BBC axes Robin Hood

Fri Jul 03 11:00AM by TV Editor

Jonas Armstrong

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The BBC has axed Saturday night drama Robin Hood after ratings fell to just 1.7 million.

The show once attracted audiences of up to eight million viewers, however, ratings for the current series have been much lower and the final episode was shunted to BBC Two to make way for Wimbledon coverage.

The shocking last episode of series three saw Robin killed off, along with several of the other main characters, so it is perhaps no surprise that the series will not be returning.

Greg Brenman, head of drama at Tiger Aspect (who produced the show), said: "We have been immensely proud to be the most recent custodians of the Robin Hood legend. From the outset it was our ambition to find an exciting and modern way of interpreting our version of the hero and his legendary life. We are sad to be saying goodbye to this much-loved project."

The decision to axe Robin Hood comes just weeks after ITV axed its Saturday night family drama Primeval. Earlier this year it was revealed that ITV's Demons would also not be returning after just one series.

There had been a revival of Saturday night tea-time drama since the successful relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005, however, the axing of these three dramas would appear to signal a return to entertainment and reality shows, which are much cheaper to produce.

Were you a Robin Hood fan? Are you sad to see it axed? Let us know...

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User comments

  • (51)

    Beware another "what do we do with Graham Norton" vehicle! TV is slowing disappearing. However the BBC should not be about ratings chasing it should be about promoting the best of british like sport, nature and news programmes plus quality items like Spooks, 39 steps, Cranford, Jane Eyre etc.... Leave the ratings to ITV who have to tap the advertisers up

    Posted by: haribo_501 on Fri Jul 03 01:23PM | Report abuse
  • (52)

    I really enjoyed Robin Hood. We look forward to a saturday drama and I don't think we need anymore reality shows. Escapism is what people need at the moment.

    Posted by: jmhatno8 on Fri Jul 03 01:24PM | Report abuse
  • (53)

    Axe Eastenders instead. It must cost an ABSOLUTE FORTUNE to pay all those miserable actors and actresses in that dire, God-awful excuse-for-a-TV-show. It drags Britain down and it depressing and awful and I think is partly responsible for some of the woes Britain has had over the last 10 - 20 years.

    Posted by: trojan11 on Fri Jul 03 01:24PM | Report abuse
  • (54)

    I think they are wrong to stop showing drama shows on Saturdays as it is a relief from all the cheap drivel that does not activate any sort of imagination - something relevant to a person's development at any age! Even Casualty is predictable and stale now.

    Posted by: micles25 on Fri Jul 03 01:24PM | Report abuse
  • (55)

    Thank God it was the worst show on Earth

    Posted by: asamoahsamuel on Fri Jul 03 01:25PM | Report abuse
  • (56)

    Robin Hood was just another bow and arrow fiction but I used to watch it and primeval I thoroughly enjoyed but these reallity shows are so boring and I may be only watching them if I can't sleep.

    Posted by: barry.smith19 on Fri Jul 03 01:26PM | Report abuse
  • (57)

    very sad to see robin hood goe

    Posted by: reanish on Fri Jul 03 01:27PM | Report abuse
  • (58)

    Both Robin Hood and Primeval were excellent family friendly tea-time drama - so enjoyable and extremely disappointing that they are both being axed. This is what is popular with the licence paying audience, reminiscent of the Saturday tea time Dr Who or A-team which many of us remember as children. Surely we must encourage these to continue, otherwise we will end up with a Saturday night of purely reality TV and game shows. I sincerely hope that ITV will listen to their audience and reconsider in light of the comments.

    Posted by: nathaliesouter on Fri Jul 03 01:27PM | Report abuse
  • (59)

    o m g my daughter who is 11 is gonna be so upset.

    Posted by: ttjjhunter on Fri Jul 03 01:28PM | Report abuse
  • (60)

    Robin Hood was brilliant - very witty and excellent casting. I do however feel that it had run it's course and look forward to new adventure dramas. Looking forward to Torchwood next week - sick of reality TV shows

    Posted by: feebeeedwards on Fri Jul 03 01:28PM | Report abuse