The Maid Marian & Her Merry Men Thread Is Here

[Jemble Fred]

What d'you mean there isn't a thread on this already? Well, unless everyone on that thread spelled her name 'Marion', such seems to be the case, and it's an injustice.

So yeah, once again the desire to escape monotony overwhelmed the desperate desire to not get myself deeper in debt, so I started in on the Maid Marian DVD last night. Although I hadn't watched any in roughly a decade – and the only series I'd watched and re-watched was the highpoint, series 2 – I didn't have any doubts that it was a great show. No rose-tinted spectacles required here, just the slightest allowance for corny gags that I always gave the show, seeing as it was for CBBC.

But I didn't expect to find it all so laugh-out-loud funny this time round, I have to admit. 'Robert The Incredible Chicken' especially is a near-perfect half hour, with all the characters immediately settled in and bouncing off each other perfectly. I took so much for granted when I first watched Maid Marian, that I forgot what an insane world Robinson built with his version of Worksop. Through adult eyes, little details like the jive-talking rapport between the old crone Gladys and Barrington had me chuckling like a loon, and Forbes Collins' performance as King John stood out like never before. My god, they all seemed to be having the time of their lives. I'd forgotten just how surreally stupid Gary and Grahame the guards were too – perhaps I was in an odd mood, but just the image of two Norman soldiers marching into court and chirping "Hello!" made me bark like an amused collie.

Plus, I've never been one for giving a dman about picture quality, and have only had the slightest regard for the video vs FRV debate. But this remastered DVD just looks so gorgeous – the colours'll knock yer shoes off, and you'd be right to say that these days it'd be filmised to fuck and not look a bit as good.

I'm still saving Robinson's commentary up for another day, so hopefully there'll be no spoilers on here with regard to that, but I really hope that the next DVDs have even more input on them. A cast commentary would be a real treat, and at least a bit of a Talking Head documentary would be welcome, too. Plus I'm sure there must have been set reports and such for the likes of Take 2 at the time. Here's hoping it'll resurface anyway.

Finally – is it really so far out of the realm of possibility for a final anniversary special? I reckon if Tony Robinson decided he wanted to do one more, the Beeb would foot the bill – and I can't quite imagine any of the cast saying no either. Steeped in Hood lore as Robinson is, it's funny that he's managed to resist a spoof of The Death of Robin Hood (the whole Abbess/bloodletting/shooting final arrow story) for so long. As this DVD is aimed at grown-ups primarily, I can think of nothing sweeter than an hour-long special in a Simpsons-style slot, perhaps for Easter or something, where Robinson could write a slightly more adult script (at least getting away with as much the The Simpsons).

Anyway, all in all, wicked, mega, fab.

[goldfish]

EDIT - idiot me and my idiot mispellings, found it now!

[Jemble Fred]

Nice interview here, even if it is quite old now. Good site, though.

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robint/tonyrob1.html

I want to see a fucking kick-arse swish adult dramatrisation of the original Geste, I do, Rome-style, complete with beheadings and so on. Christopher Eccleston as the Sherrif. It'd be great.

[MrSideways]

My oh my, I cannae wait to get my hands on the Marian DVD. Roll on payday.

Luckily, I recently discovered I still own a couple of the Maid Marian comic adaptations, so I guess I'll just have to read them aloud to myself until I get my mitts on the DVD!

[Morgan]

If you don't like Maid Marian you might as well fuck off in my book.  Whisper it, but I think it's actually better than Blackadder.  

Are all the series on the DVD, or is it just the first one?

[Jemble Fred]

It's just the first series for now (as intimated above), but why they felt the need to stick it on two discs I have no idea. It would easily fit on just one.

[Beagle 2]

The panel of "Serious About Comedy" hated it, describing it as childish and slapstick pretty much. I think Robin Ince said at one point something like  "it's irrelevent in a post - Simpsons world where things work on different levels", which I thought was utterly point missing. Not everything is in any way comparable to the fucking Simpsons. In any case, I remember it actually having the sort of more adult references that I assume they consider so important to a children's programme's success. I can't be the only one whose parents were big fans at the time. The great silly little songs were described as "irritating, snort" and they also agreed that the cut off point for getting any enjoyment out of it was nine years old, (and even then it was apparently "too predictable"), and I know I was much older than that when it first aired and I used to love it dearly, and laugh an awful lot. But, having said that I haven't seen it since it last got repeated a few years back (enjoyed it loads then but I was a student) so maybe I'll hate it this time round, but even without the perspective of having just sat through the whole lot I'm totally convinced that it's at least a magnificent children's show.

[Mister Six]

It IS a magnificent children's show, and those people are clearly a pack of twats.

