A little bird told me...

2-4 May 2008

The Legend 2008 RoS con at the Rutland Square Hotel in Nottingham, England. Guests were Mark Ryan (Nasir), Richard Carpenter (Series Creator) and his wife Annabelle Lee (Mad Mab). (Phil Rose (Brother Tuck) and Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) had taken ill and Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham) had last minute work commitments.) The Sunday outing included a tour through the caves beneath Nottingham Castle, a visit of Nottingham Castle and the Brewhouse Yard Museum of Nottingham Life and a medieval banquet at The Tales of Robin Hood.

14 April 2008

Fangoria.com had an interview with Mark Ryan (Nasir) about 'The Pilgrim', a project he is working on with Mike Grell. The Pilgrim is a graphics novel about efforts to harness the occult by both the British and German military during World War II. The Pilgrim is to be published this summer by ComicMix.

11 March 2008

The April 2008 issue (#168) of the British SFX (Science Fiction Xtra) magazine has a four page article on RoS.

2 December 2007

Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) and Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) have new project together: Jason is directing the action thriller Untitled Gehenna Project, the tale of an elite group of soldiers (Cuba Gooding Jr., Taryn Manning, Jason London, Franky G, Zack Ward, Stephanie Jacobson and Brandon Fobbs) sent on a covert mission by a government agent (Valerie Cruz) to retrieve a missing scientist (Ron Perlman) from an underground lab. They encounter a priest (Henry Rollins) who tells them that an "ancient evil" has been released, causing their greatest fears to come to life. Their former leader (Ray) plays a pivotal role in uncovering what is actually taking place at the facility. Bill Moseley and Sarah Ann Morris play members of the compromised research team.

1 December 2007

Maire (Moya) Brennan, the lead singer of Clannad (the band that made the RoS soundtrack), will be doing the following concert dates in the U.S.:
Dec 2 Charleston WV - Mountain Stage
Dec 4 Philadelphia PA - Tin Angel
Dec 6 Alexandria VA - The Birchmere Theater
Dec 8 Sellersville PA - Sellersville Theater
Dec 9 Pawling NY - Towne Crier
Dec 10 New York NY - Connollys Times Square
Dec 12 Carrboro NC - Cats Cradle
Dec 15 + 16 Atlanta GA - Emory University Celtic Christmas Concert

Moya will also be appearing in The Netherlands. Filming has just been completed for Moya's special Christmas show to be aired by the Dutch EO TV on Christmas Day. Shot during her current German tour the show will feature songs from An Irish Christmas, an in depth interview and the guest appearance of jazz singer, Madeline Bell. The show airs at 10.50pm on Christmas Day 2007. In April 2008 Moya will play at:
08.4 Theater a/d Parade - Den Bosch
09.4 Theater De Tamboer - Hoogeveen
10.4 Muziekcentrum - Enschede
11.4 Musis Sacrum - Arnhem
13.4 De Kampanje - Den Helder
14.4 Vredenburg - Utrecht
15.4 Stadstheater - Zoetermeer
16.4 Maaspoort - Venlo
17.4 Stadsschouwburg - Velsen

28 November 2007

From January 2008 Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) will be appearing as Milo Tindle in six month UK tour of Sleuth. For information on tour venues and dates, please check Michael Praed's Fanfare.

27 November 2007

Sherwood Forest is in trouble! Read this news article on AOL. UK citizens can vote for the Sherwood Forrest Living Legend project at the People's 50 Million Lottery Giveaway (before Monday, 10th December 2007).

15 November 2007

Issue 21 (September 2007) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 22 is the 15th December 2007.

5 November 2007

Today's the world premiere of Beowulf, a 3D animation movie about the Old English epic of the warrior Beowulf who fights the monster Grendel and his mother in Denmark. The characters have modelled after real actors using motion capture techniques; Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) "plays" Beowulf, Anthony Hopkins is King Hrothgar, and Angelina Jolie Grendel's Mother. DreamWatch has an on-line interview with Ray about Beowulf which mentions RoS and Mark Ryan (Nasir). For more information, see the movie's official website.

4 November 2007

You can see Clive Mantle (Little John) in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal in Bath (UK) from 13 December 2007 - 20 January 2008.

3 November 2007

If Magazine has published a three-part interview with Mark Ryan (Nasir): part 1, part 2, part 3.

9 October 2007

And the winners of the Season 3 DVDs from Acorn Media are....
Robert Overkamp from Denton, Nebraska
Laura Blunk from Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Tres Indermark from Avondale Estates, GA
A.L. Brantley from Waukesha, WI
Deepak Keshwani from Raleigh, NC
The answers to the contest were:
1) Gulnar
2) Albion cannot slay him
3) The Round Table
4) The Butcher of Lincolnshire
5) Earl David of Huntingdon
6) His dead wife, Elena
7) Conquest
8) Arthur of Brittany (King Richard and King John's nephew)
9) Martin de Rainault--the Sheriff's nephew
10) Mad Mab's pig
11) At Halsted Priory as a novice

29 September 2007

About a month earlier than expected, Acorn has released RoS season 3 in the USA as one Set containing 5 DVDs for U$59.99.

11 September 2007

Here are some pictures Mark Ryan (Nasir) sent us to share with you:
Ray Winstone, Mark Ryan,
?, ?, and Jason Connery		 Mark Ryan doing archery Mark Ryan, Eric Idle and
another actor		 Ray Winstone, Clive
Mantle and Mark Ryan

1 August 2007

Spirit of Sherwood and Acorn Media are holding another Robin of Sherwood Trivia Contest! The winners will receive a brand new copy of the Robin of Sherwood Season 3 DVDs, that will be released on October 30th. Only RoS fans in the U.S. or Canada will be eligible. 5 Winners will be chosen at random out of all entries which have all questions answered correctly. Deadline is Friday, September 28th 2007 at 12 midnight EST. Please submit all entries, along with your full name and mailing address, to ChrisRHood@aol.com

ROBIN OF SHERWOOD SEASON 3 QUIZ

  1. What is the name of Lord Owen's court sorcerer?
  2. Herne's Son is the master of the sword Albion. According to the runes on the sword, what can't Albion do?
  3. What is the secret object hidden at Caerleon Castle?
  4. Before he's made Sheriff of Nottingham in the episode "The Sheriff of Nottingham," Philip Mark has a nickname that includes where he's from. What is the nickname?
  5. Who is Sir Guy's real father?
  6. Who does Will see in the village of Cromm Cruac?
  7. In "The Betrayal," what does Marion call the game she wants King John to play?
  8. In "The Pretender," who does Arthur say he is?
  9. In "Adam Bell," who is the kidnap victim Robin and the men rescue?
  10. What is Rutterkin?
  11. Where does Marion wind up at the end of "The Time of the Wolf"?

27 June 2007

Message from Mark Ryan (Nasir):
Folks!

I know there's been a lot of speculation about this issue online, so Paramount Pictures has given me official permission to now confirm that I am voicing Bumblebee in the new Transformers movie.

I was asked by studio publicity boss: Carl Williams, not to do interviews or reveal what actually happens until after the US release and I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone! So my lips are sealed on that front!

Recent rumors that I actually look like BB under my clothes are however misguided, although I have been spotted walking like an Autobot at various conventions in the past...

I can say on a personal note that I like Bumblebee, as he's portrayed in this film very much. Michael Bay and ILM really succeeded in bringing him to life and imbuing him with so many human qualities and emotions. The relationship between Sam and BB is developed extraordinarily well and is both hilarious and moving. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman gave him so many human facets, including heart and humor that leap out from the screen.

Bumblebee's trademark characteristics as the loyal, courageous and dedicated warrior-scout were already enshrined in Transformers lore and the relationship with Sam is developed so well in this film, in terms of his befriending this "alien human' ally and finding common elements, both romantic and humorous, that it's a pivotal part of the plot. I think it's an experience that people will personally be able to relate to.

In an odd twist of personal fate, my Bumblebee experience also mirrored the journey with Nasir from Robin Of Sherwood (a character close to my heart of course) as the quiet and stoical "stranger in a strange land." I'll talk more about that later...

I did however recognize early on, the simple human traits of compassion, sacrifice and humor that Bumblebee depicts and thought: "This is one very cool dude."

I also think the new Camaro is pretty damn awesome as well...."

So! In other news I just finished playing "Boris" a dodgy Russian character for my old pal: Michael Monks. Michael makes his directing debut with "Joe And Brodie" and I'm very pleased for Michael as he's a very respected and experienced actor and coach, as well as a dear friend. This is an independent movie filming in LA and Michael's intelligent and insightful skills will be brought fully to bear as a director, I have no doubt. It's a very funny script and I wish the crew all the best for the shoot.

I can also now also announce I'll also be attending Comic Con in San Diego with Green Arrow pal: Mike Grell. We will be making an announcement regarding a new joint Graphic Novel project that we've been working on for about fifteen years!

See you in SD!

Best wishes to all,

Mark

22 June 2007

More info about the upcoming Legend convention in 2008 (the 25th RoS anniversary) from the Legend committee below:
Hi all,

This has taken a little more than the 2 weeks I said it would, but we can confirm some details for the Robin of Sherwood Convention: Legend 2008 now.

The convention will be taking place on the weekend of 2nd to 5th May 2008, based at the Rutland Square Hotel in Nottingham (right next to the castle in fact).

A rough outline of the weekend will be:
Friday evening: arrival, registration and quiz night
Saturday: Main Convention day, with guests (TBA) from in front of and behind cameras, talks and other fun stuff.
Saturday Evening: Buffet dinner and The Offstage Theatre Group will entertain us with another RoS related play.
Sunday: Explore Nottingham Castle, Next to the hotel, so no need for coaches - Yay!
Sunday Evening: Banquetting and festivities at The Tales of Robin Hood with drinks, entertainment and a disco until late included. This will be the big dressing up night this time.
Monday morning: recover and depart.

The registration cost for all this will be £95 per person for the weekend which includes all the above. Prices for children accompanying adults will be available on request and will vary dependant on age and whether they partake in the evening activities.

Hotel accommodation is available at the Rutland Square Hotel at £45 per night B&B for a single room and £60 per night B&B for a double / twin room. So bring a friend. Otherwise, if you book a single for the 3 nights Friday, Saturday, Sunday it will cost £120, saving £15.

You can book for Legend 2008 by sending a cheque payable to "RoS Legend" to:
RoS Legend,
41 Roseheath,
Hemel Hempstead,
HP1 2NG

The www.roslegend.co.uk website should be updated shortly, but you have all the information first.

