Robin Hood is Back!

This photo raises so many questions. Two: is that a spear? and can you shoot a spear using a bow?


I love British television! I don't know if its better than American television; but it does feel special somehow. It also helps that I watch it all months before it airs here on BBC America and that makes me feel special.
For those not familiar, the Saturday evening pre-watershed slot is one of, if not THE, most important time slots on British TV. In the summer it is home to The Doctor and features a lineup of huge projects when Doctor Who is off the air. Last autumn BBC's big-budget reimagining of ROBIN HOOD took over the time period for 10. It lost the hour to X-Factor (to simplify I'd describe X-factor as British Idol, although it's a little different), but the BBC must have thought its numbers were good enough because it ordered a second season last November.
BBC has had some luck relaunching and rebranding projects with some history. Doctor Who is a massive critical and commercial success. It's recent Hyde miniseries was a bit of a mess; but worked because of its creative take on a classic story and David Nesbitt's excellent performance. The same can't be said for Robin Hood. The show does little to revolutionize the story. We've seen a strong Maid Marian before and the obvious allusions to the current war in Iraq are poorly written and out of place. Jonas Armstrong is no Nesbitt. I have no issues with his frame. I mean, Robin had a very long trip home from the holy land. It makes sense that he'd be malnourished and weak. Jonas is great-looking and has obvious charisma; but he can't act. He did hit his stride midway through season 1 and delivered a strong performance in the two-part finale; but I wonder how many people stuck with this for that long.
I watched all of season 1 and found it to be fun family entertainment. This isn't art; but it satisfies my craving for escapist TV. Keith Allen (father to Lily for those more atune to pop music than British theater) is great as the sheriff and some of the cinematography is lovely. Yes, this is a Robin Hood aggressively aimed at a younger generation, with all the melodrama and shallowness that entails; but that doesn't mean the rest of us can't enjoy it.
How will the new season go over? The trailer- featuring a silly wild west-style casino plotline for one of the early episodes- really doesn't offer much hope. If it's anything like last season, the show will build in quality from week to week. At the very least I'll get 10 weeks of eye candy on my computer screen.