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Veteran actor Jeremy Bulloch passed away on Thursday.

The English actor, who is best known for the role of the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy reportedly died at a London hospital following from health complications after years of living with Parkinson’s disease. He was 75, reports Kcra.

The actor's death was confirmed by his agents at Brown, Simcocks & Andrews via his website, which said he spent his final days St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London.

"Jeremy died peacefully on 17th December 2020 following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson's disease. He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St George's Hospital in Tooting, close to the house where he and his wife Maureen had lived together for more than fifty years. Maureen and two of his sons, Jamie and Robbie, were with him during his final days," read the statement.

Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor who starred as bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, died on Thursday in London of complications from Parkinson’s disease, according to his representatives. He was 75.

“We are very sad to announce the death of actor Jeremy Bulloch, earlier today,” his agents at Brown, Simcocks & Andrews said on Thursday. “He died peacefully, in hospital, surrounded by his family, from health complications following his many years living with Parkinson’s disease. Jeremy was best known for the role of Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. He had a long and happy career spanning more than 45 years. He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and ten grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.”

According to Bulloch’s personal site, “He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St. George’s Hospital in Tooting, close to...

Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor best known for his performance as Mandalorian warrior and bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, died on Thursday.

The news was confirmed by a post on Bulloch’s Facebook page — which is private — and also by Daniel Logan, the younger actor who played the role in the prequel Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

In an all caps Instargam post, Logan thanked Bulloch for teaching him the ropes and continued, “I’ll love you forever.!! Conventions wont [sic] be the same without you may the force be with you always.

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Bulloch wore Boba Fett’s armor in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, though the character was voiced by Jason Wingreen. Interestingly, the character first made a small appearance in the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

Jeremy Bulloch, the actor best known for portraying intergalactic bounty hunter Boba Fett in the first “Star Wars” trilogy. According to Bulloch’s website and confirmed by his reps, the actor died following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson’s disease. He was 75.

Bulloch played Boba Fett in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back” and 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.”

Bulloch was born in Leicestershire in 1945, and started his acting career in 1958 with commercials before making the leap to film and Television. He got his first big break at 17 and starred in the classic “Summer Holiday” alongside Sir Cliff Richard.

Bulloch became a household name in his native England when he went on to star in a BBC soap opera “The Newcomers” which ran for three years. During the 1970s, Bulloch portrayed the character “Smithers” (Q’s assistant) in the “James Bond” movies.

In 1978, while starring in the television comedy series “Agony,...

Llinos Cathryn Thomas Aug 5, 2016

Thirty years since it ended, we revisit much-loved 80s historical fantasy series Robin Of Sherwood...

The Robin Hood legend has been retold in countless ways, but one of the most memorable of modern times is Richard Carpenter’s hugely influential 1980s imagining, telling the story of Sherwood’s band of outlaws with a combination of realism and luminous fantasy with its roots in British folklore.

Made by Htv in association with production company Goldcrest Films (which was also behind Chariots Of Fire and Gandhi), its 26 episodes ran on ITV from 1984 to 1986, garnering a positive critical reception and inspiring a fan following that’s still enthusiastically active today.

Much of the success of the show was down to the spot-on casting and the chemistry between the performers. Michael Praed’s charismatic-yet-otherworldly presence as Robin was the perfect match for the show’s aesthetic, and the more down-to-earth Little John,...

This story of teenage golf sensation ‘Young’ Tom Morris is a decent rather than dazzling film to open the Edinburgh film festival, kept on course Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden as father and son

Jason Connery – son of Sean – is still probably best known for his mid-1980s stint in the TV series Robin of Sherwood, but he’s been directing features for a few years now: mostly obscure sci-fi and thrillers, but this, his fifth, has got a modicum of wider interest to it. Tommy’s Honour is a conventional, old-fashioned, biopic of early golf champ “Young” Tom Morris, who remains the youngest ever winner of the British Open as a 17-year-old in 1868, and who succumbed to an appallingly early death just seven years later.

Morris is portrayed with enthusiasm and no little charm by Jack Lowden, who channels a sort of bristling young lion challenge towards his father,...

I’ve been a huge fan of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds ever since one of my junior school teachers decided to play it to us over four lessons way back in 1978, encouraging us to discuss it among the class and to create our own words and pictures as a result. I’d never heard anything quite like it, and frankly, there’s never really been anything quite like it since, in terms of a completely immersive musical experience that was groundbreaking at the time and still sounds as fresh and vital today as it did 38 years ago.