There is also a brand new Myspace for Legend 2008 at : www.myspace.com/legendros

Please ask any questions either here or by e-mailing me at:
les@vortexevents.co.uk
or ask Sue:
roslegend@ntlworld.com

TTFN,

Les
Arfur commitee ;o)

10 June 2007

Here will be a Robin Hood play called "A Fancyfull Historie of Robyn Hood" at the Oak Park (near Chicago, USA) Festival Theatre from 18 July - 25 August 2007. For more information, visit www.robinhoodplay.com.

11 May 2007

Message from Mark Ryan (Nasir):
Folks!

Just a quick note to clarify the present raging online debate about being cast as "Ironhide" in the film version of Transformers. The reports that I'll be voicing "Ironhide" in the movie are mistaken or misquoted lifts from various sources. Even Wikipedia has it wrong.

The post clearly states: "I've recently recorded two voices for the Activision game based on the film to be released at around the same time as the movie. I voiced both Ironhide and Hoist for the game."

I was also very careful to say: "I recently got called back to the studios by Michael Bay to voice more material to be utilized in editing the Transformers movie to be released during the summer."

So to be clear; I have recorded voices for the game but I cannot confirm (due to obvious contractual reasons) if any of that Autobot/Decepticon material will make it into the final cut of the movie.

As previously stated in my updates; I worked both on the set and in the post production phase directly for Michael Bay for the purposes of timing and pacing for the actors and then character material used for the purposes of editing scenes and guide-tracks for dialogue. This was a unique experience and great fun to be involved in, both on the set and in the editing suite. Michael was great fun to work with and we had plenty of laughs trying out various humorous ideas for the Autobot characters.

I have total respect for the voice actors who did the original material and really hope the fans enjoy all the creative effort that has gone into this production, which looks absolutely amazing!

Best wishes to everyone in "Dear Old Blighty" and especially all those fanatical and excited Transformers devotees, waiting with bated breath for July 4th!

Mark Ryan

10 May 2007

Just Entertainment has released the RoS Season 3 box in The Netherlands (price EUR 24.95).

2 May 2007

There will be a RoS convention / roleplaying event in Wuppertal, Germany from Friday 31 Aug 2007 until Sunday 2 Sep 2007. For further information, see their website.

21 April 2007

The next, 25th RoS anniversary Legend convention in 2008 is officially on its way now, see the announcement from the Legend committee below:
Hi all,

Sue and I spent this morning in Nottingham, and although there are still many things to sort out, we can announce that we have finally, properly started work on the Robin of Sherwood convention : Legend 2008, cheekily subtitled by me "3 May Mornings". :o)

Though the actual date is still to be finallised the chances are (and there is a big clue above) that the convention will take place in May 2008. We plan to include all the best bits of the previous 2 legend conventions, and some new bits for what we plan to be a big 25th birthday party for Robin of Sherwood.

Barnaby from The Offstage Theatre Group tells me that they are planning to present season 4 of RoS (in less time than it takes to watch season 1!)

We will be checking dates with Phil Rose, Richard Carpenter, Annabel Lee, and Mark Ryan, who have already said that they would like to come along in 2008; And we will be chasing up other members of the cast and crew of RoS to try and make the best line-up we can. On the Sunday we will visit Nottingham Castle, and will round off the weekend with a fabulous medieval banquet and party.

I hope that this message makes all our previous Legend attendees excited about another event, and encourages those of you who haven't yet been to a Legend Convention interested enough to keep watchjing for announcements.

A confirmed date should be announced withing the next 2 weeks.

All the Best,

Les Hollis on behalf of the RoS Legend Commitee (Les and Sue)

28 March 2007

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) will be playing a major role in het new Indiana Jones movie (working title "Indy 4"). Rumours have it that he is to play Harrison Ford's sidekick. Filming will start this summer and the film is due to be released in May next year.

13 March 2007

Acorn has released the first two seasons of RoS in the USA as one Set containing 5 DVDs for U$59.99.

8 March 2007

Just Entertainment has released the RoS Season 2 box in The Netherlands (price EUR 24.95). Read the DVD.nl review (in Dutch).

24 February 2007

Here are the winners of the Acorn RoS Trivia Contest:
  1. Cindy Voigts
  2. Kristen Smoot, Laramie, WY
  3. Beth Hlabse, North Olmsted, OH
  4. Terrence Fernbach, Chicago, IL
  5. Tara Whalen, Nova Scotia, Canada
Your DVDs should be on their way shortly from Acorn Media. Thank you so much to all who participated in this contest and thank you to Acorn Media for providing the DVD sets for this fun give away!
Winner Cindy Voigts with her prize

23 February 2007

It seems there never was a project from Richard Carpenter and Paul Knight to revive RoS (as a special), in spite of the impression Kip gave back in April 2006.
Here are two emails from Kip explicitly stating this:
There is absolutely no truth that R.O.S is coming back. I have been contacted by nobody to write a script. No approach has been made either to me or to Paul Knight - the producer of the series. This is a beautiful example of Fan Fantastic Flim Flam. Sorry, but that's the truth. I would be grateful if this E could be circulated among the membership!
What is true is that the BBC are going to perpetrate their ghastly version of Robin the Hoody again. Stand by to switch off.

love

kip

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes I do remember. I was never approached by anyone. I wrote a script called The Knights of the Apocalypse ( apocalypse means hidden) a long time ago - probably eight years - and I dragged it out again to have a look at it. The idea was to rewrite it. Not to do a series of R.O.S. but a one off telly special possibly with some of the old cast but indeed older. However , I abandoned the idea as impractical and I'm sorry I didn't inform the fans. As it's over a year ago, I didn't connect any of this this with belief that a new R.O.S series was going ahead. I have been very busy on something else since then and it went out of my head completely. My apologies.

Do watch the BBC's new Robin Hood to see how it shouldn't be done. Hope you and your are thriving and - much love as always.

Kip.

9 February 2007

Koch Media has released the RoS Series 3 box in German (price EUR 29.99).

7 February 2007

Issue 19 (January 2006) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is finally out. It's a double issue, 76 pages! Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 20 is the 15th April 2007.

3 February 2007

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) is part of the cast (role yet unknown) of a series of all-new 36 x 5-minute Blake's 7 audio dramas, based on the format and characters from the 1970's BBC cult television classic. The audio adventures were recorded last week and will debut in spring 2007. For more info, see the B7 Media website.

1 February 2007

Spirit of Sherwood has been in touch with Acorn Media and they would like to work with us to do a promotion of their new release of RoS on DVD in the U.S. So, we came up with the idea to do a Robin of Sherwood Trivia Contest and the winners will receive the first two seasons of RoS on DVD for free! There will be 5 sets to give away. Winners will be drawn at random from the correct entries received by the contest deadline. Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to enter. Entrants should email the answers, along with their full name and mailing address, to ChrisRHood@aol.com by midnight EST on 23 February 2007.

RoS Acorn Trivia Contest is as follows:

  1. What is Marion doing when we first see her?
  2. What is the name of Jennet's husband?
  3. What do the Templars think Robin and the Merry Men stole?
  4. Who did Alan-a-Dale work for before the Merry Men find him in Sherwood?
  5. Who does Marion shoot in "The King's Fool"?
  6. What is being celebrated in "Lord of the Trees"?
  7. Who is the 'real' name of the spy known to the outlaws as Mark?
  8. Who leaves the band in "The Children of Israel"?
  9. Who is Lilith working for in "The Enchantment"?
  10. How many Swords of Wayland are there?
  11. What is the name of the village where the outlaws are ambushed in "The Greatest Enemy"?
  12. What is the name of the sorcerer who works for Owen of Clun?
  13. Where (on his body) is Robert injured in "Power of Albion"?
  14. What is the name of the castle where Isadora lives?
  15. What is the name of the new sheriff in "The Sheriff of Nottingham"?
  16. Who are the two people who learn Lady Margaret's secret about Guy in "The Cross of St. Ciricus"?
  17. Who are the two members of the band who do not initially go to the village of Cromm Cruac?
  18. What is the real name of the leader of the fake Merry Men in "The Betrayal"?
  19. Who temporarily pardons the outlaws in "The Pretender"?
  20. There's an onscreen continuity error in "Adam Bell" - what is it? (Hint: it involves the location of a character.)
  21. What is Rutterkin?
  22. In "The Time of the Wolf," there is a visible difference between Robin Hood and his double - what is it?

29 January 2007

ITV3 (UK) is repeating RoS again in February. Air dates:

22 January 2007

The RoS season 1 DVD box is out in The Netherlands, published by Just Entertainment, and costs EUR 24.95.

31 December 2006

The vampire movie Brotherhood of Blood, which stars amongst others Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon), is in the final sound mix at Herold Studios and should be completed in January.

22 December 2006

According to DVD.nl, Just Entertainment will be releasing the RoS DVDs (with Dutch subtitles) in The Netherlands. Season 1 is to be released in January 2007, seasons 2 and 3 will follow in the course of 2007.
DVD-HOME has an on-line RoS prize question (in Dutch!) where you can win one of two Season 1 sets. Good luck! (Closing date for entries: 17 January 2007.) The winners will be announced 19 January on their website.

18 December 2006

On Saturday 23 December, ITV3 (UK) will be broadcasting RoS non-stop from 6am-7pm. The schedule is:
6am-7am: Robin Hood and The Sorcerer - part one
7am-8am: Robin Hood and The Sorcerer - part two
8.05am-9.15am: The King's Fool
9.15am-10.20am: The Swords of Wayland - part one
10.20am-11.25am: The Swords of Wayland - part two
11.25am-12.35pm: The Greatest Enemy
12.35pm-1.40pm: Herne's Son - part one
1.40pm-2.45pm: Herne's Son - part two
2.45pm-3.45pm: The Sheriff of Nottingham
3.45pm-4.50pm: Adam Bell
4.50pm-5.55pm: The Pretender
5.55pm-7.00pm: Rutterkin
See the ITV web TV guide.

7 December 2006

All the seasons of RoS will be released on DVD by a company in the United States called Acorn Media. These DVDs will contain the same extras - with the exception of a Clannad music video - and remastered quality as the Network and Koch Media releases in the UK and Germany.
The first two seasons will be released as a set on 13 March 2007 and the third season on 30 October 2007. These sets will be released in North America and Canada. Here is the tentative info on the cost of the first set:
DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Set (5 discs)
$59.99 U.S./$72.99 CAN
An official press release and packaging info will be issued sometime in January 2007 and for anyone who is super eager, the Acorn catalog will have the Loxley DVD box exclusive after 10 Jan 2007 before its street date of 13 Mar 2007.

