The BEST episodes of Maid Marian and Her Merry Men season 1
Every episode of Maid Marian and Her Merry Men season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Maid Marian and Her Merry Men season 1!
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a UK children's television series created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994. The show was a partially-musical comic retelling of the legend of Robin Hood, placing Maid Marian in the role of leader of the Merry Men, and reducing Robin to an incompetent ex-tailor. The programme was much appreciated by children and adults alike, and has been likened to Blackadder, not only for its historical setting and the presence of Tony Robinson, but also for its comic style. It is far more surreal than Blackadder, however, and drops even more (deliberate) anachronisms. Like many British children's programmes, there is a lot of social commentary sneakily inserted, as well as witty asides about the Royal family, buses running on time, etc. Many of the plots featured, included or revolved around spoofing particular things, including films such as Jurassic Park and It Came From Outer Space, and television programmes, including The Crystal Maze and the long-running televised fundraiser Comic Relief. There were also frequent references to other Robin Hood incarnations, most notably ITV's Robin of Sherwood (and in particular a parody of that series' Clannad soundtrack is lampooned in the episode "The Whitish Knight") and the contemporary film adaptation Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The latter actually features Howard Lew Lewis (Rabies) among its cast - hence his doubly-witty line in the episode "The Came from Outer Space", which episode also passingly satirises the film for casting the lead with an American accent (Kevin Costner). The show was such a success, there was an adaptation produced for the stage, a cartoon strip by Paul Cemmick which was serialised in the Daily Telegraph's children's paper "The Young Telegraph" (also available as a series of collections) and the programme was repeated on BBC One in 2001. Series 1 was release
#1 - Robert the Incredible Chicken
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/23/1989
King John and the Sheriff are let down from the torture machine in the morning, and vow revenge against Robin and the band. The Sheriff and his guards then spend the day scouring Sherwood Forest for any sign of them. Meanwhile, Marian has spent the day trying to teach her men the survival and attack skills they require, including weights and archery. By chance, one of Robin's stray arrows exactly pierces the Sheriff's hat, and Marian manages to convince the Sheriff that Robin was in fact a master archer and had just fired a warning shot. After hearing of this, King John orders an archery contest in Worksop to lure Robin from hiding. Robin, upon being forbidden from competing by Marian, constructs a chicken costume in order to avoid being recognised, but all three of his arrows fail to hit the target and he is arrested. Marian arrives, and upon scoring 180 with her three arrows, King John concludes that she is Robin, and threatens to kill her; however, she uses the prize, a silver arrow
#2 - The Miracle of St. Charlene
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/7/1989
The Merry Men are frustrated that ambush attempts are hindered by their inability to cross a river, and decide to build a bridge across it; however, they only get half-way before giving up and going fishing, leaving Rabies to complete it. Meanwhile, King John's uncle has died and bequeathes King John his hot-water bottle. So angry is King John with his uncle's lack of gratitude that he orders the Sheriff to sell the hot-water bottle to the peasants of Worksop for 50 gold pieces. Despite claiming that the hot-water bottle always stays hot, the Sheriff is unable to get 50 gold pieces from the penniless peasants. The Sheriff decides to take a shortcut home, but fails to remember the river in the way, and poor judgement on the half-bridge leads to the Sheriff falling in the water and losing the hot-water bottle, which the Merry Men catch while fishing. Marian is unimpressed, but Robin is keen to give it to the poor. He finds Gary and Greame, who had also fallen in the water, and considerin
#3 - The Sharp End of a Cow
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/14/1989
For his failure to capture Robin, the Sheriff is sacked, and King John assumes all his responsibilities and goes to Worksop in an attempt to find Robin. Unfortunately, Robin was already heading to Worksop to buy buckets and horns to act as a warning device for attacks. Marian sends Barrington and Little Ron to Worksop to fetch him, and the latter is captured by King John after a chase through the town. Meanwhile, the ex-Sheriff has disguised himself as Marian in an attempt to infiltrate the gang's hideout, but falls into Barrington's pit trap. He momentarily confuses Rabies, but Marian does not fall for the charade and orders him to be tied up in their hideout. She then disguises herself as the Sheriff disguised as her, and leads King John into her traps, ensuring Little Ron's safe release. While making her demands to King John, the real Sheriff escapes from his ropes, and ensures King John's unconditional release and the reinstatement of his job.
#4 - A Game Called John
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/30/1989
It is pancake day, and the Sheriff and King John go to Worksop to get a frying pan, which they take from a peasant. While there, however, King John is mortified to discover that the peasants do not know who he is, and makes it the Sheriff's responsibility to bring about his fame. The Sheriff decides that he should invent something and name it in King John's honour, and a sudden inspiration leads him to invent the game known now as snooker, and name it John. After one failed attempt without cushions, the Sheriff and his men go to Lincoln to buy green felt for the John table. Meanwhile, the Merry Men have been ordered by Marian to rob a knight before they can have anymore pancakes. Upon ambushing the Sheriff, Robin discovers that the Sheriff too is hungry, and invites him around for breakfast. Marian is not happy, but then decides to bill the Sheriff for everything he eats. So scared is the Sheriff of Robin that he and the guards use the green felt they have purchased to make uniforms fo
#5 - The Whitish Knight
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/21/1989
King John receives a postcard from his brother, Richard, the true king of England, who is due back from the Crusades in a matter of hours; John is fearful for his job, and the Sheriff - fearful for his job - decides that a hospitable 'welcome-home' reception is necessary. He and the guards go to Worksop to loot food for the banquet, and also take all the children back to the castle - in the confusion, Little Ron is taken back with the children.Meanwhile, Marian has decided to disband the Merry Men when she realized that they were not appreciated, but after the children were stolen, the peasants came back for help, and she rescinded her decision. Under the guise of a pizza salesman, the Merry Men are able to free the children, and steal the Royal Tea Set from the castle. King John and the Sheriff go after them, and eventually everyone ends up at the Merry Men's hideout. By endangering the Tea Set, Marian is able to get King John to bow to her requests, until the sudden appearance of the mysterious Whiteish Knight halts proceedings. The Whiteish Knight is revealed to be King Richard, who rules that King John had run England well, and vowed to return to the crusades. Realising that England would remain under corrupt rule, Marian decreed that the Merry Men would continue to fight injustice into the future.
#6 - How the Band Got Together
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/16/1989
Maid Marian, after a minor altercation with Little Ron on a bridge, arrives in the village of Worksop in an attempt to sell her tadpole. She unsuccessfully tries to sell the tadpole to Robin, a cowardly tailor who has just finished making the Royal Underpants, before accidentally wandering into the tomato-fire at the local stocks, in which Rabies and Barrington are being punished by the Sheriff of Nottingham for minor crimes. An altercation ensues with the Sheriff, the result of which sends Marian's tadpole into Rabies' nose. To protect herself from the Sheriff and his guards, she holds a sword to Robin's throat, threatening the cleanliness of the Royal Underpants which he still holds. The Sheriff allows them to escape, but orders an ambush from his guards, which ultimately comes unstuck when the guards unsuccessfully try to pass Little Ron on the bridge. When out of harm's way, Marian reminds Robin that they are now outlaws, and suggests they make the most of the situation by forming