Civics Lessons as "Seen on TV"

You may  recall in  previous post entitled "Mayor elected..." numerous citizens and three former mayors, to put it politely, appeared fuzzy on the subject of the City Charter. Since none of them mentioned the Charter in the context of the matter at hand (electing a mayor) that's putting it very politely.Maybe they hadn't heard that The Adventures of Robin Hood with Richard Greene  is back on on television. It is on RTV. Channel 7.2 at 5pm Monday through Friday. There are many versions of the Robin Hood. saga but critics consider this one which comes in 145 half hour  episodes that aired from 1955 to 1960, as one of the best. My wife and I, growing up in different parts of the country remember it from  the first grade.  My wife still remembers all the words to both verses of the theme song. I remember playing Robin Hood in school. Not surprisingly  modern day critics who remember the show say it's the kind program they'd  enjoy watching with the grand kids. Younger critics tend to be more critical. They say graphics are  little weak perhaps because there are none.

In 1955 commercial television  was barely seven years old. Robin Hood was a British Eastern to compete with American Westerns.  Like every show of that era, Robin Hood, was shot in black and white. Fight scenes  that do not include a bow and arrow are staged only a little  better than we able to do on school yard.. The same castle, village, and countryside scenes get reworked constantly. Character development ? Forget about it. Everybody knows or is supposed to know who Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and the evil Prince John are or were. The power of the show 50 years later is in the writing. Surprisingly for 1955 women a play strong role in the series. Without Maid Marian getting inside info from the castle Robin's plans for righting the wrongs of the world would have gone nowhere.

Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and Robin Hood

The show was produced by one Hanna Weinstien. She was a  left leaning socialist  who found Sherwood Forest where "good men are  forced to become outlaws" the  perfect setting for her point of view. She then hired writers who had been blacklisted in  Hollywood during the just ending McCarthy Era.  Thus the quality of the writing and a role for women beyond what may have been the reality of the 13th Century. Some critics have gone as far as to pair the writers (all of who were writing under assumed names )with  the various Robin  Hood episodes they wrote, and what they wrote before  and after the series.Of the forty or so episodes I've seen, only one was overly preachy. Most just  revolve around the rights of the individual and the tendency some governments  to at best overstep and at worst to completely usurp the rights of the people.

The Robin Hood revival, has nothing to do with the marriage of Prince Will and Kate, but everything to do with the fact the show is now entering the realm of Public Domain. For awhile it will turn up everywhere. Currently Robin Hood  in the Detroit Area, is on Channel seven's second station (7.2) RTV which is broadcast over the air. It is also available on the Internet at Hulu and You Tube. The boxed set containing all 145 episodes on eleven DVD's can be special ordered from Borders or Barnes Noble. Last week Borders was slightly cheaper at $22 including shipping and tax.

Naturally the charter is hidden in a candle stick holder

 If  a 1957 episode of Robin Hood (appropriately titled The Charter )is to be believed.Robin knew all about charters.It seems that one that had been lost, suddenly turned up,  and then disappeared again. Everybody wants it.  Price John wants to destroy it. The Sheriff of Nottingham wants the charter  to blackmail the Prince. Robin wants it because as an agreement  between a Government (in the 13th century a Sovereign) and it's citizens, The Charter may give the people more rights.

Real people in the 13th Century also knew about charters as well. History tells us so.The nobles of that time forced  King John to sign one called Magna Carta in 1215. It is viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy. Winston Chuirchill said of Magna Carta "here is a law which is above the King and which even he must not break. This reaffirmation of a supreme law and its expression in a general charter is the great work of Magna Carta; and this alone justifies the respect in which men have held it,"

So without further ado, I am happy to assist our "charter challenged"  friends with a direct link to The Adventures of Robin Hood The Charter which debuted in 1957. There are  three segments which appear on You Tube. The links also allow you allow you explore You Tube's website as well. Each Robin Hood segment is approximately ten  minutes long and  listed in order.You get 25 minutes of program and five minutes of promotions.


The Charter Part 1
The Charter Part 2

The Charter Part 3