10 November 2006

Koch Media has released the RoS Series 2 box in German (price EUR 29.99).

6 October 2006

The new BBC Robin Hood series is starting next Saturday (October 7th) on BBC1 at 7:05 pm - 7:50 pm (UK time). For that occasion, a documentary was made for which a lot of the RoS cast members were interviewed. This documentary is called Jonathan Ross's World of Robin Hood and will air next Sunday (October 8th) on BBC1 at 4:10 pm - 5:10 pm (UK time).

2 October 2006

Here is a request from Jeremy Bulloch (Edward of Wickham, but he is most famous for his role as Boba Fett in Star Wars):
Hi Everyone

A two minute musical trailer of the series I filmed recently called StarHyke can be seen on two websites.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-3814519384657636878&q=STARHYKE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL5sOalus4o
A TV company is interested but wants to know how popular a new Sci-Fi comedy would be so we need you to view the trailer and tell all your friends to download it as well. The more hits the two websites have the stronger the chances of StarHyke being aired. Other trailers will be available later on but please give it a go and enjoy the trailer which is now available to watch. The end of this month is crucial as a decision will be made and we need masses of support and thousands of hits.

Many thanks

The "Bounty Hunter" Boba

25 September 2006

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) will be in a three week run of Blue on Blue in October (6 October until 21 October at 7.30pm, matinees on 19th at 2.00 and 21st at 4.00pm) at the Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke. It is a brand new play about infighting amongst television reporters covering a war. The title refers to "friendly fire". There's a clip on YouTube of the rehersals that was shown on Channel 4 news.

6 September 2006

The trailer for The Thirst, a vampire film that Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) and Mark Ryan (Nasir) are in, can be seen here...

28 August 2006

Thieves have stolen the only master tapes for the BBC's new £8m Robin Hood series and are demanding a £1m ransom for their safe return. The four tapes were stolen last week in Budapest, where the 13-part series is being edited.
RoS fans deny any involvement. ;-)
(BTW, the tapes were recovered on September 8th - seems it was just a publicity stunt.)

25-27 August 2006

The Legend 2006 RoS con at the Ye Olde Bell in Barnby Moor, England. Guests were Phil Rose (Brother Tuck), Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham), Richard Carpenter (Series Creator) and his wife Annabelle Lee (Mad Mab). The Sunday outing to Sherwood Forest included an archery contest and a falconry demonstration.

22 August 2006

Here is an update from Mark Ryan (Nasir):
Well chaps! It's been a very busy summer so far!

I'm still working on Transformers and very exciting it is! Helicopters flying between the buildings of downtown LA and "concept" muscle cars tearing through the streets. Screeching tires and roaring engines! The vehicles all look bloody amazing!

I got to work a little with John Turturro and was very funny and inventive. A really nice guy. I enjoyed working with him and feeding him the lines.

It was actually a very satisfying personal experience to be filming at Griffith Park Observatory last week. The first West End show I ever did was called "Dean" about the life of Hollywood legend James Dean. I played all the bad guys in Dean's life. (Of course!) One of the scenes we did was my first real stage knife fight, which was from the film: "Rebel Without A Cause." When I first visited Los Angeles a few years later, I went and stood on the same spot where the scene had actually been filmed and remembered Dean and his extraordinary talent. So it was poignant to be back there, filming on a big production some twenty odd years later.

I also filmed a couple of episodes of "The Young And The Restless" for CBS. I play a dodgy lawyer called: Jeff Graham. Wow! They work so fast on those Soaps but thanks to the professionalism and generosity of Peter Bergman who is a seventeen-year veteran of the show, we knocked out all the scenes in the first take! What a really nice bloke and a real pro. He came and sought me out so we could run the lines and get a feel for the scenes. Believe me, those guys really earn their keep! Talk about cool under pressure! Thank you Peter!

I also got a chance to see the first cut of "SpecOps:Delta." The film really moves very well and looks bloody great, considering the modest budget. Cole McKay did a fantastic job and the movie is well paced and controversial with a couple of really moving scenes. Well done everyone who worked so hard to get it finished.

On a personal note a project I've been working on for some ten years called "The Bagman", about the life of legendary international gambling figure: Robert Dick, has been shown some very serious interest by a major producer here and I finished the second treatment last week. The story based on the Life-Story of casino mover and shaker: Bob, (who I knew well and died a few years ago) was an extraordinary man. Known as an infamous and roguish character around the world, Bob was very generous and helpful to others, and myself just starting out in the film game.

His widow June kindly let me run with the project to see if we could get it off the ground and make a film of the book. Some serious interest has now been shown and I hope to have more news on that front shortly.

My best wishes to everyone attending the "Legend" RoS Convention in Retford the weekend of the 25th but sadly I'll be working and cannot now attend. Hopefully we'll be able to do a phone panel and we're trying to arrange a pick from my dear old mum in Doncaster for some artwork for the charity auction. I sincerely hope it goes well, I'll be there in spirit, so raise a glass for me!

Nothing's Forgotten,

Mark

19 August 2006

Mark Ryan had to cancel his appearance at Legend due to work on the Transformers movie and The Young and The Restless. The organisers hope to arrange a telephone interview with Mark instead, and are contacting various people to try and fill the gap he has left.
If you can't make the whole Legend weekend (Fri-Sun August 25-27), you can come along on the Saturday and buy a day ticket on the door for £35. This ticket is valid from 10.00am until 5.00pm, and includes the talks and autograph sessions.

11 August 2006

Koch Media has released the RoS Series 1 box in German (price EUR 29.99).

1 July 2006

Here is an update from Mark Ryan (Nasir):
I can now confirm that I've started work on the massive new Dreamworks production of Transformers. It's an amazing and unique project to be involved in!

I can't say too much as we're all sworn to secrecy and the project's script and imagery concepts are being very closely guarded by the producers. I'm on set, interacting with the actors in a most unusual way and having a great time doing it!

We do a lot of laughing, especially with Shia LaBeouf who's a very funny and spontaneous actor. Shia is an amazingly talented young man! There's also several folks I've worked with in the past, including Harry Humphries and Peter Devlin, both from King Arthur.

I'm mostly excited to be working with legendary Hollywood director; Michael Bay, who's a very cool dude indeed and an incredibly creative "Force of Nature." He doesn't forget a birthday either! A very warm and personable touch for a very busy man...

This is going to be fun...

Love to all,

Mark

21 June 2006

Issue 18 (May 2006) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is finally out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 19 is the 15th August 2006.

30 May 2006

Koch Media is planning to release the RoS Series 1 box in German, partly dubbed and partly subtitled, on 11 Aug 2006 (tentative).

17 May 2006

The publication of Rolf Granlund's "Nothing's Forgotten" RoS fanzine has been postponed to (hopefully) Fall 2006.

16 May 2006

Here is the word from Richard Carpenter himself about the characters in his hopefully upcoming RoS special (see 2 April 2006):
"There is no intention to write anybody out of anything I wrtie regarding Robin Hood. Get any information from the guy wot rote it. Why on earth would I not have Nazir in it? Or Robert of Huntingdon? Crazy."

Kip

23 April 2006

Issue 17 (January 2006) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is finally out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 18 is the 15th April 2006.

19 April 2006

Some answers from Richard 'Kip' Carpenter to our burning questions about his RoS special (see 2 April 2006):
1. Gisburne would be recast. I know who I'd like.
2. I don't know about Ray.
3. I don't know about Clannad but 'probably' is my guess.
4. I don't know about Jason.
5. I would like Michael to play Herne.

Please tell evrybody to be patient. It may happen. We all want it to happen. But it all takes time and endless negotiation. Sorry Chris, but that's it! Remember, there will be a new Robin Hood made before we even get started.

Love to everybody

Kip

18 April 2006

Word from Richard 'Kip' Carpenter on the new RoS special he is working on (see 2 April 2006):
The Robin script is all about dualism and a Templar splinter group. I wouldn't get too excited though because even with a go-ahead from ITV it will take at least two years to get made and scheduled.

14 April 2006

Micheal Praed (Robin of Loxley) and Clive Mantle (Little John) are touring the UK together for two months in Killing Castro (see review), a play about the CIA trying to dispose of Fidel Castro that starts May 23rd. Check out Michael Praed's Fanfare (Club News section) for theatre information.

14 April 2006

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) will be narrating the BBC history series "Timewatch" for the fourth year. The new series starts April 14th. Fridays at 9:00 pm UK time on BBC2.

9 April 2006

From Vanessa Greatorex, the writer of the RoS sequel, The Reward:
Many thanks for your fabulous reaction to news of my Robin of Sherwood script, The Reward. The response has been absolutely tremendous, with messages of support from both cast members and viewers in Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and the United States.

And it looks as though your enthusiasm has helped to nudge TV networks in the right direction. Because now, after twenty years, Richard Carpenter and Paul Knight - the creator and original producer of Robin of Sherwood - are closer than ever to getting a new RoS adventure on screen.

Their plans pretty much render my script obsolete. And do you know what? I don't care. I had a great time writing it. And now I'm anticipating an even better time watching a new RoS adventure written by the man whose visionary handling of the Robin Hood legend has captivated our hearts and minds for over two decades.

Richard has given me a brief outline of his script, and his plot sounds guaranteed to keep all RoS fans in thrall.

Thanks again for all your warmth and energy. Your response has been truly amazing and will never be forgotten. But now it's time to turn all spotlights back on Richard Carpenter, inspirational writer extraordinaire.

Yours with thanks Vanessa Greatorex

4 April 2006

Here is an update from Mark Ryan (Nasir) on his latest project:
I'm starting a new film on the 10th of April called: SpecialOps:Delta about the US Counter Terror Group. The director is Cole McKay who I worked with on The Thirst. I'll be playing Colonel Anderson Savage, a Delta Force Commanding Officer.

Cole is a very experienced Hollywood Stunt Coordinator/Director and the script is a powerful action packed drama. Lot's of good folks are involved and I'll be shooting in The Mojave desert for several weeks. m.

Love to all, xxx

2 April 2006

We have had word that Richard (Kip) Carpenter, creator of RoS, is working on a script for a possible new RoS project! This is unrelated to any other RoS or Robin Hood projects that have been discussed recently. The script is for a two-parter, and Paul Knight and Goldcrest are backing. It will be a continuation of the original series in that Kip is writing for the original characters and hopes to get all the original actors, but a stand alone in that it will be understandable for those who perhaps didn't see the original. We'll keep you posted!