When Wayne finally achieved his dream of bringing his magnum opus to life on the stage in 2006, I was there at the inaugural performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall to witness him conducting a live band and orchestra along with a breathtaking visual show that featured video walls,...

Oh, "Doctor Who." Five stellar episodes in a row -- it's like last year's damp squib of a season never happened. "The Girl Who Lived" is the show doing historical episodes as they're meant to be done. It's like "Fires of Pompeii," "Robin of Sherwood" and classic Third Doctor adventure "The Time Warrior" all mixed into one -- literally -- electrifying episode. Read More: Review: 'Doctor Who' Season 9 Episode 4, 'Before the Flood,' Gets Meta and Heavy Metal Doctor Hell YesIt's two Doctors for the price of one this episode, as we get a flashback and he finally realises why he regenerated as a slightly older version of Marcus Aurelius from The Fires of Pompeii -- as a reminder that sometimes he can change fixed points in time. It's an underwhelming reason, but it's nice to get a quick glimpse of Catherine Tate's much-missed Donna. The nature...

ITV has hit a mighty milestone - first launched on September 22, 1955, the home of The X Factor, Downton Abbey and more is 60 years old today.

In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.

But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.

1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)

"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.

Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).

But worst of all?...

ITV has hit a mighty milestone - first launched on September 22, 1955, the home of The X Factor, Downton Abbey and more is 60 years old today.

In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.

But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.

1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)

"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.

Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).

But worst of all?...

A crowdfunding campaign to bring back Robin of Sherwood as an audio special will launch today (September 15).

The classic 1980s TV series will return in early 2016 as a one-off radio adventure titled The Knight of the Apocalypse, with the original cast also returning.

Fans of the show will receive exclusive goodies if they donate towards the production costs via Indiegogo.

Producer Simon Barnard said: "By contributing to our Indiegogo campaign, you'll have access to a little piece of Robin of Sherwood history: signed artwork and scripts, a limited edition box set, and specially made Knights of the Apocalypse merchandise.

"You'll also be able to come to the London premiere in 2016, and meet some of the cast! And best of all, you can do this safe in the knowledge that every penny we make in profit will go to Robin of Sherwood creator Richard Carpenter's favourite charities, the British Red...

Cult 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood is returning with a new episode - in the form of a radio play.

Written by Richard Carpenter, the show ran for three series between 1984 and 1986.

Now, in tribute to Carpenter - who died in 2012 - 'The Knights of the Apocalypse' will be recorded and aired in early 2016, with all proceeds going to charity.

Carpenter wrote the episode following the end of the TV series, and nothing was ever done with it until now.

The new instalment sees the return of original cast members including Ray Winstone, Jason Connery, Clive Mantle, Judi Trott and Nikolas Grace.

Connery, who played Robin, said of the new radio play: "My time in Sherwood was spent working with wonderful actors who became lifelong friends, and behind it all was Richard 'Kip' Carpenter's brilliant writing, whose scripts we brought to life. After many false dawns, I can finally...

Growing up a band nerd in school, I get pretty excited about music. So when a new Doctor Who soundtrack is released, I get fairly giddy. Murray Gold has always found a way to musically enhance any of The Doctor's stories, like John Williams did with the Star Wars films. However, as much as it pains me to say it, the soundtrack for Series 8 left me feeling underwhelmed. Perhaps even a little disappointed. Where Gold once had stand out themes for characters, brilliant action numbers and heart tugging emotional suites, here we get three disks of little that makes for repeated listening.

It's not that the music in and of itself isn't good. We do start the experience off with the newly revamped Main Theme, which sounds very similar to the version from the early eighties. From there we are given a pretty run of the mill musical landscape. Trilling violins,...

If you grew up in the 1980s, then no doubt you'll remember ITV's very own take on the Robin Hood legend. Robin Of Sherwood would face the formidable presence of the Sheriff of Nottingham on a weekly basis, and would do so while flicking his girly locks from side to side to the ethereal dulcet tones of Clannad.

Robin Of Sherwood went out between 1984 and 1986, which was to be one of Doctor Who's best forgotten periods of history. As the old saying goes, civilisations rise and civilisations fall, and in the mid 1980s, Doctor Who's cosy little world was in danger of crumbling. Some of the fans were turning up their noses at John Nathan Turner's stewardship, while the evil big shots at the BBC were rubbing their hands in glee at the 18-month hiatus. About 30 years later, the presence of Robin Hood again caused dissension in the ranks.

