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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, Uncut, SYNOPSIS: This 4 disc box set features the complete series of Arthur Of The Britons. With the roman withdrawal from Britain, the tribes have entered into a period of feudal warfare. Arthur is the war chieftain of a tribe of Celts who has his eye on the bigger picture - unification of the tribes in the face of the Saxon threat. Assisted by his adoptive father, Llud, and Saxon friend, Kai, he has his hands full keeping the peace with opposition from the various feuding factions as well as his duplicitous cousin, Mark of Cornwall. ...Arthur of the Britons - Complete Series - 4-DVD Set
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
74 of 76 people found the following review helpful
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.
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
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
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
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nostalgia and Reality
I was only a 9-year-old-taken-aback child the first time, and the only one so far, I saw the chapters on the Spanish TV. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Enric from Barcelona
This is not mythical magical Arthur, it is nitty gritty Dark Ages...
I never saw this as a kid and even with my vast interest in television I had not come across two out of the three leads. Read more
Published 4 months ago by R. Le Quin
fantastic
It is the best series, I`ve ever seen! It is so real, not the usual Arthur and the knights of the round table stuff! I loved every second of it!
Published 5 months ago by Wolfgang Grothe
Not sure about this one....
I have watched a number of Historical TV series from the 70s and 80s but have to confess to being distinctly disappointed with this one. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Medieval Lady
A Great Telling of a Historical Arthur
Arthur of the Britons is an attempt to portray Arthur as a real king within the context of the time in which he was supposed to have existed. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Stuart McCunn
1972 is a strange land
As a North American with little experience of the half-hour adventure show, I am just coming around to watching Arthur of the Britons. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Crowceilidh
Arthur
Brings back memories of beeing a teenager and just as I remember it. Story lines rather thin but the scenery and costumes are good. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Marple Fan
Medieval Melodrama
Arthur of the Britons is a series of enjoyable stories about a circa 500AD young tribal chief version of the legendary Arthur, told amidst some damp, green BBC forest, marsh, and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Stephen Crown
AOTB Fantastic Realism
I really enjoyed this series years ago so it was great to be able to watch the complete series on a 4 disc DVD set. I know I will view it again and again. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Genie Genie
School holiday reminiscences of not so long ago.
ARTHUR OF THE BRITONS:
Loved it as a kid on the few occasions it was shown on our channel in the East midlands: it wasn't always. Read more
Loved it as a kid on the few occasions it was shown on our channel in the East midlands: it wasn't always. Read more
Published 17 months ago by nostalgictatfromthepast
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