30 March 2006

On April 1st Moya Brennan, lead singer of Clannad (the band that made the RoS soundtrack), and band will start their Belgium / Netherlands tour. The tour, with seven concerts, will contain several highlights from Moya's musical career, with Clannad and as a solo artist.

18 March 2006

Robin of Sherwood is back on ITV3 (UK), Sundays at 7.50am and 4.50pm. See the ITV web TV guide.

8 March 2006

The RoS DVDs are being released in Polish by Studio Printel in collaboration with Network DVD. Series 1 (DVDs 1+2) was released on 1 December 2005, Series 2 (DVDs 3+4+5) on 15 February 2006 and Series 3 Part 1 will follow in March / April / May 2006.

17 February 2006

Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much) has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat! He successfully participated in the Mark III International Atlantic Rowing Race 2005. Click on the photographs link to see some current photos of Peter looking nicely tan and buff...and yes, his natural hair color is black.

16 February 2006

Here's a letter from Mark Ryan (Nasir):
Well! 06 got off to a pretty good start.

I just finished working on The Prestige, playing the Captain Of The Guard at Newgate Prison!

It was a wonderful experience. Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins) is a really nice guy and an intelligent and creative director... And very fast!

Cinematographer Wally Pfister is mightily impressive with the handheld camera and speeds up the whole process. I did a scene with old pal Roger Rees (1776) and also met Christian Bale who is a real gentleman. Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson head up this amazing cast.

I also just got to see a rough cut of The Thirst which is now in the final post-production stages. I enjoyed working on the film immensely! Especially since it was the first time Jason Connery and I had worked together since Robin Of Sherwood!

It was also a wonderful experience working with Tony Todd who is the consummate pro and a very cool dude! We even ended up doing a fight scene together, which director: Tom Shell asked me to choreograph and Tony and I threw ourselves about the set with gusto! Great fun!

Jason does a great job as the evil vampire: Claudius and once again, gets saddled with the big teeth! I shaved my head for the role of Reeves and that was also quite a new experience for me!

While Ray Winstone was in Los Angeles shooting Beowulf we all ended up in The Robin Hood Pub and enjoyed a great night catching up and taking the rise out of each other, as per normal!

I did get to spend some much valued downtime with Raymondo and his family and he's not changed in all these years. He absolutely deserves all the praise and recognition he has finally got out here in Hollywood and he simply keeps his feet on the ground and takes it all in his stride. Watch out for Ray in The Departed (Martin Scorsese) later this year! Good on you mate!

March is already shaping up to be an interesting month regarding a project with Joanie "Chynna" Laurer....But more of that in the spring!

Best regards to everyone!

Mark

And here are some pictures taken by Mark Ryan.
Jason and Mark Jason as vampire Mark, Jason and Ray in
The Robin Hood Pub LA

25 January 2006

It seems there is a chance that RoS wil have a proper ending after all. There is a project for a two-part TV movie (not a complete new series) called RoS: The Reward. It will be a sequel to Robin of Sherwood, set almost 21 years since The Time of the Wolf, and it will clear up some of the questions that were left at the end of Season 3 and give some closure to the RoS series. The story is written by Vanessa Greatorex. Vanessa has made good contact with RoS creator Richard 'Kip' Carpenter and Paul Knight, the original producer, and they are now both in favour of a RoS revival. Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham), Clive Mantel (Little John), Mark Ryan (Nasir), Phil Rose (Brother Tuck) and Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) have also shown interest.

The synopsis:

Robin of Sherwood: The Reward
Written by Vanessa Greatorex
Setting the scene
It is 1 May 1232, almost twenty-one years since The Time of the Wolf (Robin of Sherwood, Series 3, Episodes 12 & 13).
The Fifth Crusade has been fought and lost, and England is now ruled by Henry III, cultured but capricious son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême.
The King quarrels constantly with his earls, but has recently healed a breach with Ranulf de Blundeville, sixth Earl of Chester and uncle of John le Scot (Earl of Huntingdon, Ranulf's heir and Robin Hood's cousin) . The marriage of John le Scot to Helen, the daughter of Llewelyn, Prince of Gwynedd, has stopped raids on Ranulf's borders, but the land-hungry Llewelyn is still marauding Marcher territory further south. Meanwhile, the King's extravagance means he has little cash to spend on eliminating the Welsh threat.
Troubled in spirit and in search of divine approval, John le Scot wants to restore the earldom of Huntingdon to the now-pardoned Robin Hood. But by so doing, he could provide Llewelyn with the excuse he seeks to wage war on England. The Earl of Chester is determined to prevent this national catastrophe regardless of individual cost.
Pardoned in 1217 for helping to suppress Louis of France's claim to the English throne, Robin is now Sherwood's Chief Forester, safeguarding his domain with the lightest of touches. Under his rule villagers prosper, oppression is extinct and, surrounded by his men, Robin has convinced himself that he is content.
Except... he has not seen Marion since leaving her at Halstead Priory. He is about to leave on a mission of mercy which will test his self-control to the limit.
And he has just become the quarry of the most powerful earl in England .

More information about RoS : The Reward can be found on the Tales of Sherwood Forest website.
Nickolas Grace has asked if we would support this new project by contacting Vanessa Greatorex at vgreatorex.ros@tiscali.co.uk with a message along the lines of "Yes I want to see 'Robin of Sherwood: The Reward' on TV and DVD". You can also sign a petition at http://new.petitiononline.com/reward06/petition.html.

27 November 2005

Issue 16 (September 2005) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is finally out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 17 is the 15th December 2005.

10 October 2005

It seems that the extra bonus disc (which includes the "Electric Theatre Show" outtakes and rushes from 'Robin the Hooded Man' Clannad promo) that is currently included in the boxed sets of the RoS DVDs won't be available anymore in the near future. The Network DVD (fomerly Netword Video) website reads:
Popular titles The Sweeney, Robin of Sherwood and Strange Report are in the process of being re-packaged in Scanavo packaging and, as a consequence, the extras disc from Strange Report and Robin of Sherwood will no longer be included in those sets.
Order soon if you still want the set with the extra disc!

3 September 2005

Today Christine Haire, founder of the Spirit of Sherwood fanclub, and her husband Todd Alexander had a son: Scott James Alexander. Scott was born prematurely, but is doing well. Send your congratulations and good wishes to: ChrisRHood@aol.com. For more pictures of the newborn, see this photo show (requires Flash Player 7).

13 August 2005

Michael Praed finally has a fanclub again (MPNN was effectively out of order since 2003)! It is called Michael Praed's Fanfare and it is run by Celeste Moore. Membership specifics have not been finalized yet, but the website is already up and running, so check it out: fanfare.michael-praed.com.

7 July 2005

Issue 15 (May 2005) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 16 is the 15th August 2005.

24-26 June 2005

The Weekend in Sherwood IX RoS con at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Southgate, MI, USA. Guests was Mark Ryan (Nasir). Presentation of the 2005 Major Oak Awards for excellence in 20 years of RoS fanzine achievement.

10 June 2005

Jason Connery had to cancel his appearance at Weekend in Sherwood IX (June 24-26, 2005). We are trying to see if it is possible to get another guest last minute and we are also working on setting up speakerphone calls with some of the cast who can't physically make it to the convention. Mark Ryan is still coming and really looking forward to seeing everyone!

21 May 2005

You can now vote for the 2005 Major Oak Awards, honoring excellence in 20 years of Robin of Sherwood zine achievement! The awards will be presented this year on June 26th at the Weekend in Sherwood IX RoS convention (June 24-26, 2005 in Michigan, USA). The ballot is available on the Major Oak Awards page. Please email your votes to Rache at Hedgebeast@aol.com by June 15th.

24 May 2005

Robin of Sherwood is back on UK (digital) TV! It is due to start on ITV3 (part of the '50 years of ITV' celebrations) on Saturday 28 May 2005 at 17:00 with a repeat on Sunday at 06:55 and 14:00. Times may vary for future weeks, please check with TV magazines or the ITV web TV guide.

28 March 2005

The time and place for Legend 2006 have been appointed: the UK RoS con will be held August 25-27, 2006 in Barnby Moor (Nottinghamshire), England. For further information, watch their website.

27 February 2005

Issue 14 (January 2005) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 15 is the 15th April 2005.

15 October 2004

Issue 13 (September 2004) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 14 is the 15th December 2004.

19 September 2004

On 15 November BBC Worldwide is releasing a 390 minute DVD of Shoebox Zoo (a children's show in which Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) plays the role of father of the main character, see also the newsflash of 22 July 2003), featuring all 13 episodes from the series plus a behind-the-scenes feature and a host of other extras. For more info, surf to the BBC Shoebox Zoo press release.

27-29 August 2004

The Legend RoS con at the Hilton Hotel in Swindon, England. Guests were Phil Rose (Brother Tuck), Jeremy Bulloch (Edward of Wickham) and Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham). The Locations Trip on Sunday went to Lacock Abbey.

26 July 2004

The summer blockbuster King Arthur was released on July 7th in the USA. The movie is a new take on the King Arthur story and is set in Britain around the fall of the Roman Empire. King Arthur stars Clive Owen as Arthur, Keira Knightley as Guinevere and Ioan Gruffud as Lancelot and was filmed on location in Co. Wiclow, Ireland. The link with RoS is Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) playing Bors, Mark Ryan (Nasir) working as swordmaster/fight director, Steve Dent (RoS horsemaster) as horsemaster and Moya Brennan (Clannad - RoS soundtrack) singing the soundtrack.
Release dates for King Arthur in other countries (all in 2004):
Philippines: 14 July; Argentina and Australia: 15 July; Egypt and United Arab Emirates: 21 July; Iceland, Norway, Poland, and Sweden: 23 July; Japan: 24 July; Belgium: 28 July; Israel, Netherlands, and Thailand: 29 July; Denmark, South Korea, and UK: 30 July; France: 4 August; Switzerland (French): 11 August; Switzerland (German): 12 August; Brazil, Estonia, and Spain: 13 August; Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany: 19 August; Finland: 20 August; Slovenia: 26 August; Hong Kong: 29 August; Bulgaria: 3 September; Greece: 10 September; Italy: 1 October.
Here are some on-set pictures taken by Mark Ryan.
Mark Ryan and
Keira Knightley		 Mark Ryan with Excalibur The Boys from King Arthur
(including Ray & Mark)

27 June 2004

Issue 12 (May 2004) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 13 is the 15th August 2004.

22 May 2004

The next Robin Hood academic conference (the fifth biennial Robin Hood Conference) is now being planned for Newark, Delaware, USA, from Thursday 29 Sept to Sunday 2 Oct 2005.

