Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Powerful Memory, 24 April 2008
For many of us of a certain age, the release of AOTB on DVD has brought some powerful but half forgotten childhood memories to the surface. It really did surprise me how well I remembered some of the episodes, despite having watched them only once three decades ago. That is in itself a great tribute to the story telling. What I did not remember so well - because I was too young to appreciate it fully at the time - was how subtle and literate much of the writing was. The Seventies really was the Golden Age of British Television writing. There is nothing of the same quality here today - especially in "children's television", which was how AOTB was categorised. It was in fact a very grown up version of history, avoiding on the one hand the fairy tale fantasy of Arthurian Romance, and, on the other, the equally unrealistic ultra-grunge that undermines some recent versions. This Arthur is indeed a hero, but his heroism lies in the fact that, when he decides to do the right thing, there is a real possibility that he might have done the opposite: if he spares someone, it means something precisely because the initial instinct of everyone involved was to kill that person. This Dark Ages mindset is wholly credible. Equally credible is the look of the thing. Oliver Tobias, Michael Gothard, Jack Watson, and, of course - compulsory in any Seventies television series - Brian Blessed all look like hardened warriors who could have persuaded other men to follow them. A very strong guest cast includes Tom Baker, the lovely Catherine Schell, Alfie Bass, a superb Clive Revill, Dave Proswe, a young Sally "Tiswas" James, Gila von Weitersahausen, Bernard Bresslaw, and the future Sir Michael Gambon - the last two of whom seem to be sharing the same blond wig! There are flaws - budgetary constraints are obvious, not least when Arthur raises an army that totals nine horsemen, but despite, or perhaps because of them, one soon finds oneself so deep in Arthur's world that one cannot help thinking, "This is how it could have been". Everyone involved should be proud of themselves and it would be great if a younger generation could be introduced to this superb example of British television at its best.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Big Thanks to Network........AOTB, 18 Mar 2008
Does the name Arthur....; Conjure up images of Knights in shining Armour; Damsels in distress; Of a place where good rules over evil; Of a castle on a hill; round table perhaps; Or maybe an old wizard called 'Merlin'.
Well this could be correct if you've just been watching Rod Taylor in the 'Knights of the Round Table' or Nigel Terry in 'Excalibur'. These are just some of the typical elements that you might find in a Hollywood epic!
In a small and grimy collection of mud huts, thatched with straw and straggling along a lake shoreline, we find the perfect setting for HTV's 'Arthur of the Britons'. It's not the sort of thing you'd find in a Hollywood set, but HTV has given this Arthur a bit of reality. HTV has brought to life the real Arthur and how the Celts would have lived after the evacuation of the Roman armies from our shores, which left the Britain defenseless against the Picts from the North, Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the continent, who saw this country as ripe pickings for food, farming and settling.
Arthur's role was simple but challenging, he had to unite all the Kingdoms and villages under one military command, so that the invaders could be repelled effectively. Each episode brings Arthur a new challenge and our hero, played by Oliver Tobias (24yrs), had to encourage and persuade other Celtic Chiefs that a mounted force had to be formed from all the tribes to be able to withstand and repel the barbarians. He did this in the first episode where he brought about his own death so that the neighbouring chiefs would come to Camelot (his village), to pay their respects, and in doing so he managed to bring them altogether under one roof to propose his strategy.
Famous actors such as Jack Watson, Michael Gothard and Brian Blessed featured throughout the series. Jack Watson plays Lud, Arthur's right hand man. He is a valuable asset to Arthur because of his knowledge and wisdom. Michael Gothard plays Kai, a Saxon by birth but raised as a Celt along with Arthur. Kai is a head strong warrior and constantly argues with Arthur. Brian Blessed plays Mark of Cornwall, what more can I say.
I have campaigned over the last 4 years to get this series put onto DVD and this is excellent, Thank You Network Videos.........
Phil TW
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I cannot believe it!!, 27 Feb 2008
I am in so much shock!!
I can vividly recall running home from school in the early 1970's in order to see this show; remember, no video/DVD/Sky+ in those days. If you missed, it, you missed it!
It was a great show for kids; lots of fight scenes and great characters, including Brian Blessed, and of course Oliver himself.
I know that many people have tried to get this show recreated onto DVD, including myself; no one quite knew who owned it. All I can say is this is great news.
Of course, it will be dated. But it's linked to my past and catapulted Oliver and others to bigger things [no, not The Stud]. The stars even did their own stunts, but to people of my generation it was fun and enjoyable to watch.
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