Director Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age Of Extinction opens in theaters this Friday, June 27th and it’s poised to have a mega-opening weekend.

Here’s what the early reviews are saying about the return of the colossal titans:

Variety -

“As the sine qua non of the franchise, it’s the robots — endowed here with character-rich physicality and almost human-scaled facial features — who give the film its emotional heft. Optimus Prime’s charismatic leadership of his team, as well as his unwavering compassion for the humans, again makes him the movie’s moral anchor. Drift, with his samurai getup and Watanabe’s dignified line readings, strikes a neat balance with Goodman’s cigar-chewing, wisecracking Hound. Still, the character most likely to be beloved by audiences, especially tykes, remains Bumblebee.”

HitFix -

“The giant scale action in this one is amazingly staged once again. There are few filmmakers alive who...

Director Michael Bay has tapped John Goodman and Ken Watanabe to voice two all new Autobots in his highly anticipated film Transformers: Age Of Extinction, the fourth film in the global blockbuster franchise from Paramount Pictures.

Goodman and Watanabe will join legendary voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

Goodman will play Autobot Hound, Watanabe will play Drift, while Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime, and Welker takes on another new character, Galvatron.

“I am pleased to welcome two gifted and versatile actors, John Goodman and Ken Watanabe, to the world of Transformers,” said Bay. “And to reteam with Peter and Frank, who have brought Transformers characters alive from the beginning. I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best voice talent in the business, and together we will introduce several exciting new robots to fans of the franchise around the world.”

Rounding out...

Feature Alex Westthorp 19 Feb 2014 - 07:00

Nostalgia ahoy! With Sherlock Holmes more popular than ever, Alex looks back at eighties children's drama, The Baker Street Boys...

The BBC's contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories has made Sherlock the most popular television drama series in many years. Benedict Cumberbatch has made Sherlock his own, his approach to the role as radical for the current era as the late, great Jeremy Brett's was a generation ago. Martin Freeman has banished our memories of his role as Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, with his wonderful re-assessment of Dr John Watson. The corporation is making the most of the Conan Doyle franchise. After from two rather lacklustre yuletide cases, firstly with Richard Roxburgh in 2002 then Rupert Everett in 2004; they finally have a hit on their hands. The benchmark hitherto has always been Granada Television...

Actor who was both heart-throb and hardman as Bodie in The Professionals

In a 1980 episode of the hit British cop show The Professionals, an ill-advised villain tries to threaten the ex-mercenary William Bodie with his snarling doberman pinscher. After a brief altercation, Bodie, all sang-froid and minimally curled lip, inquires: "Would your little dog like to chew this electric fire? Or maybe you'll just leave."

This kind of butch badinage, along with rugged good looks, helped make Lewis Collins, who played Bodie in all 57 of the show's episodes from 1977 and 1983, and who has died aged 67 after suffering from cancer, into a household name. During that time he formed one half of Britain's answer to Starsky and Hutch, a crime-fighting duo called Bodie and Doyle who worked for a shadowy criminal intelligence agency, CI5, headed by Gordon Jackson's strait-laced George Cowley. At its height, The Professionals was watched by 12 million viewers a week,...

Complaining about being taxed too heavily for being a highly paid film star does scant justice to actor's work

It verges on comical, Ray Winstone's complaint about high tax. Wasn't he paying any attention when he was starring in Robin of Sherwood? More seriously, Winstone has also acted in films such as Nil by Mouth and Scum – brilliant examples of British social-realist cinema. He nevertheless has so little insight into the current state of this country that he reckons this is a good time to complain about being "raped" by high taxes. Not that there's ever a good time to suggest that you've been raped by anyone or anything apart from, let's see … Yes, a Rapist. Like in, say, Scum. Watch one or two of those movies you've been in, loving your work while you are being well rewarded for it, Ray, and learn something from them. The rest of us watch them,...

Primeval stars Andrew Lee Potts and Hannah Spearritt will be joining Star Wars actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played bounty hunter Boba Fett, at the Midlands Comic Con in Telford on Saturday, February 16.

Andrew and Hannah will meet fans, host an on-stage panel - and handle any prehistoric peril that arises while they are there.

Playing palaeontology student Connor Temple, Andrew Lee Potts starred in five seasons of hit British sci-fi show Primeval and made a guest appearance in its North American spin-off, Primeval: New World (currently airing on the UK's Watch channel).

In addition to Primeval, Andrew played the Hatter in popular SyFy mini-series Alice; other credits include Band of Brothers, Absolute Power and Doc Martin.