4 April 2004

Issue 11 (January 2004) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 12 is the 15th April 2004.

31 March 2004

Mark Ryan (Nasir) will be playing a part in the new movie Return To Sender. Cast: Aidan Quinn, Connie Nielsen, Kelly Preston (John Travolta's wife). Producers: Stephen Woolley, Michael Lunkerskov. Director, Bille August. Screenplay: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade. Mark is playing the part of Mark Schessler, a shady journalist and scam broker. Filming began January 15th, 2004.

28 March 2004

Network has increased its production of the complete RoS DVD set for NTSC/Region 1 from 1500 to 2500.

30 January 2004

Rolf Grandlund has extended the deadlines for submissions for his new RoS fanzine, "Nothing's Forgotten": stories/filks/poems will be accepted till August 27th, artwork will be accepted until October 29th. These deadlines are not hard and fast but he does want to get the zine out in time for next year's Weekend in Sherwood IX con and Oakies...

29 January 2004

Rolf Granlund is accepting submissions for a new print RoS fanzine entitled "Nothing's Forgotten"; stories/filks/poems up to May 28th and artwork up to July 30th. Although the main gist of the zine is stories about RoS, he would also like to add a few stories about convention memories, favorite moments, how one got started in RoS... that sort of thing. For those who are interested, please contact Rolf via rolferick@earthlink.net and he'll send you a flier, giving much more information regarding submissions, format and stuff like that, by email or by snail mail if you give your snail mail addy. For more information, see the fanfic page.

23 January 2004

Here's a letter and some pictures from Mark Ryan (Nasir) who has finish shooting the movie King Arthur (for which he worked as swordmaster/fight director), together with Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) who plays Bors and Steve Dent (RoS horsemaster). The movie should open July 7th, 2004 in the US.
KING ARTHUR 01/20/04

Greetings and happy new year to all my RoS friends and colleagues!

Now that the official trailer is circulating the net I thought it was only appropriate to drop a quick note to you all to express my best wishes to the cast and crew.

As you may know the final battle scenes for KING ARTHUR went extremely well, shot on the same locations where Braveheart was filmed, we completed this epic sequence without a single principal actor injury.

This scene involved fifty-five stuntmen from a dozen nations, nearly a thousand extras, dozens of horses, multiple fire gags and high falls from the Hadrian's Wall set and of course substantial principal sword and bladed weapon fights, all executed with high energy and passion by the cast. The whole of the stunt department is delighted and impressed with the end results.

All the principal fights were complex and grueling but went very well indeed with all of the actors giving 110%. Well done and my personal congratulations and thanks to Clive, Keira, Stellan, Ioan, Raymondo, Joel, Hugh, "Big Ray," Til and of course Mads!

It is impossible to single out one favorite moment.

Major accolades go the Clive Owen, as Arthur, who brought brooding an intense energy to his final duel with Stellan (Cirdic). Clive fueled the Arthurian legend with new and gritty life, using the swordplay as the underscore to the Artorious mantle. Clive worked tirelessly throughout the filming and battled for two whole days with Stellan to complete this bloody and dramatic fight.

Beautiful and gutsy Keira Knightley fought and slashed her way through the Saxon horde with fierce Celtic Warrior- Queen energy, bringing a new and dramatic power to the Guinevere role. Keira worked very hard with me, right from the commencement of the preparation period. After weeks of training together she has become very proficient with the bow and frighteningly skillful with a fighting knife! Her portrayal of Guinevere will define this classic Arthurian archetype for years to come. If you watch the trailer you will see Keira attack the action with demonic glee and I'm very proud of the effort and sheer primal energy she brought to the fights. She has my undying respect.

Mads Mikkelsen as Tristan and Stellan Skarsgard went physically into new territory when they filmed a highly complex master shot of their fight, which lasted over three minutes. This would have been enough, but so into the scene were they both that the actors insisted on continuing filming and shot the whole sequence some ten times over. I think this dedication is a first in this fight directors career, if not in cinema history.

As previously stated, my visual brief from Antoine was "Gladiator/Braveheart" meets "Black Hawk Down" and the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" with swords. Only a paying audience will be the final judge of the results but from what I've seen my initial prediction of a cult epic is definitely on the cards.

King Arthur may well become the epitome of the Arthurian legend on film and with my old pal John Mathews as the historical advisor giving input into the script, I think the film's Arthurian credentials are very solid. My respects and thanks also go to friend and colleague Harry Humphries for his support and good humor while marching the Saxon army up hill and down dale in the pouring rain!

Major thanks go to director Antoine Fuqua for giving me unprecedented access and input into the fighting styles of the knights and the action elements of the story. Thanks also to David Franzoni for genuine and patient interest in our many ambitious action ideas and suggestions for the fights. Thank you both gentlemen.

My sincere personal thanks go to my old pal Steve Dent for inviting me to play in the first place and giving me a free hand with his highly talented and skilled stunt team. All the boys, from all parts of the world, patiently and tirelessly threw themselves around the set at my request with good humor and enthusiastic glee! Also thanks to the SFX crew without whose efforts the visual wizardry and limb hacking mayhem would have been only half as gory!

Last but definitely not least, my sincere thanks and gratitude go to the producers who have been extraordinarily kind about both the action scenes and the sword fights. This is a major compliment for Steve and myself coming from a stable as prestigious and specialized as the Disney/Bruckheimer partnership. Once again, thank you gentlemen for all your patience, support and encouragement. Special thanks go to Mike Stenson, Ned Dowd, Bruce Hendricks and of course the man himself: Jerry Bruckheimer.

I'll be returning to LA in mid November for a brief holiday. King Arthur has been a terrific experience and my final thanks go to all the wonderful Irish folks who have welcomed us and the King Arthur circus, making us comfortable and at home in their quiet country communities with bemused and amiable charm.

Regards.

