Robin of Sherwood/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Anticlimax Boss: Roger de Carnac's name strikes terror in the hearts of Gisborne and the Sheriff, his methods are as brutal as they are cunning, and he's played with a creepy detached air by Matthew Frewer. Robin kills him before the half-way mark.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: Robin of Loxley bravely facing down his death at the hands of a small army of Norman warriors and firing an arrow over their heads. And when he drew his bow a last time -- without an arrow -- they cringed away.
  • Crowning Moment of Funny: Robert de Rainault calmly reading-out the transcript of a woman's brutal interrogation by torture in a bored-sounding voice.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: The old man in Nottingham Castle dungeons, along with his rat Arthur.
    • Nasir proved so popular that a Saracan character has been included in almost every Robin Hood adaptation since.
    • Isadora. There was some disappointment that she didn't join the Merry Men as an Affirmative Action Girl.
  • Fandom Heresy: It's not a good idea to state that you thought Jason Connery was a better Robin Hood than Michael Praed.
  • Historical Villain Upgrade: Richard the Lion Heart, as played by John Rhys Davies, is as corrupt a figure as his brother Prince John.
    • Ironically, also a Historical Hero Upgrade, as Prince John is still played as nasty but arguably has more dignity and intelligence than he had in real life.
      • In double irony, Richard was a pompous warrior, who couldn't speak a word of English, despised England itself (but appreciated the income from its taxes) and was the reason for John having to tax the place dry, in order to pay for his wars and his ransom when he got captured on return from Crusade. John was an awful warrior, but an excellent administrator, and it was probably largely due to his skill with money that England didn't go bankrupt thanks to his brother. Alas for history, romantic thugs were, and are, far more popular than competent administrators.
  • Ho Yay: Guy and the Sheriff. In a single episode, Guy is forced to towel-dry the Sheriff: "Harder, Gisburne!" and later share a bath with him: "Rub my back! Lower!"
  • Moral Guardians: Richard Carpenter got into trouble with this lot in his use of Herne, who was misinterpreted as a Satanic figure.
  • Narm: Plenty of times, usually to do with Fight Scene Failure or the Soundtrack Dissonance. Due to the Nostalgia Filter, it may now count as Narm Charm.
  • Special Effects Failure: The fact that the silver arrow in The Pilot looks like a small cruise missile and/or vibrator has often been remarked upon by the show's fanbase.
  • The Untwist: In one episode Nasir is being hunted by a Saracen called Sarak. Because his face is covered and he speaks in a growly voice, there is some indication that it is actually the woman that was with Sarak when he and Nasir fought the first time. Except...it's not.