bit but the potential is definitely there for that Holy Grail of TV scheduling, The Saturday tea-time show for all the family. One small request, can we have a Friar Tuck, please? I always liked Friar Tuck.

Based upon Jean Rhys’ “prequel” to Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea was a feature length account of how the young Mr Rochester went to Jamaica to seek his fortune but ended up being married off to the tempestuous, sensuous and quite possibly barmy Antoinette.

This was a production rich in atmosphere, tension and passion but the psychology of the protagonists and the motivation behind their behaviour was never clear.

Enigmatic is one thing but Rafe Spall wore the same impenetrable mask of sulky disdain playing Rochester in love, Rochester in the throes of passion or Rochester tortured by sexual jealousy. The scenery was nice, mind.

In Extras Andy Millman received a masterclass in acting from Ian McKellan. “How do I act so well?” Sir Ian asked rhetorically. “I pretend to be the person I am portraying in the film or play”.

I call it irresponsible. Now he’s given the secret away everybody is going to want to do it.

DETAILS

Robin Hood - BBC1, Saturday, October 14, 7pm

Wide Sargasso Sea - BBC4, Sunday, October 15, 10pm

Extras - BBC2, Thursday, October 12, 9pm