Mark Ryan

25 November 2003

Robert Addie (Sir Guy of Gisburne) passed away on November 20th after a short battle with lung cancer, at the age of 43. 

~~~>>>----------------->

The Gloucestershire Echo has run a tribute for Robert.

Robert's fanclub, Addie's Faction, has a piece up on his funeral service and instructions on how to make a donation to the UK Cancer Research in Robert's memory.

3 November 2003

The new Toronto (Canada) Robin Hood Appreciation Society, the Greenwood Revellers of Toronto, is holding their first meeting tomorrow, Tuesday 4 Nov. at 7 PM in "The Bow & Arrow Pub" (upstairs section) at 1956 Yonge St. (just north of Davisville subway station). Everyone over legal drinking age (19, bar policy) is invited to discuss all aspects of Robin Hood -- from the May Games to Robin of Sherwood to Rocket Robin Hood.

11 October 2003

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) will be starring as Henry VIII in the epic 2-part drama Henry VIII in the UK on ITV1 on Sundays 12 and 19 October at 9 PM. Video and DVD are due on October 27th.

1 October 2003

The date for Weekend in Sherwood IX has been fixed: 24-26 June 2005, and the location will be the Holiday Inn in Southgate, Michigan. Invited Guests (so far) are Mark Ryan (Nasir) and Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon).

31 August 2003

Four Clannad (the Irish band that created the music for RoS) albums will be re-released in the UK and Ireland on August 25th as remastered editions on the BMG record label. The albums include Legend (the RoS soundtrack), Macalla, Magical Ring, and Sirius. A new 'Best of' Clannad will be released in the UK in September. Five other Clannad albums will be released in the UK as remastered editions too (possibly Anam, Banba, Lore and Landmarks with a fifth undetermined). Corresponding with the release of these remastered editions next week, a new official Clannad website has been launched in Ireland which features pictures of the new remastered edition album covers.

16 August 2003

The Legend 2004 RoS convention (successor of the Silver Arrow conventions) will take place in the weekend of 27-29 August 2004 in the Hilton hotel in Swindon, UK. Phil Rose (Brother Tuck) has promised to come and the locations trip will visit Lacock Abbey (Thornton Abbey library in Cromm Cruac, Warren Abbey where Queen Isabella is ambushed in The Pretender). They will be accepting bookings from August 19th, 2003 (booking forms available on their website).

14 August 2003

Network has mailed out the first batch of the RoS Region 1 NTSC DVD boxed sets. Additionally, the complete box set may well be released for Region 2/PAL too, 'perhaps in time for Christmas'.

12 August 2003

Julianne Toomey-Kautz is inviting the Massachusetts (USA) Merries to the 12th Annual Sherwood Invasion Picnic on Sat. August 23rd from noonish until whenever at her home in Woburn, MA. If you want to attend, please email Julianne.

5 August 2003

Network has postponed the release of the RoS Region 1 NTSC DVD boxed sets until August 12th, due to a technical errors in the first batch of disks and the need to retest.

1 August 2003

Spirit of Sherwood is currently looking at hotels (possibly closer to the airport) for Weekend in Sherwood 2005. We are checking on the availability for the weekend of June 24th. How do you all feel about this weekend as the date for the next WiS convention? Please mail Chris immediately if this is a good date and you are interested in more info. or if this date conflicts for you.

22 July 2003

Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) will be doing a children's show in Scotland. It is called Shoebox Zoo and is full of magic and mystery.
Peter Mullan, Jason Connery, Alan Cumming and Simon Callow are just a few of the big names signed up to star in an ambitious new family series that follows the mystical adventures of a young American girl in Scotland as she gets to grips with the mysteries of her Shoebox Zoo.

Young Canadian actress Vivien Endicott-Douglas is joined by a host of stars from big and small screen in Shoebox Zoo, which sees her uprooted from her home in Canada after the death of her mother and relocated to Edinburgh with her father, played by Jason Connery (The Blue Room).

It is on her 11th birthday that Vivien's character Marnie is given a present from the mythical Scottish alchemist Michael Scott, played by Peter Mullan (The Magdalene Sisters, Orphans, My Name is Joe), which will inevitably change her life forever.

Davie McKay (My Name is Joe, Braveheart) plays the character McTaggart, servant to the Great Michael Scot and narrator for the 26-part series which is filmed on both sides of the Atlantic.

The essential elements which make up the shoebox are the wonderful carved Celtic animals which come to life and help Marnie on her epic quest. The stars providing the voiceovers and also giving the animals their unique character and personalities include:

Shoebox Zoo fuses classic drama with state of the art CGI animation by taking viewers on a magical adventure in search of a great Wizard's Book of Forbidden Knowledge, lost a millennium ago in the borders of Scotland.

Shoebox will visit the historic streets of Edinburgh, the Borders of Scotland and also heads across the Atlantic to the mountains of Alberta, Canada, where magic from Scotland's past collides with an urban continent and the spiritual tradition of the Native Indians.

It's the story of 11-year-old Leanne McBride, a young Canadian girl touched by the dark and irresistible magic of the Great Michael Scott and changed forever by four strange Celtic animal carvings - The Shoebox Zoo - which come to life to take her on a huge quest.

The series, which has been developed by CBBC Scotland, Blueprint Entertainment and Scottish writer Brian Ward, is a joint production between CBBC Scotland, Blueprint Entertainment, CBC, BBC Canada and UK Treaty. It will have 13 episodes shot this year in Scotland and a further 13 in Banff and Calgary, Canada next year.

The series will be shown on CBBC in the UK; CBC and BBC Kids in Canada. It is being distributed outside of Canada by BBC Worldwide which could result in extensive international TV sales, merchandising and publishing spin-offs. It will air in the UK and Canada in autumn 2004 and subsequent international sales may follow. A full length feature version of Shoebox Zoo is also in development.

21 July 2003

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) will being making a public appearance (signing, posing for photos etc.) at the "Memorabilia Fair" in Birmingham, England this coming Saturday (July 26th). It's a 2 day event but Michael will be appearing on the Saturday only. See the Memorabilia Fair website for more information.

20 July 2003

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) To Tour In "The Constant Wife"!

Here is the schedule and you can click on the links to get more information about tickets.

The Constant Wife (Play): A Somerset Maugham's comedy of marital manoeuvres ran for three years in the United States before opening in London in April 1927. When Mortimer Durham storms into the Middletons' home revealing that Constance's husband is having an affair with his wife, Constance refuses to create a scene. A year later, and financially independent, Constance feels entitled to sexual independence. She announces that she will, as John has done, take a short revivifying break by having a holiday with an early admirer, leaving John first outraged and then appreciative of his remarkable wife.

Show Details:
Somerset Maugham (Author)
Cast/Tour Details:
Bill Kenwright Ltd (Producer)
Liza Goddard (Performer)
Susan Penhaligon (Performer)
Sara Crowe (Performer)
Michael Praed (Performer)
Where it is On:
From 27 August 2003 To 06 September 2003
Theatre Royal, Windsor
View full performance listing for this production
From 08 September 2003 To 13 September 2003
Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold
View full performance listing for this production
From 15 September 2003 To 20 September 2003
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
View full performance listing for this production
From 22 September 2003 To 27 September 2003
Arts Theatre, Cambridge
View full performance listing for this production
From 29 September 2003 To 04 October 2003
Ipswich Regent, Ipswich
View full performance listing for this production
From 06 October 2003 To 11 October 2003
King's Theatre, Edinburgh
View full performance listing for this production
From 13 October 2003 To 18 October 2003
Key Theatre, Peterborough
View full performance listing for this production
From 03 November 2003 To 08 November 2003
Palace Theatre, Westcliff
View full performance listing for this production
From 10 November 2003 To 15 November 2003
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
View full performance listing for this production
From 17 November 2003 To 22 November 2003
Theatre Royal, Norwich
View full performance listing for this production
From 02 December 2003 To 06 December 2003
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
View full performance listing for this production

Michael In Fall Festival In Scotland!

Bill Kenwright Ltd presents Somerset Maugham's classic comedy The Constant Wife, starring Liza Goddard, Michael Praed, Susan Penhaligon and Sara Crowe. Exclusive Scottish performances. The show will run at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland from Monday, October 6th through Saturday, October 11th.

19 July 2003

Here's a letter from Mark Ryan (Nasir) who is currently working in Ireland as swordmaster/fight director for a King Arthur movie, together with Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) who plays Bors and Steve Dent (RoS horsemaster).
Hi folks!

Just to let everyone know things are going extremely well in Ireland.

We have completed the first major battle sequence and are now planning and training for the next. This will include hundreds of special action extras and stuntmen as well as the principals.

The fights have gone very well indeed with all of the actors throwing themselves into the action with great gusto! All the boys look great, including Raymondo, of course and Ioan Gruffudd. But special mention has to be of Mads Mikkelsen as Tristran who, with a little lucky help from his ever faithful horse, nearly steals the entire scene. When the film is released watch out for that moment of unplanned screen magic.

My visual brief from Antoine Fuqua was "Gladiator/Braveheart" meets "Black Hawk Down" and the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" with swords. Both director and producer seem very happy with the result so far. And I have to say the look and feel of the first gritty and grueling action sequences shout; EPIC! Well done all the stunt boys and SFX crew.

I'll be here until November and the team has now been joined by old RoS pals Gabe Cronnelly and Dinny Powell!...It's a funny old world.

Love to all.

Mark

18 July 2003

This email just came in from Network Video....
The Robin of Sherwood region 1 NTSC format version nine disc dvd box set is due to arrive into stock by the end of next week. These will start to be sent on the following Monday, which will give me time to catch up on the high volume of orders.

4-6 July 2003

The Weekend in Sherwood VIII RoS con at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Farmington Hill, MI, USA. Guests were Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) and Robert Addie (Guy of Gisburne). Presentation of the 1999-2003 Major Oak Awards for excellence in RoS fanzine achievement.

27 June 2003

The rooms and banquet menu for the Weekend in Sherwood VIII RoS convention (July 4-6, 2003 in Michigan, USA) have been announced.

24 June 2003

It appears that Network Video now has the limited edition Region One, NTSC RoS DVDs listed on their website for sale! It will be released "middle" to end of July, about the 21st (14th according to their website). Finally, the North Americans have an opportunity to get Robin of Sherwood on their DVD format!!
They are charging GBP 99.99 for the 8 discs plus a disc of bonus material boxed set. The P&P should be about GBP 18.79, equals GBP 118.78 in total.
It is listed in their catalogue under Robin of Sherwood Complete Series 1,2,3, catalogue no. 7952130 .

19 June 2003

Jason Connery is (thank Herne!:) still planning on joining us for Weekend in Sherwood and we now, once again, have a second guest....(drum roll, please.....)

Robert Addie, Sir Guy of Gisburne himself, will be joining us. Robert said he is looking forward to visiting the States again, seeing all the RoS fans at the convention, and getting a chance to see Jason again.

18 June 2003

Mark Ryan has had to cancel his plans to join us at Weekend in Sherwood. Mark is working in Ireland as swordmaster/fight director/celtic historian/jack of all trades on King Arthur. They have started filming and will be doing the first big battle scene, which he is responsible for, right when the convention is happening. He is very sorry not to be able to join us. He has promised that he and Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) and maybe Steve Dent (horsemaster on RoS) who are also working on the same film, will join us via speakerphone, if they can, for one of the panels during the weekend....so you will all still get the opportunity to speak with them! We may have a few other surprise speakerphone guests during the weekend, as well!
Jason Connery is still coming!
We are working on getting a replacement for Mark. It may be impossible at this late date, but it's not over--it will never be over! We should know more tomorrow! I will keep you all posted! Stay tuned....

6 June 2003

I just received confirmation from my contact at Network Video that they will indeed be releasing Robin of Sherwood on Region 1, NTSC DVDs in a limited edition for North Americans!!! Hooray!!!.....Here is the info!!!...

The Region 1 NTSC version of Robin of Sherwood will appear on the Network website for ordering before the end of June and will be available from mid-July. It will be a limited edition (1500 only) 9 disc box set and will feature all the material currently available on the UK discs. I can't confirm the price at the moment but it is likely to be around the £100 mark plus shipping. The artwork on the actual discs and individual sleeves will reflect the UK editions but the actual outer box will be exclusive to this particular version. Unfortunately the discs won't be available individually.

N.B.: The limited edition RoS NTSC DVDs will only be available via the Network Website, not via resellers!

24-25 May 2003

The Silver Arrow 2003 RoS con at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Bristol, England. Guests were Phil Rose (Brother Tuck), Jeremy Bulloch (Edward of Wickham), Robert Addie (Guy of Gisburne), Nigel Bell (Editor), Nickolas Grace (Sheriff of Nottingham), Richard Carpenter (Series Creator), Annabelle Lee (Mad Mab), Robbie Bulloch (Matthew of Wickham), Stuart Linden (Old Prisoner), Judi Trott (Marion of Leafort), and Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley). The Locations Trip on Sunday went to Chepstow Castle.

20 May 2003

Issue 9 (May 2003) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 10 is the 15th August 2003.

19 May 2003

