Merlin

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:05 pm

Who the hell greenlighted this show for a second episode, much less a second season?

Post by **CovenantJr** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:20 pm

Which? Is this a brand new one, or the one broadcast here last year?

If the latter, I can understand your dissatisfaction. I watched about four episodes, and it was pretty grotesque. It sounded alright on paper, but it was done so very badly.

Post by **danlo** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:57 pm

Looks like the same one-I watched two minutes of it and turned it off. NBC summer filler crap...

Post by **CovenantJr** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:54 am

danlo wrote:Looks like the same one-I watched two minutes of it and turned it off. NBC summer filler crap...

BBC winter filler crap.

Post by **[Syl]** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:50 pm

Yeah, the BBC one. The first two episodes are on Hulu if anyone wants to subject themselves to it.

As for me, I had to turn it off about halfway through the second episode. The incredibly fake-looking, Anaconda wannabe had just hissed its way into the room, and I couldn't take it anymore. It's like someone at the BBC said, "You know, Robin Hood would be great if it wasn't so serious and literary sometimes."

Post by **dANdeLION** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:26 pm

The commercials were enough to make me avoid it........

Post by **CovenantJr** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:33 pm

dAN is a wise lion.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:36 pm

Is this that piece of crap with Sam Neill and Martin Short?

Post by **CovenantJr** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:43 pm

No. Merlin is played by some teenager. The king is Anthony Head.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:21 pm

Lord Foul wrote:Is this that piece of crap with Sam Neill and Martin Short?

No, I think this one's worse.

Post by **vasko** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:52 pm

Was mainly for the kids I think.
It kept me watching all season tbh.
The Beeb are desparately trying to recreate the success of the Doctor Who revamp I think... Okay so they are mainly failing (I heard Robin Hood was Crap too) but hey, at least they are trying now.
Sci-Fi and fantasy have been no-go zones for the last decade or two for them.
May the hit gold soon!

Post by **Earthfriend** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:07 pm

I agree, Vasko. My seven year old daughter loves it, much to my chagrin.

For me, T H White's The Once And Future King was always the canon for the Arthurian myth. Aside from using some of the same names, this TV show seems to have little if nothing to do with White's novel. I mean, a dragon? Chained up under a castle?? Really???

Still, if they'd actually tried to create something new, instead of hijacking an existing franchise for better audience recognition, I probably wouldn't have found it quite so repellent.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:20 pm

I like Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle the best myself. But yeah, it sounds like I would not have cared for this series at all...

Post by **CovenantJr** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:21 pm

Earthfriend wrote:Still, if they'd actually tried to create something new, instead of hijacking an existing franchise for better audience recognition, I probably wouldn't have found it quite so repellent.

Agreed. It's really just original (I use the word loosely) quasi-fantasy for kiddies, with famous names slapped on the characters. Without that claim to be something it isn't, I wouldn't have been as disgusted - though I also wouldn't have tried watching it.

Post by **finn** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:53 am

I agree Earthfirend I loved THW's book: I think the BBC only got as far as page three and decided to make the whole thing in the whimsical tone of the beginning of the book without taking it further.

I fear for Robin Hood too with yet another remake in the wings this time with Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe. I have yet to really enjoy anything other than Erroll Flynn's classic, though the TV movie with Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman was not bad (IMO) and Edward Fox played King John superbly.

The two books (or series of books) that best portray the "legends" for me are the Jack Whyte series starting with The Skystone for Arthur and a brilliant book by Parke Godwin called Sherwood which really makes the Robin Hood story stand tall with a realistic historical setting and motives.

Post by **CovenantJr** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:06 am

Did anyone see the godawful Robin Hood about ten years ago, in the Xena/Hercules mould? Ropey stuff.

As for decent screen renditions of Arthur/Robin, the best Robin Hood I've seen remains the 80s series, Robin of Sherwood. Not only is it darker and more mythic than other Robin Hoods, it also refers to places I actually know around Notiinghamshire, demonstrating an attention to detail that's sadly lacking in other versions.

Sadly, I've yet to see a screen incarnation of Arthur that particularly impresses me (unless you count the ludicrous early 90s cartoon series, King Arthur and the Knights of Justice

).

Menolly wrote:I like Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle the best myself. But yeah, it sounds like I would not have cared for this series at all...

You may remember I started reading Lawhead's Robin Hood interpretation, Hood; I'm sad to say I dropped it maybe halfway through because it was...well...dull. It didn't seem to grow as naturally as the Pendragon Cycle; it seemed a little forced. The magic (of the writing, not actual sorcery) wasn't present. Plus, unlike Myrddin, Arthur, Bedwyr, Gwalchavad, or any of the other Pendragon POV characters, Robin was basically a womanising lout, full of bluster and ignorance. Not an agreeable character, and hard to feel any interest in.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:13 am

CovenantJr wrote:
Menolly wrote:I like Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle the best myself. But yeah, it sounds like I would not have cared for this series at all...
You may remember I started reading Lawhead's Robin Hood interpretation, Hood; I'm sad to say I dropped it maybe halfway through because it was...well...dull. It didn't seem to grow as naturally as the Pendragon Cycle; it seemed a little forced. The magic (of the writing, not actual sorcery) wasn't present. Plus, unlike Myrddin, Arthur, Bedwyr, Gwalchavad, or any of the other Pendragon POV characters, Robin was basically a womanising lout, full of bluster and ignorance. Not an agreeable character, and hard to feel any interest in.

Thanks for that, Cj. I've been wondering what your impression of the series was before picking it up.

Post by **vasko** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:35 am

CovenantJr wrote:As for decent screen renditions of Arthur/Robin, the best Robin Hood I've seen remains the 80s series, Robin of Sherwood. Not only is it darker and more mythic than other Robin Hoods, it also refers to places I actually know around Notiinghamshire, demonstrating an attention to detail that's sadly lacking in other versions.

Seconded

Clannad's soundtrack was great too.

Post by **Earthfriend** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:26 am

I really enjoyed the movie 'Excaliber', though I haven't seen it in years. It would be my favourite movie adaptation of the Arthurian myth.

As for Robin Hood, I do have a fondness for the Sean Connery movie, misplaced though that fondness may be. And Alan Rickman as the Sherriff of Nottingham - pure gold. Between him and Morgan Freeman, they stole the movie from K. Costner, for me.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:31 am

Best Robin Hood show was When Things Were Rotten. For movies, even though I usually enjoy them all to some degree, I grew up watching Erroll Flynn every year when it would come on tv, and will always put that on top of the heap.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Merlin

Merlin