Blu-ray owners should not hesitate to purchase “Robin Hood” Season 1.

When the name "Robin Hood" is mentioned, I bet some of you readers roll your eyes. There's no denying the fact that the character has been done to death on both film and television. How many different interpretations of the legendary character can we possibly see? However, when I heard the BBC was putting out a new "Robin Hood," I was slightly intrigued. Of all the shows currently airing on TV, there really isn't a high flying adventure series to be found on any station. Of course, the real question is, is the show any good or is it a corny "Hercules" type of production? While flawed to be sure, I'm happy to say that "Robin Hood" is a jolly good show.

 

Everyone knows the story of "Robin Hood" (and his merry men). They steal from the rich and give to the poor and stand up to the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. And who can forget the love story between Robin and Marian? In a time in which reality shows plague the tube, "Robin Hood" is a refreshing change of pace. Throughout the 13 episode season, one can expect to see sword fights, bow and arrow play, a good dose of humor, romance, a clear-cut good vs. evil story, and most importantly...a young and talented cast. Lucy Griffiths as Marian/Night Watchman, Harry Lloyd as Will Scarlett, and Richard Armitage as the Guy Of Gisbourne are all stand outs, but the real star of the show is Jonas Armstrong who plays the title character. Considering he has only had a handful of acting gigs, Armstrong steps into the role with ease. His cocky, dashing, heroic persona instantly hooks you in the pilot ("Will You Tolerate This?"). By the time the dark side of Robin rolls around in the episode "Tattoo? What Tattoo?," you will be completely sold on him. It's fair to say that Armstrong ranks alongside Errol Flynn as one of the best on screen Robin Hoods.

 As engaging as the action and actors can be, the show does fall into a few traps. The writers too often rely on what I like to call "crutches." For instance, in the show "Smallville," Clark and gang always seem to be breaking into Lex's mansion (or another building) or wind up in the local hospital. In "Robin Hood," Robin and his merry men constantly sneak into the castle. As a result, one or more of the men get captured or even imprisoned. In addition, the love triangle between Robin and Marian and Marian and Guy Of Gisbourne is tiresome and overplayed as there's only so much you can do without making the romance seem forced.

Upon receiving the Blu-ray set, I was a bit skeptical about the picture and audio as it did not have 1080P or a Hi-Def audio track. Upon watching the set, however, my doubts were laid to rest.

The widescreen 1080i picture quality greatly improves upon the DVD video quality as the colors look sharper here. This is especially evident in the forest scenes where the trees, leaves, etc. can be seen in clear view.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track also sounds a tad bit sharper than the audio track on the DVD. The dialogue, background noises, and the excellent score sounded clear as day to this reviewer.

The extras are the same as the DVD release. They are as follows:
Disc 1:
* "Doctor Who" series 2 and BBC America ads.
* "Sheriff Got Your Tongue?" commentary by Foz Allan, Lucy Griffiths, Gordon Kennedy, Andy Price, and Dominic Minghella. This track, as well as the others, are pretty laid back. There's a good balance of joking around and behind-the-scenes information.
Disc 2:
* "Hustle" season 1 and 2 ad.
* "Hood Academy" (15 1/2 minutes) looks at how the actors trained to fight, ride horses, use a bow and arrow, etc.
* Character profiles on Robin Hood, Marian, and Roy. The profiles consist of the producers and actors talking about each character in depth.
* "Parent Hood" commentary track with Gordon Kennedy, Lucy Griffiths, Richard Armitage, Foz Allan, and Dominic Minghella.
Disc 3:
* "Planet Earth" ad
* Character profile on Guy Of Gisbourne
* "Tattoo? What tattoo?" commentary track with Richard Armitage, Andy Price, Jonas Armstrong, Sam Troughton, and Anjali Jay.
Disc 4:
* Character profile of the Sheriff.
* "A Clue: No" commentary with Richard Armitage, Sam Troughton, Anjali Jay, and Foz Allan.
Disc 5:
* Character profiles for Little John, Djaq, Much, and Will Scarlett.
* "Dressing Hood" is a 16 minute featurette on the costumes.
* "Robin Hood- The Making Of" (29 mins.) contains interviews, discussions about the characters, shooting locations, the timelessness of Robin Hood, etc.
* "Dressing The Hood" (11 mins.) is a featurette on the various sets (mainly the castle and the village).