Hark! Who Goes There? (Maid Marian And Her Merry Men - Series 1 (DVD))

Member Name: QuinnElaine

Product:	Maid Marian And Her Merry Men - Series 1 (DVD)
Date:	25/05/09 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: witty, fun, suitable for all ages

Disadvantages: not available outside the UK

Once upon a time, there was a bold and comely freedom fighter that lived deep in Sherwood Forest with the Merry Men. Shrewd tactics and a good hand with the bow marked this bandit boss as a legend whose tale would be told for ages to come. This renowned leader was known as....Maid Marian. I can tell by thy face that another name was on the tip of thy tongue. Fie! You can not believe every drunken bard you find alongside the road, you know! Worry not, Good Folk. Thanks to M'Lord Tony Robinson and the Merchantmen of BBC, you too can learn the truth of the tale by watching 'Maid Marian and Her Merry Men: How the Band Got Together.'

This hard to find BBC "children's" comedy was aired in the UK from 1989-1994 and tis the brainchild of Tony Robinson, who is perhaps best known for his role as Baldric in the Black Adder series. This simple, oft times Musical, comedy is a treat for all ages. Sadly, this delightful show has remained relatively unheard of here in the US.

All those interested in changing this can go to tvshowsondvd.com, register for free and vote for them to release this wonderfully entertaining show! This can be found here, if you are lucky, in a VHS format, which gives us the first three episodes (How the Band Got Together, Robert the Incredible Chicken, A Game Called John), and a treasury of laughs. Allow me to give you a glimpse into the hilarious world of Marian and her "ruthless band of freedom fighters"...

How the Band Got Together...

Marian comes to the Worksop high street to sell her beloved pet, Edwina, whom she can no longer afford to keep. Fortune does Not smile upon poor Edwina who quickly finds herself lodged in a large prisoner's nose! Did I mention that Edwina was a tadpole? Marion's quest to free Edwina is hindered by the fact that Rabies (the prisoner) has been arrested by the Sheriff who is desperately trying to turn up some profit for King John. In the Sheriff's defense, the King Had threatened to "do such disgusting things to you that even the torturers will go "urrrgh!", and ask to leave the room."

Marion holds King John's freshly monogrammed underclothes for ransom in a bid to wrest Edwina (and Rabies) from unjust imprisonment. Along the way, she meets:

Robin of Kensington, a fashionable (if rather less-than-brave) tailor
Little Ron, a feisty little fellow looking for a good fight
Barrington, a Rastafarian who's been imprisoned for selling out-of-date rats
And Rabies, a kindly fellow of great strength (probably previously employed as some village's Idiot)

Featuring the song 'Mud', which sings the praises of the only bounty Worksop has left, it is here that we learn the 'true' story of how the Merry Men began.

The Players of First Season:

Goode---
Kate Lonergan as Maid Marian
Wayne Morris as Robin Hood (formerly of Kensington)
Danny John-Jules as Barrington
Mike Edmonds as Little Ron
Howard Lew Lewis as Rabies a friendly fool of great strength

Bad--
Forbes Collins as King John, and his crusading big brother King Richard
Tony Robinson as the Sheriff
Mark Billingham as Gary: a castle guard and one of the Sherif's goons
David Lloyd as Graeme: the other goon

And Filthy, but Not Necessarily Ugly-
Hilary Mason as Gladys: villager, Wise Woman of Worksop, and Barrington's "main man",
Robin Chandler as Snooker: a typical unwashed peasant and proprietor of the Worksop take-away.
Alan McMahon as Clough, peasant and competitive archer
Kellie Bright as Little Girl, possibly one of the brightest citizens of Worksop

Aye, tis simple enough fare throughout the series, yet its appeal is undeniable, especially for any admirers of such Britcom classics as: 'Black Adder', 'Red Dwarf', 'Allo 'Allo, or even Monty Python. Like these British classics, many of the 'in' jokes may be lost on viewers unfamiliar with UK slang, news, the Royal Family, history, or even common place things like dole lines, jelly babies, and licorice all-sorts.

However, the general atmosphere of giddy shenanigans comes across quite clearly in this parody of Robin Hood's adventures. While 'Merry Men' never pushes a viewer's intellect to greater heights, it serves instead to lighten one's mood and cleanse the comedic palette. My biggest complaint is how incredibly difficult it is to find in a Region One DVD format! This is terribly disappointing, because anything this good should be shared!

In VHS format, the rest of series one can be found on 'Maid Marian and Her Merry Men: The Miracle of St. Charlene' which features: The Miracle of St. Charlene (duh), The Sharp End of a Cow, and The Whitish Knight. Some of the funniest episodes occurred in later seasons (my personal favorites being' The Great Mud Harvest' and 'Rabies in Love'). How the Band Got Together, Robert the Incredible Chicken, and a Game Called John are the episodes featured in the first VHS collection.

The series IS available to UK viewers, all four hilariously entertaining seasons. On it's own, season one is offered as a two disc set that includes: all of season one's episodes, the original trailer, 2 brief clips of the show as it aired in Germany, commentary by Tony Robinson on episode one, singalong with the theme song, and a quiz.

At this point, I can only continue to hope that this lovely 4 season series is made available in the DVD format, and released for sale in the U.S. someday. I was lucky enough to catch this charmingly entertaining show when our local PBS television station was on a Britcom craze. It became an instant favorite with the whole family; fun, amazingly humorous, and suitable for all ages. It is rare to find a show this wholesome and widely appealing. Filled with outrageously silly moments, sly references, songs, fun characters, quotable quips, and more playful fun than you could shake a stick at, Maid Marian and her boys are a real treasure. Apparently they can still occasionally be found airing on either PBS or BBC channels. For all viewers outside of the UK, should you be fortunate enough to find it airing somewhere, by all means Don't miss the opportunity! Opportunity, after all, is not a lengthy visitor.

Summary: "All we've got is a Raster, a Wally and a Bearded Avocado."