Robin Hood is a British adventure series produced by independent production company Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One, with co-funding from the BBC America cable television channel in the United States which is based around the stories of legendary English folk hero Robin Hood.
The series aired in the UK on BBC One from 7 October, 2006 to 27 June, 2009. There are 39 hour-long episodes in three seasons.
Robin Hood premiered in South Africa on SABC2 on Saturday 3 November 2007, at 15h00. It later aired on DStv's BBC Entertainment channel. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 3 premiered on BBC Entertainment on Sunday 24 July 2011, at 17h40. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 13 episodes in the third and final season.
Season 1
Robin of Locksley heads home from the Crusades to find his people starving and brutalized under the tyrannical rule of the new Sheriff.
The Nottingham Robin once knew has changed forever, the good Sheriff Edward deposed, and he and his daughter Marian living out their days in exile.
Robin quickly discovers that the only way to reason with this Sheriff is with bow and arrow - even if it means sacrificing his title and his lands to Guy of Gisborne and consigning himself to life in the forest.
Along with trusty companion Much, trickster Allan A Dale and passionate Will Scarlett, Robin teams up with forest outlaws Little John and Roy, leading his gang to help Nottingham’s poor.
It is a daily battle to right the wrongs of the Sheriff’s unjust regime, but with it comes adventure, bravery and a huge sense of achievement.
With new enemies in love and war, Robin finds an ally in Marian, the sweetheart he left behind to fight in the Crusades.
For her father’s sake, Marian must toe the line at Nottingham castle, but cares for the people as passionately as Robin and disguised as the Nightwatchman, finds secret ways to help them.
The state of Nottingham is rotten indeed and the gang will learn many lessons on their journey; when Roy is kidnapped, threatened with the murder of his mother and finally tragically killed, the stakes are raised for the outlaws.
Marian suffers a blow when publicly opposing the Sheriff’s latest plan to post a garrison in the town of Clun: doing good deeds in Nottingham is a dangerous business indeed.
Robin and Marian’s paths will cross as they bring relief to Nottingham’s oppressed.
But as the series progresses and the gang fight on, how long can Marian keep Gisborne at bay, will the Sheriff succeed in cornering Robin Hood, and what will Robin make of the true nature of the alliance between Gisborne and the Sheriff?
Season 2
In the second season the drama continues to centre around the charismatic Robin Hood, who leads his gang of outlaws in Sherwood Forest.
Using outrageous scams, disguises, tricks, ingenuity, breathtaking archery and swordplay, the band of brothers attempt to outwit the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and his sadistic lieutenant, Guy of Gisborne.
Shot in eye-catching locations near Budapest in Hungary, Robin is aided in his quest by his feisty love interest, Marian, and his loyal troupe of outlaws: Much, Little John, Allan A Dale, Will Scarlett and Djaq.
In this season - which also features such notable guest appearances from Dexter Fletcher, Ralf Little, David Bamber, Josie Lawrence, Denis Lawson, Tony Slattery, Mathew Horne, Charlie Brooks and Lynda Bellingham - Robin is in even greater peril than before as he tries to foil the Sheriff and Guy's evil scheme to hire a mercenary troop of Black Knights to assassinate King Richard and put Prince John on the throne.
The biggest development this season is that the stakes have been upped considerably. The Sheriff is involved in what, in modern parlance, would be called 'regime change'.
When Robin clashes with the Sheriff now, it's as much about the very soul of England as taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
Robin's relationship with Marian also takes on an extra dimension. They have declared their love for each other, but she puts herself in genuine danger by spying on the Sheriff at the castle for Robin.
In addition to the magnitude of the prize he is fighting for, the character of Robin has evolved into more of a leader and decision-maker. His choices and dilemmas are that much greater because the stakes are so much higher.
If Robin has to kill someone in order to prevent a catastrophe then, with respect, that's what he will do.
Season 3
With new allies and old enemies, Robin Hood returns for a third season full of thrilling adventures as Robin and his gang continue to outwit the dastardly Sheriff and his forces.
It is three months since Marian's death and Robin is a changed man. He's sacked his gang since they all returned from the Holy Land, and he's hell bent on avenging his wife's tragic end. Her slayer, Guy of Gisborne, is a marked man. But does Gisborne care if he lives or dies?
Fuelled by anger and grief, Robin seems stuck in a downward spiral, but a new beacon of hope arrives in the form of a travelling monk called Tuck, who soon gets our hooded hero back on track.
Meanwhile, the wickedness of the Sheriff continues unabated. A spirited Locksley girl named Kate objects to her brother's forced conscription - as a result she inadvertently gets caught up in the cause of Robin Hood and becomes an indispensable member of the gang.
An unexpected addition to the Gisborne family, Guy's little sister, Isabella, arrives and becomes a complication both Robin and Gisborne could do without.
As the threat of Prince John looms larger, Robin and Gisborne have to reach an uneasy truce as it emerges that they may have rather more in common than they thought.
Seasons
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 3 Nov 2007 | Finale: 26 Jan 2008 | Saturdays, 15h00
Channel: BBC Entertainment | Premiere: 26 Apr 2009 | Finale: 19 Jul 2009 | Sundays, 18h40
Season 2 (13 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 7 Sep 2008 | Finale: 30 Nov 2008 | Sundays, 11h30
Channel: BBC Entertainment | Premiere: 25 Jul 2010 | Finale: 17 Oct 2011 | Sundays, 18h40
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Channel: BBC Entertainment | Premiere: 24 Jul 2011 | Finale: 16 Oct 2011 | Sundays, 17h40