There's going to be a Robin Hood academic conference (the fourth biennial Robin Hood Conference) June 7 - 10 (immediately after Weekend in Sherwood VIII!) at the University of York Centre for Medieval Studies in York, UK. At least two well-known RoS fans are amongst the speakers: Allen Wright and Laura Blunk. For more info visit the The Fourth Biennial Robin Hood Conference.

15 May 2003

You can now vote for the 1999-2003 Major Oak Awards, honoring excellence in Robin of Sherwood zine achievement! The awards will be presented this year on July 6th at the Weekend in Sherwood VIII RoS convention (July 4-6, 2003 in Michigan, USA). The ballot is available on the Hedgebeast@aol.com or snailmail them to:

MAJOR OAKS BALLOTS
c/o RACHE
1245 N. KINGS ROAD # 7
WEST HOLLYWOOD CA 90069
USA

13 May 2003

There is a Silver Arrow ticket (a full weekend ticket) up for auction at eBay. The auction closing time is 17-May-03 20:08:56 BST.

5 May 2003

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) will be playing Bors in a King Arthur film by Disney (with Clive Owen as King Arthur and Stephen Dillane as Merlin). Mark Ryan (Nasir) is swordmaster/fight director and Steve Dent (RoS horsemaster) is stunt coordinator.

2 May 2003

The tentative program for the Weekend in Sherwood VIII RoS convention is now available on the WiS page.

2 April 2003

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) is going to play Henry VIII in a TV film due for broadcast in the UK in autumn, with amongst others Helena Bonham-Carter as Anne Boleyn. For more information, see the About Ray Winstone - Henry VIII site.

24 March 2003

We have just had word from Network Videos to watch their website. They plan to make an official announcement in the next month or so about releasing Robin of Sherwood DVDs in the NTSC (American) format!

23 March 2003

Are there any volunteers who want to promote the Weekend in Sherwoord convention (July 4-6, 2003 in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA) and are willing to distribute WiS flyers at other conventions and events during the next couple of months? If so, email Chris with your mailing address and when the event you're attending will be held so you'll get the flyers in time.
WiS VIII flyer WiS VIII flyer
MS Word format PDF format

17 March 2003

Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) and Jeremy Bulloch (Edward of Wickham) will be appearing at Collectormania3, which will be held from 2-5 May 2003 in thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), UK. Jason will be there Sun 4 May only, and Jeremy only on Mon 5 May.

25 February 2003

Issue 8 (January 2003) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 9 is the 15th April 2003.

29 January 2003

The BBC has an on-line RoS quiz where you can win one of two ROS series 3 part 2 DVD box-sets. Good luck! (Closing date for entries: unknown.) The winners can be found here.

28 January 2003

There is a Silver Arrow ticket (a full weekend ticket, with a guaranteed place at the High Table with the guests on the Saturday night banquet) up for auction at eBay. The auction closing time is Feb-03-03 12:24:01 PST.

16 December 2002

The BBC is repeating their I Love... series over the holidays. I Love 1984 with Robin of Sherwood (first broadcasted on 13 Feb 2001) is on BBC2 in the night between Dec 25th and Dec 26th from 00:40 - 02:10 AM (90 mins) UK time (so the date is really Thu Dec 26th).

13 December 2001

John Rhys-Davies (King Richard the Lionhearted in the RoS The King's Fool episode) returns as Gimli the Dwarf in the movie Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers which will be in the theaters starting December 18th. He also provides the voice of Treebeard the Ent.

2 December 2002

As of 27 November 2002 the Silver Arrow 2003 RoS convention (24-25 May 2003, Bristol (UK)) is completely sold out, there are no more tickets available. Your only chance for tickets is now the backup/waiting list in case somebody cancels.

29 November 2002

The RoS Series 3 Part 2 DVDs are shipping...

Special features include: commentaries with Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Nickolas Grace and Anthony Horowitz, US titles, Series 3 outtakes, stills gallery, commentaries with director Sid Roberson and producer Esta Charkham on episodes 12 & 13, TV-am location report, the Making of Robin of Sherwood series 3 documentary (part 2), Clannad interview, Esta Charkham's photo retrospective.

25 November 2002

Several resellers (Amazon UK, Blackstar, MVC) have postponed the release date for the second half of the Season Three DVDs (second six episodes on 2 separate DVDs and as boxed set) to December 2nd. Network's own catalogue remains the same: November 25th (which is today).

12 November 2002

English Nature has named the Sherwood Forest Country Park as a national nature reserve. See also the BBC article.

4 November 2002

Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) will be touring the UK in stage play The Blue Room, which will start at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in February 2003. Jason is playing a man lusted after by 15 different women, all played by Tracy Shaw. The tour scheme is:
Dates in 2003
3 - 8 February
10 - 15 February
17 - 22 February
24 Feb - 1 March
3 - 8 March
10 - 15 March
17 - 22 March
24 - 29 March
31 March - 5 April
7 - 12 April
14 - 19 April
21 - 26 April
28 April - 3 May
5 May
12 May
19 May
 Venue
Cambridge, Arts Theatre
Richmond, Richmond Theatre
Dartford, Orchard Theatre
Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Lincoln, Theatre Royal
Cardiff, New Theatre
Eastbourne, Devonshire Park Theatre
Londonderry, Millennium Forum
Cork, Everyman Palace
Brighton, Theatre Royal
Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre
Edinburgh, King's Theatre
Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre
Stoke, Regent Theatre
Darlington, Civic Theatre
Manchester, The Lowry
 Box Office Number
01223 503333
020 8940 0088
01322 220000
01483 440000
01522 525555
02920 878889
01323 412000
028 7126 4455
003 532 1 4501673
01273 328488
01908 606090
0131 529 6000
01902 429212
01782 213800
01325 486555
0161 876 2000

31 October 2002

Several resellers (Amazon UK, Blackstar, MVC) are annoucing the release date for the second half of the Season Three DVDs (second six episodes on 2 separate DVDs and as boxed set) as November 18st - a week earlier than Network itself in its catalogue.

29 October 2002

The RoS Series 3 Part 1 DVDs are shipping...

Special features include: commentaries with Jason Connery, Mark Ryan and Clive Mantle on episodes 1, 2, 4 & 5, the Making of Robin of Sherwood series 3 documentary (part 1), It's Showtime promotional short, biographies, stills gallery, music-only tracks for episodes 1, 3 & 5, Robin Hood 1-2-3 swordplay short.
And Network's mail order and on-line ordering services are once again fully operational for orders worldwide!

25 October 2002

Issue 7 (September 2002) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 8 is the 15th December 2002.

14 October 2002

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) and Richard O'Brien (Gulnar) will be providing the voices for the characters Soldier Sam and Zebedee respectively in the film version of Magic Roundabout, a classic BBC children's TV show from the late sixties/early seventies. For more info, see the BBC site.

11 October 2002

In their catalogue Network is now listing Vol 1 and 2 of RoS Series 3 and Series 3 Part 1 boxed set as available from 28 October 2002, and Vol 3 and 4 of Series 3 and Series 3 Part 2 boxed set as available from 25 November 2002. (Their news page is still not updated yet, though.) No info about special features yet.

30 September 2002

Several resellers (Amazon UK, Blackstar) are annoucing the release date for the first half of the Season Three DVDs (first six episodes on 2 separate DVDs and as boxed set) as October 21st. The Network news page itself still mentions "...with series 3 scheduled for September and October.", however.

20 September 2002

Michael Praed (Robin of Loxley) will be starring on stage again in the theater show Contact at the Queen's Theater in London. Previews are from Thursday 3 to Tuesday 22 October 2002 and the show opens Wednesday 23 October. For more information, tickets, pictures etc. see the Contact website.

26 July 2002

The second WiS VIII guest has been confirmed and it's....Jason Connery!!! This will be his first con ever. The official annoucement from Chris:
Weekend in Sherwood VIII will take place July 4-6th, 2003...Weekend in Sherwood 8, the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Robin of Sherwood!:) We have confirmations from our two guests of honour ....Mark Ryan (Nasir) and Jason Connery (Robin) (guest appearances subject to professional commitments) (Yes, I said Jason Connery. Jason lives in the U.S. and is looking forward to attending his very first convention! Let's throw a nice party for these two gentlemen, so they'll want to do more conventions!:)

24 July 2002

The dates for the Weekend in Sherwood VIII 20th anniversary RoS convention have been finalised: 4-6 July 2003. The official annoucement from Chris:
Weekend in Sherwood VIII will take place July 4-6th, 2003...Weekend in Sherwood 8, the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Robin of Sherwood!:) We have invited two guests of honour to the convention....Mark Ryan (Nasir), who has accepted and one other guest we are awaiting confirmation on--stay tuned for more info coming soon!:) (guest appearances subject to professional commitments)

ACTIVITIES: "Medieval" Banquet with the Guests of Honour (garb encouraged), Art Show and Sale, Major Oak Awards for excellence in RoS Fan Fiction and Art, Dealers, Costume Contest, Hospitality Room, Filksinging, Guest Panels, Fan Panels, Autograph and Photograph Sessions, Video Room, Charity Auction & Much More! (I hope to have my multistandard DVD player with the PAL RoS DVDs showing, including all the interviews and extras! We also have a tape of the uncensored, uncut RoS bloopers!:)

HOTEL: The hotel is the Holiday Inn, Farmington Hills Michigan. Check out their website at www.holiday-inn.com/farmingtonhills. You can book via the website using this group code: wis... Or better yet, call 248-477-4000 and you must mention Weekend in Sherwood to get the group discount rate! The convention room block will be released June 12, 2003, so make your reservations now! Rooms will be $85 (plus tax) Single/ Double/ Triple or Quad Occupancy. If you have any problems with booking the type of room you want, ask for Bryan or Eileen. They are a very nice hotel and only 22 miles from Metro Detroit airport. They are in a convenient location, off of major expressways and there are plenty of restaurants and fast food within walking distance!

Attending Memberships: (Attendance will be limited, so register early--No Memberships Sold at the Door!!! All memberships are non-refundable as long as the event takes place) Your membership includes the buffet banquet dinner with the guests, Friday evening, 7pm. Attending memberships are $70 before December 31st, 2001, $75 after January 1st, 2003.

Supporting Memberships: Supporting memberships are for those who can't attend, but would like to support the convention and receive an autographed program book! Supporting memberships are $15 or anything above you feel you want to contribute:) Make checks or money orders, payable in U.S. funds, to Spirit of Sherwood, 2536 Dundee Drive, Warren, Michigan 48092, USA. Write to the above address, email ChrisRHood@aol.com, or visit our website at http://www.RobinOfSherwood.org/ for more info.

If you need further info. on Dealer's tables or the Art Show--please email me. If you would like to contribute anything to the Guest Fund or Charity Auction, let me know:) We will be looking for fan panellists, filkers, "archers", costumers, artists, dealers, volunteers (gofers), and some staff positions!:)

I would love to hear comments, questions, feedback...please email me!

23 July 2002

Spirit of Sherwood has moved!
From: To:
1276 West Marshall
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
USA
 2536 Dundee Drive
Warren, Michigan 48092
USA

18 July 2002

Issue 6 (May 2002) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 7 is the 15th August 2002.

11 July 2002

The BBC has an announcement for the RoS Series 2 DVDs.

3 July 2002

The BBC has an on-line RoS quiz where you can win one of three ROS series 2 DVD box-sets. Good luck! (Closing date for entries: Monday, 15th June 2002 at 12:00 PM UK time). The winners can be found here.

2 July 2002

The RoS Series 2 DVDs are shipping...

Special features include: music-only tracks, stills gallery, French subtitles, The Swords Of Wayland commentary with director Robert Young and producer Paul Knight, the Making of Robin of Sherwood series 2 documentary, series 2 outtakes, US titles.

27 June 2002

Announcement from Network on their website:
After Thursday 27 June and until further notice we are unable to process international orders.
So people from outside the UK won't be able to order the RoS videos and DVDs directly from the publisher anymore. On-line alternatives are Blackstar, MVC, Play.com, and Amazon UK.

25 June 2002

According to amazon.co.uk and other on-line video/DVD stores, the RoS Series 2 DVD box is now out next Monday, 1st July, rather than 24th June. The Network site has not been updated, though.

17 June 2002

Tentative date for WiS VIII is the 4th of July weekend in 2003. Appeal from Chris:
Ok, folks--I need your input! What do you think about a Weekend in Sherwood over 4th of July weekend, 2003? Does anyone know right off the bat that that weekend is a conflict? I NEED FEEDBACK!

I am thinking of scaling down the convention to avoid any financial deficits our first year back doing it, after the loss we had on the cancelled one. Maybe only a two day convention. Maybe no banquet. Maybe only one guest and we'll try to add another if time and money permit based on the pre-registrations. What do you think about all of this? Email me with your opinions, please.

Who wants to come? Email me either way. Tell me if you can or can't. I need to know what the potential numbers look like.
Who wants to work on staff and gofering?
Who wants to get a dealers table?
Who wants to be a panelist?
Who wants to join the costume contest?
Who wants to filk?
Who wants to be involved in the art show? Video Room?
I miss everyone very much and I hope we can jumpstart the fandom again!:) Please email me and let me know what you think! I'm willing to give it a shot if there is enough interest shown.

26 May 2002

Michael Praed's (Robin of Loxley) new movie Nine Dead Gay Guys caused quite a stir at the Cannes Film Festival according to this article in The Observer.

8 May 2002

The BBC did a very nice RoS article and giveaway! Check it out, it has nice RoS pics and links! Good luck! (Closing date for entries: Friday, 17th May 2002 at 12:00pm UK time) The winners can be found here.

30 April 2002

Network has postponed the release of the RoS series 2 DVDs. Series 2 is now due for June 24th, Series 3 still for September/October. The latest news from Network is:
ROBIN OF SHERWOOD SERIES 2
Series 2 will be available 24th June with series 3 scheduled for
September and October. Special Features to be confirmed.
It is already possible to pre-order the Series 2 DVDs.

24 April 2002

The dates for the Silver Arrow 2003 20th anniversary RoS convention have been announced: 24th and 25th of May 2003. For more information, see the SA2003 Website.

22 April 2002

Terry Walsh, the RoS stunt coordinator, died on April 22 from cancer. 

