Steals from the Beeb, Gives to…?

So what happened to the stolen master tapes of the BBC’s new Robin Hood TV series, due to continue the revival of Saturday night drama (begun by the Doctor Who revival)?

Stolen in Hungary ten days ago, four reals of the master tapes were held to ransom for $1m. A jolly opportunity for the gossip rags to crack wise about outlaws perhaps, but not so much fun for the young cast, for whom this series could be their big break (including someone I’ve worked on shows with). The show, due to go out on October 6th, faced delayed transmission or perhaps even cancellation.

The production company, Tiger Aspect, offered a $40k reward.

Now it is reported that the cast and crew have been recalled to reshoot the missing scenes, at a cost to the insurers of $250k, larger than the $40k reward, but less than the £1m ransom. The series is due to hit our screens on time.

A friend who has seen the first episode describes the show as “very good” although she admited she didn’t like the 24-style split-screen. The greatest complaint I heard about Bleak House was the “bing bang bong” sound effect of the brief establishing shots; but that was what gave the show its pace (borrowed, I believe, from Law & Order). So it sounds to me like Robin Hood is shaping up to be entertaining viewing.

About Simon Wood

Lecturer in medical education, lapsed mathematician, Doctor Who fan and garden railway builder. See simonwood.info for more...

5 thoughts on “Steals from the Beeb, Gives to…?

Leave a Reply to SimonCancel reply