Worth buying on video. It dips in quality in the middle episodes, but the first two and last couple are great.

[Dark Sky]

My comments which I posted in the other thread...more relevant here...


Maid Marian series one arrived today... Lovely packaging, and beautifully drawn little cartoon featuring obligatory explicit knob gags to appeal to student audience.

The animated menus are actually quite nice, but why they chose to play a two minute clip of such a weak gag to precede the main menu is beyond me.

The picture/sound quality of the actual episodes isn't that good; I doubt they actually did any touching up of them, but it's certainly better than the quality of the original trailer, which is complete with fuzzy VHS tape lines.

As for the extras...

There's a really stupid quiz which as well as being generally rubbish cuts off the end of every line of audio...

...the karaoke basically plays the theme song with the words on the screen (much more interesting is the backing instruments only version of the theme which plays during the menus).

...there's two five minute clips featuring the voices dubbed into German... But why? As with every other DVD which does this, it's amusing for about ten seconds, and then what? What's the point?

...and the audio commentary is weak. It's just Tony Robinson watching the first episode and occasionally mumbling things which are vaguely interesting, but not elaborating on them enough for them to actually be very interesting. I hope that doesn't make them decide against doing any commentaries in possible future releases; they just need more cast members in there to liven it up a bit.

I haven't rewatched the whole series 'cause I know all the episodes backwards, but I'm just gonna reiterate that the first episode is so SO dull and cringeworthy, whilst the rest of the first series does liven up an awful lot. Still doesn't come anywhere near the genius of series three and four, however.

Hope future releases do the programme more justice...it really deserves a gorgeous release.

[Jemble Fred]

Wow, I disagree with nearly all of that! And yet we both realise it's a fab series. Should we go on Serious About Comedy?

How you could have missed the eye-spanking remastering work is beyond me though. This is literally the best picture quality I have ever seen on a DVD.

[Dark Sky]

Wow, I disagree with nearly all of that! And yet we both realise it's a fab series.

Oh, it's incredible, it really is.

Should we go on Serious About Comedy?

Urr...I think I'm trimming my nostril hair that day...

How you could have missed the eye-spanking remastering work is beyond me though. This is literally the best picture quality I have ever seen on a DVD.

Oh!  Well...hmm.  I just watched it on my computer and it looked pretty rubbish compared to others...  I'll have a lookie at it on my TV "proper" like later.

[Jemble Fred]

Thing is, it's not just that it's a great picture, Maid Marian is just a perfect show for noticing picture quality, all the bright colours against the greenwood, shining out, well-lit on crisp video.

I can't believe I'm saying shit like this. Er... picture quality is meaningless! Give me fuzzy tape with timecode on it anyday! That's better.

[The Mumbler]

The panel of "Serious About Comedy" hated it, describing it as childish and slapstick pretty much. I think Robin Ince said at one point something like  "it's irrelevent in a post - Simpsons world where things work on different levels", which I thought was utterly point missing. Not everything is in any way comparable to the fucking Simpsons.

Comedy critics should be banned from talking about The Simpsons.  Apart from anything, Do Not Adjust Your Set had kids and adults loving the same thing before Ince had even shat himself for the first time.  Sesame Street and the Muppets worked on many levels.  Warner Bros cartoons did too about seventy/eighty fucking years ago.

I'm really glad I never listen to Serious About Comedy.

[Dark Sky]

Thing is, it's not just that it's a great picture, Maid Marian is just a perfect show for noticing picture quality, all the bright colours against the greenwood, shining out, well-lit on crisp video.

Hmm.  I still think that the picture is a bit blurry.  But that may be my crappy DVD player.

Another complaint...  The overly long "bow instructions technique" pre-menu bit is unskipabble.  Urgh.  But so saying, as part of the episode it's great.

A lovely moment from episode two, which features no slapstick or puns or anything.

SHERRIF: That tree looks like the sort of thing a bandit would hide behind!  We'll creep up on it.

GARY: But we've been creeping up on trees all afternoon!

GRAHAM: And bushes.  And shrubs.  And hedgehogs.

GARY: I promised me mum I'd be home by teatime.  And she won't start without me!

SHERRIF: Then I fear, Gary, that your mother is going to be a very hungry woman.  Wait a minute - what - is - that!  *points*

GRAHAM: Your finger?

SHERRIF: Yes Graham, thank you very much, it is my finger, but what is that at the end of it - ?

GARY: Your fingernail?

SHERRIF:  Thank you, Gary.  Now if we could leave anatomy for the moment and move onto nature study, you will see that at the end of my fingernail there is a sapling, and what is that hanging from it...

GARY: Urr...a broken twig!

SHERRIF: Correct!  And what does a broken twig tell you...?

GARY: ...that the sapling has hurt itself!

