I was recently interviewed by Ed Power for The Telegraph about the legacy of the celebrated 1980s television series Robin of Sherwood. He invited me to comment on the series and its influence upon popular understandings of Robin Hood, particularly its introduction of Nasir, its extravagantly villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, and its incorporation of supernatural and Celtic mythological elements. Portions of my comments appeared in his article, “The controversial TV show that turned Robin Hood ‘dark’,” published on 7 September 2026. Since my complete response ranged more widely over the programme’s place in the Robin Hood tradition, I reproduce it below.

The following response, originally emailed to Ed Power at The Telegraph on 7 September 2026, has been lightly edited for publication.

“My opinion is that Robin of Sherwood is one of the finest twentieth-century adaptations of the Robin Hood legend. It successfully blended history and folklore, while understanding something fundamental about our national legend: there has never been a single, fixed Robin Hood. He is an accumulation of stories and identities, some connected and others contradictory. The series’ transition from Michael Praed’s commoner Robin of Loxley to Jason Connery‘s Earl Robert of Huntingdon did something rather clever: it turned Robin Hood’s constantly changing identity into part of the story itself.

“It was certainly unusual in the twentieth century to have a Muslim character; Nasir is perhaps the clearest example of the series’ lasting influence as several portrayals now feature such a character such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the BBC’s 2005 Robin Hood. As someone who’s fond of the Victorian novels, however, I must say that Nasir was not actually the first Muslim character to be incorporated into the Robin Hood tradition. A precedent is found in J. H. Stocqueler’s Maid Marian, the Forest Queen (1849), which introduces a Muslim character, Suleiman, and his daughter, into Robin Hood’s band. What was distinctive about Robin of Sherwood was therefore not the bare idea of bringing a Muslim character into the legend, but making a Muslim a regular and memorable member of Robin’s outlawed band. 

“Interestingly, I do not think that the particular combination of folklore and supernaturalism which Robin of Sherwood brought to modern screen adaptations became a sustained feature of the legend thereafter. It reflected the growing influence of New Age ideas during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as renewed popular interest in pre-Christian spirituality and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Although traces remained—not least in Prince of Thieves—this dimension was much less prominent in the Patrick Bergin, Russell Crowe and Taron Egerton adaptations.

“However, I think the folkloric angle is now getting a revival. The series has much in common with the 2025 MGM/Prime series Robin Hood (with Jack Patten) which contains several Saxon pagan elements, and Patten’s Robin Hood recalls Praed’s. So perhaps part of Robin of Sherwood’s legacy is becoming visible once more.

“When rewatching it, the most refreshing thing of all, in my opinion, is that Robin of Sherwood takes the legend seriously. It is neither the essentially comic treatment of Disney’s animated Robin Hood, nor does it continually undercut its own story with the jokes and stupid buffoonery that characterise American adaptations of the story, such as Prince of Thieves. There is, instead, a sincerity to Robin of Sherwood;it understands that the story of our most famous outlaw (and treasured national legend) does not have to become parody in order to remain popular.”