Following musical fame as one of the original members of S Club 7 - a career that saw her garner four UK No1 singles, one UK No1 album and a string of hits worldwide...

David Hasselhoff is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of cult TV series Knight Rider with a visit to Memorabilia Birmingham, which will be his first appearance at an autograph-signing event.

Billed as the UK's biggest collectors' show, the convention takes place at the NEC on Saturday, November 24, and Sunday, November 25.

The Hoff, also known for his role in Baywatch and as a judge on Britain's Got Talent, will be meeting fans on both days.

Other guests include:

• Warwick Davis - Show favourite and star of Life's Too Short, Warwick's movie credits include Willow; Star Wars; Harry Potter and Leprechaun.

• Michael Biehn - Starred in James Cameron sci-fi movies The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt Coffey.

• Eddie McClintock - Star of Warehouse 13, where he plays co-protagonist Pete Lattimer. Other credits include Bones and Desperate Housewives.

• Britt Ekland - Best known for...

Actor Ray Winstone has opened up about his mother's death for the first time, recalling how he bottled up his grief for a year before breaking down in tears during a car journey.

The Departed star lost his mum to cancer in the 1980s but has always avoided discussing the tragedy at length in interviews.

Now he's revealed the devastating loss still haunts him to this day and has left a "hole" in his life.

Winstone tells Britain's Daily Mail Weekend magazine, "She was ill for two years. It's a very cruel disease. They have remissions and you think they're getting better... I was filming (TV series) Robin of Sherwood when she went into a coma. I knew without anyone telling me. I said, 'I've got to go home.'

"She woke up and I spent all day with her talking about all the things I didn't know. It's funny how things like that work. I'm glad for that day - just that one day. I don't know what it would have been like without that. She died the next day. I was the first one in the hospital. I was driving there when she died so I didn't know until I got there. I sat down with her.

"I felt for a long while that I'd lost something that day, emotionally. I never cried until a year later when I was driving and just had to pull over. I went bang. That was done then, but I'd had that inside me for a year.

"There was an anger. You feel it's unfair and start blaming everyone. I felt for a long while that I had something missing. I obviously had my mum missing, but I mean something missing in me. A hole."

Asked if the hole is still there, the actor replies, "Sometimes."...

Poirot

Kieran Kinsella

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Earlier this year, Maryland based Acorn Media acquired a 64% stake in Agatha Christie Limited which means the firm now has majority ownership of the much loved author’s extensive body of work. To celebrate this milestone, Acorn Media have decided to give one lucky BestBritishTV.com reader the chance to win four series of ITV’s Poirot on either Blu-ray or DVD – it is your choice. Combined, these box sets contain more than 32 hours of high quality drama featuring the multi-talented David Suchet as Christie’s cunning Belgian sleuth. These box sets have a combined retail value of $160! Full details of the giveaway are at the bottom of the page.

Poirot Series 1 Acorn Media

The series one box set contains 10 mysteries in which David Suchet is joined by guest stars that...

Actor and children's television writer known for Catweazle, Robin of Sherwood and The Borrowers

Richard Carpenter, who has died of a blood clot aged 82, brought intelligent, imaginative entertainment to generations of young television viewers through the fantasy series he created. After almost two decades as an actor, he found his first success as a writer with Catweazle (1970-71), starring Geoffrey Bayldon as a dishevelled, eccentric, 11th-century magician transported to the 20th century. Comic misunderstandings were mixed with slapstick as Catweazle befriended a farmer's son, Carrot (played by Robin Davies), who unravelled for him modern-day mysteries such as "electrickery" and the "telling-bone".

In the second series, Carpenter had Catweazle searching for symbols of the 13 signs of the Magic Zodiac and being taken in by another boy, Cedric (Gary Warren), at his parents' country estate. "I've always been interested in the person who is outside society," said Carpenter in a 1990 interview with the magazine Time Screen.

British screenwriter Richard Carpenter has died at the age of 78.

Carpenter, best known as the creator of kids' TV series Catweazle, passed away after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.

He worked as an actor in the 1960s, before going on to write all 26 episodes of 1970s cult show Catweazle, for which he scooped a Writers Guild award for Best Children's TV Drama Script.

Carpenter went on to write the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, which starred Michael Praed and then Sir Sean Connery's son Jason in the title role.

His credits also include work on The Adventures of Black Beauty, The Famous Five, The Ghosts of Motley Hall, and a TV adaptation of The Borrowers.

