Who Shot The Sheriff?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robin Hood episode | |
|---|---|
| “Who Shot The Sheriff?” | |
 The Sheriff orders the Master-at-Arms to carry out more killings. |
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Writer(s) | Paul Cornell |
| Director | Richard Standeven |
| Production no. | 103 |
| Original airdate | October 21, 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Sheriff Got Your Tongue?" | "Parent Hood" |
"Who Shot The Sheriff?" is the third episode of the 2006 Robin Hood television series, made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One. It aired on Saturday October 21, 2006 at 7.15pm. The title is a reference to the song "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley, which is also alluded to in the episode's dialogue when the Sheriff tells an assassin that he has in fact only shot a deputy.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
When a mystery archer begins assassinating innocent people in and around Nottingham, Robin finds himself blamed as part of the Sheriff of Nottingham's propaganda war. However, with the Sheriff the real target of the mystery bowman's arrows, he and Robin are forced into an uneasy deal to catch the perpetrator.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Reviews
The Guardian newspaper's Saturday listings magazine supplement The Guide previewed "Who Shot The Sheriff?" on the day of transmission, with reviewer Jonathan Wright giving the episode a generally positive assessment, feeling that the more serious tone of the episode compared to the first two worked well. "If the change of pace initially jars, it ultimately works thanks to a well-constructed script from Paul Cornell."[1]
The Radio Times magazine's previewer David Butcher had mixed feelings on the episode. While accusing it of having a "subtle-as-a-thumbscrew subtext"[2] and accusing the central character of being "the first swashbuckler in history who never hurt a fly and shies away from a fight whenever he can."[2] However, he did comment on "some nicely charged encounters"[2] between Robin and the Sheriff, and his overall verdict was that "It's lacking in tension (there's a blindingly obvious twist) but not in enjoyment, as Keith Allen (the Sheriff) and William Beck (Roy) steal their respective scenes and show the rest of the cast what acting looks like."[2]
[edit] Ratings
"Who Shot The Sheriff?" gained an average audience of 6 million viewers according to the unofficial overnight ratings information.[3] This gave the episode a 27% share of the available television audience in its slot, placing it second in the ratings at the time behind The X-Factor on ITV1, which had an average of 7.2 million viewers and a 35% audience share.[3] This was the second week in a row in which Robin Hood had been beaten in the ratings by The X-Factor, and the second successive week in which the programme's viewing figure had fallen.
[edit] References
- ^ Wright, Jonathan. "Television: Saturday 21 - Pick of the Day" (The Guide supplement), The Guardian, 2006-10-21.
- ^ a b c d Butcher, David (2006-10-21–2006-10-27). "Today's Choices – Saturday 21 October". Radio Times 331 (4307): 66.
- ^ a b Deans, Jason (2006-10-23). X Factor on song in ratings war (Requires free registration). Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
[edit] External links
- "Who Shot The Sheriff?". episode guide. bbc.co.uk.
- Who Shot The Sheriff? at the Internet Movie Database
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