History Series / TheAdventuresOfRobinHood

* Better the Devil You Know: Robin utters this word for word when The Sheriff leaves and is replaced by the Deputy Sheriff. Robin is proven right as very few of the outlaw tricks work on the new antagonist, and his total lack of standards surprises everyone.

* TheOtherDarrin: As noted above, Marian was played by two different actresses over the show's run.
** Also Little John: Archie Duncan was replaced for several episodes in the first series after suffering injuries [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome saving some of the child actors from falling scenery]].
** Prince John was played by a total three different actors.
** The Sheriff's lieutenant, Howard, was ''very'' prone to this: he was seldom played by the same actor two weeks running.
** Ronald Howard played Will Scarlet when the character was an occasional guest; when he was promoted to regular, Paul Eddington took over the role in a striking case of YouLookFamiliar - Eddington had played dozens of minor parts in earlier seasons, including several appearances as Howard.

''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''Series/TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[Series/{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons productions.]][[/note]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

* HollywoodHomely: In the episode, "A Husband For Marian", Marian's servant is described as "the homeliest woman in Britain". While certainly no Marian, the woman is rather nice looking in a plain sort of way.
* TheMerch: This was one of the first British shows to have a licencing agreement to produce tie-in toys. With its appeal to chilodren, the Airfix model company was allowed to produce two sets of character figures, representing [[http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=35 Robin Hood's forces]], and a set of the [[http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=413 Sheriff of Nottingham's men]]. While the tie-in Sheriff's Castle is no longer available as a kit[[note]]Examples sell for silly money on Ebay[[/note]], the model figures are still available today to collectors and wargamers, and are thought of as having lasted well for 1950's designs.

* TheMerch: This was one of the first British shows to have a licencing agreement to produce tie-in toys. With its appeal to chilodren, the Airfix model company was allowed to produce two sets of character figures, representing[[http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=35 Robin Hood's forces]], and a set of the [[http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=413 Sheriff of Nottingham's men]]. While the tie-in Sheriff's Castle is no longer available as a kit[[note]]Examples sell for silly money on Ebay[[/note]], the model figures are still available today to collectors and wargamers, and are thought of as having alsted well for 1950's designs.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Oh so many of the guest stars, especially if you happen to be British. Here’s a few: [[LastOfTheSummerWine Thora Hird]], [[Series/YesMinister Paul Eddington]], [[Radio/JustAMinute Nicholas Parsons]], [[Series/DoctorWho Patrick Troughton]], [[Film/{{Help}} Leo McKern]], [[Series/SteptoeAndSon Wilfred]] [[Film/AHardDaysNight Brambell]]... Not all were famous at the time.

* Robin Hood (Richard Greene): TheHero, naturally. A [[TheCrusades crusader]] who returns to his ancestral home to find it's been taken over by a Norman nobleman. Framed for his murder, he becomes an outlaw.

* TheCrusades: Robin Hood is an ex-crusader. It occasionally becomes a plot-point.

* MythologyGag: Referencing the original ballads. One such example is the occasional character of Sir Richard of the Lea.[[note]]Possibly also a CastingGag, as the actor, Ian Hunter, had previously played RichardTheLionheart in the [[Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood Errol Flynn film]].[[/note]]

''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''Series/TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[Series/{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]][[/note]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''Series/TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]][[/note]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Oh so many of the guest stars, especially if you happen to be British. Here’s a few: [[LastOfTheSummerWine Thora Hird]], [[YesMinister Paul Eddington]], [[JustAMinute Nicholas Parsons]], [[Series/DoctorWho Patrick Troughton]], [[{{Help}} Leo McKern]], [[SteptoeAndSon Wilfred]] [[Film/AHardDaysNight Brambell]]... Not all were famous at the time.

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''Series/TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]][[/note]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robinhood_7888.jpeg

* TheArcher: Robin, naturally. Also Maid Marian and most of the Merry Men.

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]][[/note]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[note]]Other series commission by Grade included ''TheSaint'', ''Series/ThePrisoner'' and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} Gerry]] [[{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]]]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[note]]Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party.[[/note]]

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series that ran for 143 episodes from [[TheFifties 1955 to 1959]], starring Richard Greene in the [[RobinHood title role]]. Produced in the very early days of commercial television in the UK, The Adventures of Robin Hood was the brainchild of Hannah Weinstein (an American producer living in the UK having been [[RedScare blacklisted]] for her leftwing views) and was commissioned by the Russian-born media mogul Lew Grade. Grade hoped to profit by selling the series to the United States, and so Robin Hood became the first of many big-budget British series to be produced with the American market in mind.[[hottip:*:Other series commission by Grade included TheSaint, ThePrisoner and [[Series/FireballXL5 various]] [[Series/{{Stingray}} Gerry]] [[{{Thunderbirds}} Anderson]] [[CaptainScarlet productions.]]]] Episodes were based both on existing legends and original stories, often written by blacklisted Americans screenwriters, who had to used pseudonyms to avoided problems when the series was sold in the US.[[hottip:*:Weinstein’s political activities weren’t limited to hiring blacklisted screenwriters. Her company, Sapphire Films, was allegedly partly funded by the US Communist Party]]

* The Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley): The AffablyEvil BigBad. Occasionally shows that EvenEvilHasStandards.[[hottip:*:Interesting note: the actor went on to become the first person to be killed on screen by a [[Series/DoctorWho Dalek]].]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Oh so many of the guest stars, especially if you happen to be British. Here’s a few: [[LastOfTheSummerWine Thora Hird]], [[YesMinister Paul Eddington]], [[JustAMinute Nicholas Parsons]], [[Series/DoctorWho Patrick Troughton]], [[{{Help}} Leo McKern]], [[SteptoeAndSon Wilfred]] [[AHardDaysNight Brambell]]... Not all were famous at the time.

* MythologyGag: Referencing the original ballads. One such example is the occasional character of Sir Richard of the Lea.[[hottip:*:Possibly also a CastingGag, as the actor, Ian Hunter, had previously played RichardTheLionheart in the [[Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood Errol Flynn film]].]]

** Also Archie Duncan, who was replaced for several episodes in the first series after suffering injuries [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome saving some of the child actors from falling scenery]].