Carpenter was honoured with a Children's Bafta award in 2000.

The definitive retelling of the Robin Hood legend concludes in stunning high definition with the February 14th release of Robin of Sherwood, Set 2 on Blu-ray from Acorn Media. With breakthrough roles for Jason Connery and Ray Winstone (Indiana Jones 4, The Departed, Sexy Beast), Robin of Sherwood, Set 2 debuts on Blu-ray featuring 13 episodes and more than nine hours of special features - including nine episode commentaries, 76 minute making of documentary, outtakes, and more. Robin of Sherwood also launched the TV writing career of Anthony Horowitz (Foyle.s War, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, and the newest Sherlock Holmes novel), who wrote five of the episodes and participates in one of the commentaries. The series was created and...

Well it’s the start of another week, so you know what that means – yet more DVD and Blu-ray releases hit the high street, ready and waiting to swallow up all your hard-earned cash! Not as many Halloween-themed releases this week but no matter, here’s the rundown of what’s available to buy from today, October 31st 2011.

Pick Of The Week

Maniac Cop (Blu-ray)

Notorious video nasty creator William Lustig (Vigilante; Maniac) and B-Movie legend Larry Cohen(Q The Winged Serpent; It’s Alive) combine their directorial and writing talents, respectively, for a unique high-speed collision of the slasher movie and police thriller in Maniac Cop. When reports come in of a man in a police uniform committing gore drenched bloody murder on the city streets, officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) stands accused. Now, with few friends, powerful enemies and a psychopathic slayer still at large, it’s up...

Back in August, I wrote about the mini episode of Doctor Who that was written by a team of schoolkids, winners of a scriptwriting contest. Their episode debuted during the series finale of Doctor Who Confidential on Saturday night, just after “The Wedding of River Song.” And here it is: I must say, I do think the kids have captured the humor of the show: Albert Einstein tried to steal the Tardis? Of course he did! And the technobabble: “Bionic fusion liquid”? And the Doctor: love him taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm when dealing with Albert: And the confusion: Was Albert Einstein always an Ood, or did the bionic fusion liquid turn him into an Ood? If death is the only answer, what is the question? And the structure: Ends on a cliffhanger! (Fyi, that’s Nikolas Grace, aka the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1980s Robin of Sherwood,...

DVD Playhouse June 2011

By

Allen Gardner

Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion) Robert Aldrich’s 1955 reinvention of the film noir detective story is one of cinema’s great genre mash-ups: part hardboiled noir; part cold war paranoid thriller; and part science- fiction. Ralph Meeker plays Mickey Spillane’s fascist detective Mike Hammer as a narcissistic simian thug, a sadist who would rather smash a suspect’s fingers than make love to the bevvy of beautiful dames that cross his path. In fact, the only time you see a smile cross Meeker’s sneering mug is when he’s doling out pain, with a vengeance. When a terrified young woman (Cloris Leachman, film debut) literally crossed Hammer’s path one night, and later turns up dead, he vows to get to the bottom of her brutal demise. One of the most influential films ever made, and perhaps the most-cited film by the architects...

In spite of multiple productions of Robin Hood in both movies and television, this 1980.s BBC series remains the all time favorite of many. Acorn Media has released Set 1 in Blu-ray format with a variety of extras that should please everyone. If you are new to the series this is a wonderful introduction, and if it is an old favorite you will want to own this beautifully produced set. Robin of Sherwood: Set 1 stars Michael Praed as the young hero Robin of Loxley, with Judi Trott as Marian, Clive Mantle as Little John, Ray Winstone as Will Scarlet, Peter Llewellyn Williams as Much, Phil Rose as Friar Tuck, Mark Ryan as Nasir, and John Abiner as...

The creators of The Matrix trilogy are keeping their longstanding partnership with Warner Bros. as they embark on a new movie project called Hood. As you might have surmised from its title, the movie is a modern day retelling of the Robin Hood story. And if you would like to know anything more about how Hood is different from Robin of Sherwood Forest, you can't right now. As is befitting any project that the Wachowskis are involved with, the rest of the details are classified ultra-secret.

The Wachowskis have written the Hood script, but how it fits into their schedule is also a mystery. Let's not forget that Lana and Andy have been putting together another ultra-secret movie called Cobalt Neural 9. The details that have leaked about that movie are fascinating: it's reportedly set 100 years in the future as a documentary team looks back at the U.S.-Iraq war of the early 21st century.

