vivdunstan

I'm now into season 2 of my latest Robin of Sherwood rewatch. And this story of a rediscovered lost important character, and a scene chewing Prince John. The guest cast continues to astonish. George Baker as the mysterious prisoner would be strong casting in itself. But then you have Phil Davis as Prince John, and perhaps even more surprisingly John Nettles - in mid Bergerac era - as his lackey. Even Simon Dutton (known best, perhaps, as an international version of "The Saint" character, though I remember him more from a brief glimpse in Matt Smith era Doctor Who) contributes a lot. It's remarkable how much is packed into this one episode, not just in plot, toing and froing, but also acting and effective scene chewing. Oh and I forgot to mention the recurring characters of the Old Prisoner in the castle dungeon and his rat Arthur, who both shine in this episode. Great rat acting.

There is a feeling of impending doom as I hurtle through this second season. But very much enjoying it. I have the DVDs and Blu-Rays, but started rewatching on Britbox, and am now watching on ITVX (Britbox is closing down in the UK this month).

I thought it might be nice to do a series of blog posts about fandoms I engaged with at a very early stage. I was born in the early 1970s, so as a youngster particularly enjoyed TV from the late 1970s through to the early 1990s.

First up it's Robin of Sherwood, the ITV version of the legend that aired from 1984-1986. I loved this: an intoxicating mix of myth, folklore, magic, action and romance. All in gorgeous countryside too. And made even better with a soundtrack by Irish folk group Clannad. Just fab stuff. Though I'm very much more of a fan of the first Robin incarnation played by Michael Praed. I struggled when Jason Connery took over. It was rather similar to how I felt when Romana regenerated in Doctor Who, even if I did get used to it.

In terms of organised fandom I was a member of Forest, a Robin of Sherwood fan club based in Glasgow, Scotland, that existed from 1986-1988. I never attended any events in person, but got a regular fanzine through the post. I also entered their competitions, and won a script from "The Swords of Wayland", signed by series creator and writer Richard Carpenter. My original prize went missing in the post, but when I queried it later Richard (or "Kip") sent me a replacement himself.

It was many years before I saw Robin of Sherwood again after the series ended. I am part way through a rewatch again now (it's on Britbox, and there is a Blu-ray release). It's still magic. The best TV or film version of the Robin Hood legend for me. And absolutely a product of the 1980s.

I've been working through some of the old TV programmes on Britbox. Many still to watch, time and energy permitting. One I'm currently watching is Bergerac, a UK crime drama which ran from 1981-1991 and was a fixture on BBC TV throughout the 1980s. Set on Jersey, and starring John Nettles who would later go on to star in Midsomer Murders on ITV.

I initially started to watch Bergerac on Britbox from the beginning. Back in the 80s I started watching from series 3, so hadn't seen the very start. It has some charms, but I was really struggling with the acting by the initial love interest. So my strategy now is to cherry pick episodes throughout the whole run. Last night I was watching the first of the Philippa Vale ones, featuring recurring guest star Liza Goddard as a jewel thief. I will definitely watch all of those. Next I've got the first episode in series 4, which sees the introduction of Louise Jameson's long-running character Susan. And we'll see where I go beyond that. Though this web page will be a big help.

I have always loved the accordion-based theme music of Bergerac, written by George Fenton. More recently I did my own accordion arrangement of it, and enjoy playing it immensely. The TV version of the theme was tweaked over the years, but here is a nice early version. Note that isn't the full opening titles. But it's the best version I've found online of the original theme tune audio.