~~~>>>----------------->

I thought you may like to know that my dad, Terry Walsh, the stunt coordinator on RoS passed away this morning after a short battle with cancer. He passed peacefully in his sleep. I have spoken to a few of "the merries" but I thought the fans would like to know. Please feel free to pass on the news as you see fit. Also if you wish to contact me then feel free.

Regards Tony Walsh

8 March 2002

The RoS Series 1 DVDs are shipping...

One of the extras on the DVDs is a transcription of Kip's original handwritten treatment for RoS which shows how he originally envisioned it and what came to pass. This is also available for download from Network's website.

27 February 2002

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) will be starring on stage again in The Night Heron at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square from 11 April - 11 May 2002. See the About Ray Winstone - The Night Heron site.

24 February 2002

Chris has announced she is seriously considering doing another Weekend in Sherwood convention in either 2003 or 2004. Let her know which year and time of year would suit you best! Ideas and helping hands are welcome!

15 February 2002

Richard O'Brien (Gulnar) will be playing The Child Catcher in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang musical at the London Palladium from 19 March 2002. For more info, see the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Website.

6 February 2002

Issue 5 (January 2002) of RoS fanzine Tales of Sherwood Forest is out. Contents : Deadline for contributions to issue 6 is the 15th April 2002.

28 January 2002

The BBC has an announcement for the RoS Series 1 DVDs.

23 January 2002

Network has postponed the release of the RoS DVDs once again. Series 1 is now due for March 11th, Series 2 for May and Series 3 for September/October. The latest news from Network is:
ROBIN OF SHERWOOD
The definitive depiction of the Robin Hood legend makes
its dvd debut on 11 March 2002. Series 1 starring
Michael Praed will be available as a double box set
(which includes a bonus disc) and as two individual
volumes, boasting the following features:

21 December 2001

There's a new RoS fanzine available: Valediction. It's the Albion Special Four novella, written by the award-winning writer Laura Chevening Blunk, illustrated by Barb Johnson, and with a gorgeous color cover by Karen River. For information on price and availability, email Laura at: Laura.Blunk@tri-c.cc.oh.us or write to her at:
Laura C. Blunk
1128 Pennfield Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44121
USA

13 December 2001

John Rhys-Davies (King Richard the Lionhearted in the RoS The King's Fool episode) plays Gimli the Dwarf in the movie Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring which will be in the theaters starting December 19th.

5 December 2001

Mark Ryan (Nasir) will on the ABC soap opera "General Hospital" starting Decemeber 13th. Mark will be playing a romantic ex-spy (codename: Cupid! ;-). He and his screen wife, played by Catherine McGoohan (daughter of Patrick McGoohan), have retired from the spy business to spend more time with each other. Their character names will be Vincent and Ellen and they will be involved in the Luke and Laura storyline! Mark has filmed 5 episodes of GH so far. After you watched the show, why don't you pop by the message boards for GH on abc.com, soapnet.com, AOL keyword, General Hospital, etc. and leave messages about how much you liked the characters of Vincent and Ellen... especially that of Vincent's? GH powers-that-be do read the message boards and it may lead to Mark getting asked to do more episodes. Mark really enjoyed working on the show and would like to be asked back to do more.

Richard "Kip" Carpenter (series creator) has a new series on, "I Was a Rat," airing (in three parts) on December 9th, 16th and 23th from 17:25 - 18:25 (UK time) on BBC1. The series is about a little boy named Roger who once was a pet rat but was magically turned into a boy. See also BBC's I Was A Rat webpage.

The new DreamWatch magazine (issue 88, with "Lord of the Rings" on the cover) has an interview with Michael Praed, mostly about SAJV but RoS is discussed.

23 November 2001

Bob Frank, a musician from California, has produced a modern translation of "The Gest of Robyn Hode", one of the oldest Robin Hood ballads. Bob performed the Gest accompanied by his guitar in a style he calls "talking blues" at this year's academic Robin Hood conference (see also the news of 2 March 2001) to great acclaim and has now put it on CD. The ballad lasts for 1 hour and 20 minutes, and the CD is U$ 15 plus shipping. Bob Frank can be contacted at frank6@earthlink.net.

6 November 2001

Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) appeared in "Smallville" on TV in the US. "Smallville" is a new TV series about a teenage Superman. Jason is the beginning of the third episode titled "Hothead". His character is Lex Luther's father's head "drone" named Dominic.

2 November 2001

Marc Lines, of the 'Sounds of Sherwood' tapes & CDs, has just created a new CD called 'The Scarlet Blood'. It is all about Will Scarlet, and contains all his best lines, both the funnies and the poignant, interspersed with Clannad songs and some really appropriate songs from 'All About Eve'. The price is £5.00 per CD for with in the UK and £8.00 for the rest of the world. For clips and more information, visit the Sounds of Sherwood Webpage.

30 September 2001

RoS fan and Robin Hood expert Allen W. Wright has taken part in a Canadian radio documentary on Robin Hood that is scheduled to air on October 8th Canadian Thanksgiving Day) on CBC Radio 1. Although is not guaranteed that the documentary will mention RoS, Allen did plug the series during his interview. In a promotion interview with the man behind the documentary (broadcasted on CBC1 on Mon Oct 4th), he mentioned RoS by name (first he talked about Herne and the pagan elements in RoS and other modern versions of the legend, then he summarized the plot of "King's Fool"), so the chances seem good of some major RoS references in the documentary proper. Some info on the documentary from writer/presenter Seth Feldman:
We're just beginning the end game on the IDEAS radio documentary, "Hunting Robin Hood". It's still scheduled for October 8 on CBC 1, right after the 9:00pm news.
Foreign listeners can click on http://www.radio.cbc.ca/programs/ideas/ to listen to the program at 9:05 Eastern Standard Time (0205 GMT). However, if they don't already have Real Audio, they should click on an hour or so early for the free download.
The show stars, in order of appearance:
includes readings by
and lots of music (including a bit of Robert Frank) and film clips.

29 September 2001

The Network news page now says about the RoS DVDs:
ROBIN OF SHERWOOD
The definitive depiction of the Robin Hood legend makes
its dvd debut on 18 February 2002. Series 1 starring
Michael Praed will be available as a double box set and
as two individual volumes, boasting the following
features:

22 September 2001

The RoS DVDs are delayed again. The latest news from Network is:
Thanks for your enquiry. We were hoping to issue series 1 in October with series 2 and 3 following in the new year. However all three series will now be released in 2002 for reasons we will shortly be announcing on the website. At this moment we can confirm the following details of series 1 discs:
The reason they give for this additional delay is:
We've postponed the release until February because we've recently discovered some previously unseen material which we have been given clearence to use and this will require further research and preparation. Apologies are in order but we feel it will be worth the wait.

20 September 2001

Ray Winston's (Will Scarlet) latest film, The Martins starring Lee Evans, was released in the UK on 14 September.

16 September 2001

Blackstar has finally announced an official release date for the first season of RoS in DVD Region 2: 22 October. It is available as a complete series box set (price £23.59, with a 10% pre-order discount taking it to £21.23), and as Series 1 Part 1 and Series 1 Part 2 (price £13.13 each with the 10% pre-order discount).

11 September 2001

Mark Ryan (Nasir) can currently be seen onstage as John Dickinson in the Reprise! Broadway's Best - 1776 production at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The interview with Mark in the Backstage issue of September 6th can be viewed at the Backstage Website.

6 August 2001

Dame Dorothy Tutin, who played Lady Margaret of Gisburne - Guy's mother - in The Cross of St. Ciricus, died on August 6th from leukaemia at the age of 71. For more information, see the BBC News website 

~~~>>>----------------->

3 August 2001

The Network RoS DVD release has been delayed somewhat. Season One is now due out on October 22, 2001.

2 July 2001

There will be a picnic of RoS fans in Sherwood Forest on Sat August 18th. Participants should gather at noon outside the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre (just off the B6034 near Edwinstowe). For more information, e-mail Karon Fletcher

27 May 2001

On Monday May 21st Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) and his wife Elaine were rejoicing the birth of a 5 lb baby daughter, who was named Ellie Rae.

9 May 2001

Network indeed doesn't own the DVD rights for RoS outside the UK at this moment:
Thanks for your enquiry. Your request has been noted but, unfortunately, we do not currently own rights outside of the United Kingdom to distribute the series on DVD. Sorry we can't be more positive at this stage but if the situation changes we will be in touch again.

28 April 2001

Ray Winstone (Will Scarlet) is currently appearing in a couple of UK TV adverts for Holsten Pils. You can view and download the adverts from their website It's the daddy!.

19 April 2001

I (i.e. Chris Alexander) have had word from Network that the RoS DVDs are only to be produced in PAL version this year--meaning the U.S., Canadian and Japanese fans are out of luck!:( They say they are "assessing the situation" with the US, Canadian, Japanese market. They say they have "heard" that someone may have purchased the U.S. video rights but it is as yet unconfirmed.
I can't express how depressing this is to me. I was the one who put Network in touch with Richard Carpenter in the first place when they wanted to put out Catweazle. Then, I emailed with them for months persu