You don't need to be British to know what makes for silly Saturday evening TV on that nation's major networks. If you are familiar with Doctor Who and Primeval, you'll have a pretty good idea. Both of those shows are admirable for their high production values and a winning combination of imagination, energy, comedy and drama. Yet, they make a virtue out of daft characters and stretching credibility to its limits. Those same qualities can also be found in the BBC's Robin Hood. The series ran for three seasons in the time slot reserved for Doctor Who. Although it isn't sci-fi, it has no shortage of fantasy, at least of the strained credibility kind.  This is family entertainment for British Saturday evening tea-times. It's straight out of the best tradition of British comics: adventurous nonsense and all the more fun for it.

The emphasis in this version of Robin Hood is on youthful exuberance.

Russell Crowe's turn as the tunic-wearing tyke was considered by some a bore. But was it accurate? Alex von Tunzelmann investigates the old tale of great production let down by the script

The yew of the longbow creaks as I draw the string back. Side on, I gaze along the line of the arrow. The yellow bullseye comes into focus. All around the archery range, set up at the Tower of London, a hush falls among spectators leaning over the railings. I take a deep breath, and release the fingers on my right hand. The arrow sproings off sideways, wobbles about ten feet, and plummets pathetically into the mud.

This archery business is trickier than actors make it look. Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett appear to be experts in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, released on DVD this week. It's not a great movie. Following in the footsteps of...

Ray Winstone plays troubled hardmen with such conviction, it's easy to believe he's not acting. He talks about his violent past, happy-go-lucky nature and love of westerns

According to an old Fleet Street adage, it is a bad idea to interview your heroes. As I don't have very many, however, the situation seldom arises. But the warning began to make sense while I was getting ready to meet Ray Winstone, for it's hard not to be at least a bit in love with him. So if he turned out to be a twit, I worried, it would be disproportionately upsetting.

Winstone is the East End's answer to George Clooney – the opposite of a luvvie, unaffected and occasionally ungovernable, the kind of man with whom men want to get drunk, and women want to sleep. Haunting performances as a wife-beater in Nil by Mouth, and a retired robber in Sexy Beast,...

'I never liked the green tights,' filmmaker says of his take on Robin, starring Russell Crowe.

By Larry Carroll, with additional reporting by Todd Gilchrist

Russell Crowe in "Robin Hood"

Photo: Universal Pictures

In the history of cinema, it's hard to find a character who has been re-envisioned more times than Robin Hood. A completely unofficial tally on IMDb yields more than 22 takes on the character, and on May 14, the team of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe are unveiling one more.

The first questions are obvious ones: Why Robin of Locksley again? And why now?

"God bless all the preceding Robin Hoods," the "Blade Runner" and "Alien" filmmaker told MTV News. "It's hard making a good movie, but I wanted to etch my legend in history — and I personally believe that the legend existed."

Much like so many fabled historical figures, oral tradition has become cinematic tradition, which has...

Two alumni of the classic series of Doctor Who have recently died.

Hubert Rees had three roles in the series working with two different Doctors.

He first appeared in the 1968 story Fury from the Deep, working alongside Patrick Troughton. He played the Chief Engineer, the head of engineering at a Euro Sea Gas refinery who assisted the Doctor in his efforts to defeat the Weed Creature. Rees returned to the series the following year in Troughton's swan song, The War Games, in which he played Captain Ransom, an officer in the British Army. His final appearance was in the 1976 Tom Baker story The Seeds of Doom, playing John Stevenson, a botanist at a scientific expedition in Antarctic.

Outside of Doctor Who he had roles in many well-known dramas, including Paul Temple, The Sweeney, The Duchess of Duke Street, By the Sword Divided and Howards' Way.

Max Faulkner, born in 1931, was...

The trailer for Ridley Scott's retelling of the legend has Russell Crowe brandishing a bow instead of a sword and scowling in Sherwood Forest rather than the Roman Colosseum. But they don't fool Anna Pickard

When a star and a director have enjoyed serious – nay, epic – success together in the past, I can't help but wonder whether sometimes, they meet up for a coffee and try to suss out if the other would be up for joining forces again.

So imagine Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott sitting in a coffee shop, nervously giggling and fluttering their eyelashes and playing with their hair while reminiscing over shared memories of just how tough Crowe looked in American Gangster (and sharing pained silences, wordless admissions of shame over A Good Year). Until, stumbling over another clumsy mention of how much he misses polishing his broadsword, one finally builds the nerve to say something.