Doctor Who Vs. Robin of Sherwood, Series 1

The last dramatisation of the Robin Hood legend

from ITV was shown from April 1984 to June

1986, and introduced Michael Praed as the

mythical English folk hero. Renamed Robin Hood

for American TV, this co-production from HTV

and Goldcrest Films was conceived and written

 by Richard Carpenter (1929-2012).

This gritty retelling of the legend utilised a strong

fantasy element, black magic and paganism, and

was accompanied by a BAFTA winning soundtrack

from Clannad.

Here, Robin of Loxley is chosen by the mystical

Herne the Hunter (played by John Abineri) to

become champion of the oppressed. With his band

of 'Merry Men' Robin fights a guerilla campaign

against their Norman masters, particularly the

Sheriff of Nottingham and his deputy, Guy of

Gisborne. The outlaws were portrayed by Ray

Winstone (Will Scarlet), Clive Mantle (Little John),

 Phil Rose (Friar Tuck), and Judi Trott (Marion),

whilst Nickolas Grace and Robert Addie depicted the Sheriff and Guy.

A repeat run of the first, six-part season began on ITV4 today - it

featured eight Doctor Who cast connections:

• Big Finish actor Grace made a brief TV appearance as Albert Einstein in Death is the Only Answer, and voiced Loozly for Bang-Bang-A-Boom! (2002), Straxus for Human Resources (2007), Sisters of the Flame and The Vengeance of Morbius (both 2008), Balancer/Viktor Skaarsgard for Equilibrium (2015), Goole for The Gallery of Ghouls (2016), Professor Grove for Shadow Planet, Chevalier D'Eon for Sword of the Chevalier (both 2017), Kellman for Return of the Cybermen (2021), and Eldridge Brinkwood for The Empty Man (2023)
• Mantle voiced Oliver Cromwell for The Settling (2006), was Narrator of The Coming of the Terraphiles (2010), Tuvold for The Burning Prince (2012), Tillegat/Lieutenant Treeves for Destroy the Infinite (2014), and Chuke for Genetics of the Daleks (2020)
• Abineri was Van Lutyens in Fury from the Deep, General [George] Carrington in The Ambassadors of Death, Richard Railton in Death to the Daleks, and Ranquin in The Power of Kroll
• Phillip Jackson (Abbot Hugo) voiced Laxton for Valhalla (2007), Peabody for The Contingency Club (2017), and Harry Price for The Dalby Spook (2022)
• [John] Simon Rouse (Siward) was Hindle in Kinda, and voiced John Kincaid for The Witch from the Well (2011), Drang for The Paradox Planet and Legacy of Death (both 2016), and Frank Kelsey for The Running Men (2024)
• Simon Shepherd (voice of Alan-a-Dale here, voice of Robert for Series 2) voiced Boolin for Tsar Wars, Bewley for The Broken Crown, the Magician for Aladdin Time (all 2011), Pal Andrews for Break the Ice (2022), and Hudson Sage for Vespertine (2023)
• stunt co-ordinator Terry [Anthony] Walsh was stunt/fight arranger, stunt double and uncredited extra on a total of seventy instalments of the original run (from The Smugglers to The Creature from the Pit)
• [Cathal] Max [Parnell Macaulay Lloyd] Faulkner (stuntman here, Helper in Series 2, Oliver in Series 3; Various in The Adventures of Robin Hood) was UNIT Soldier in The Ambassadors of Death, Exxilon in Death to the Daleks (1), Miner in The Monster of Peladon (6), Guard Captain in Planet of the Spiders (4), Thal Guard in Genesis of the Daleks (3), Crewman in Planet of Evil (1), Corporal Adams in The Android Invasion, and Nesbin in The Invasion of Time