[The Grinch]

'' I think Robin Ince said at one point something like "it's irrelevent in a post - Simpsons world where things work on different levels", which I thought was utterly point missing. Not everything is in any way comparable to the fucking Simpsons.''

Really? What a tosser.

Wonderful wonderful show, I had the fortune of finding all of the episodes on Ares last year. If any comedy show ''works on different levels'' it's this one. Tony Robinson was utterly fantastic in it, as was whoever played Robin (shamefully don't know his name).

[Quast In Spaaace!]

He was in Black Books too, wasn't he? He was Fran's boyfriend who she was blanking and got run  over in her bath robe.

[The Grinch]

Yes, that's right. He was also in an advert for washing up detergent or something.

[cleverjake]

Wayne Morris.

I think I also remember him being in an advert, many years back, for some sort of 'strawberry and cream' sweets...

[Dark Sky]

He's called Adam Morris now.

He has this whole history of his life thing on the Internet somewhere which is interesting, if dull.

[purlieu]

He was also in Men Behaving Badly.  Although I can't remember who he played.

Got the DVD today.  Superb stuff - I do remember the later episodes being better, which only gives me high hopes... my two partciular favourite moments:

Marian: Rabies, what's thick and cuts down trees?
Rabies: <long pause: Er, me?

and the Sherrif's "p-p-p-p-pancake day" bit, which made me giggle more than anything in recent memory.

[TheWizard]

"p-p-p-p-pancake day"

I'm hoping these DVD's will mean someone gets it when I do this one year.

[Darrell]

This is literally the best picture quality I have ever seen on a DVD.

This is literally the most ridiculous statement I have ever read.

[Jemble Fred]

Ah, well if I'm wrong, then my natural instincts about picture quality meaning nothing must have been spot-on all along. And there I was preparing to eat my hat.

On a second viewing, I could see that the actual picture was a bit misty. But the fact that it still looked so good (down to the way it was originally filmed, and just the glorious iconography of Robin Hood – all those bright colours against the greenwood) shows that so-called 'picture quality' means FUCK ALL.

My hat is clearly safe. Which is good, because it's a nice hat.

[Jemble Fred]

Nice interview here, even if it is quite old now. Good site, though.

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robint/tonyrob1.html

I want to see a fucking kick-arse swish adult dramatrisation of the original Geste, I do, Rome-style, complete with beheadings and so on. Christopher Eccleston as the Sherrif. It'd be great.

Well, fuck me, the BBC are doing it. With fucking Keith Allen as the Sherrif? And in the Doctor Who slot, which suggests it'll basically be green-tights-family-viewing. ie Pointless. We already have a perfectly good Robin Hood series like that, after all.

Anyway, from that same site:

Feb. 18, 2006

The Daily Mirror has announced the BBC's new Robin Hood - little-known actor Jonas Armstrong. The series will film in Hungary and air in the same pre-watershed timeslot as the new Doctor Who. I hope it is as creatively and critically successful as the new adventures of the Doctor.

March 22, 2006

More casting announcements have appeared in the Daily Mirror. 19-year old Lucy Griffiths will be Maid Marian, Keith Allen will cause trouble as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Richard Armitage will play Guy of Gisbourne. Filming should start soon.

[TotalNightmare]

I find Robin Hood boring.

Maid Marion's perversion of the story/fable/legned was what made it enjoyable!

I can't think of anything more crap than Robin Hood as Saturday Tea Time Entertainment...

Apart from whats currantly being shown...

but then that all changes April 15th

[purlieu]

Just listened to the commentary.  I know it's not the main feature, but is Tony Robinson allowed to say 'dickhead' on a U rated DVD?

[Jemble Fred]

Well considering all the cock jokes in the comicstrip, I'm surprised it is a U. I didn't even look at the certificate.

It is very odd though – are there any other kid's shows that have been so firmly pitched at adults, on DVD release? I should imagine the likes of Mary Mungo and Midge or Rainbow DVDs mainly sell to nostalgic people of 20+, but don't come with rowdy retrospectives.

[purlieu]

Mmm, was discussing this with some friends, and we concluded that there aren't going to be any kids who actually buy it, are there?

[Goldentony]

Im on me way to town to buy it tomorrow, absoloutely made up this is out on DVD, it's one of those programmes i'd always hoped would come out but generally gave up hope a long time ago, like Spatz.

[Jemble Fred]

Mmm, was discussing this with some friends, and we concluded that there aren't going to be any kids who actually buy it, are there?

I dunno – spirited young girls who want something different to the same old Disney Princess shit when they get HMV vouchers for their birthdays might discover it for themselves.

A very small audience there, but it's a pleasant thought.

Maid Marian invented girl power!