Robin Hood Review: Sean Bean Delivers the Year’s Most Gloriously Bad but Wildly Fun TV Adventure

Robin Hood Review: This year, we’ve been treated to all manner of television, some ambitious, some forgettable, some flat-out bad. But rarely does a show arrive that so proudly and flamboyantly embraces its own crummy pedigree and still manages to be weirdly entertaining.

That’s exactly what the new Robin Hood does. Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham, faerie antics, Saxons vs Normans, and yes: not a single wig in sight. If you go in expecting high art, you’ll be disappointed. But if you lean in with the right attitude, this could end up as your most gloriously bad TV indulgence of the year.

Robin Hood review – Sean Bean gifts us the most gloriously bad TV offering of the year-Overview 

Article on	Robin Hood review – Sean Bean gifts us the most gloriously bad TV offering of the year
Title	Robin Hood (2025 TV Series)
Lead Actor	Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham
Genre	Fantasy / Adventure / Campy Drama
Tone	Gloriously bad but wildly entertaining
Where to Watch	BBC One & BBC iPlayer (UK)

A familiar legend, remixed with gusto

Robin Hood is a story we’ve heard countless times: oppressed Saxons, greedy Normans, archery in the forest, the outlaw rising. This version loads it all up and then pours on extra sugar, spice and medieval nonsense.

We begin with an opening caption that sets the scene with blunt clarity: “Many years have passed since the Norman Conquest. England is ruled by Henry II…” and so on. The tone is less subtle reinterpretation, more joyful pulp-history pantomime. 

Sean Bean & the joy of going big

One of the greatest pleasures of this show is Sean Bean’s full-on embrace of the absurd. The veteran actor isn’t phoning it in, he is leaning into an over-the-top version of the Sheriff, and that gives every scene a delicious sort of “so bad it’s good” energy.

The review calls this “this year’s most glorious offering” precisely because of that unapologetic go-for-it attitude. Bean’s involvement also gives the production a kind of anchor, even if only to show “look, even serious actors can sign up to this silliness and still do it well”. That tension between the actor’s gravitas and the material’s farce is part of the fun.

All the boxes ticked (and some delightfully bent)

Let’s talk about the checklist this show merrily ticks off:

• Norman laws oppressing Saxons.
• A young Rob being told “you have talent” while learning archery.
• A plot about land theft, betrayal, courtly ambition.
• Faeries with large… ambitions.
• The noble mother on her deathbed invoking a “Spirit of the Greenwood”.

When “terrible” becomes fun

By any objective measure, Robin Hood is terrible. The writing is over-the-top, the plot moves at a sluggish pace (despite the chaos), the characters are broad strokes, the special effects often less than thrilling. The review says it directly: “Look, by any objective measure Robin Hood is terrible.”

But here’s the flip side if you go in with a certain mindset, it’s massively fun. The key is to relinquish expectation of high drama or deep insight, and instead lean into the camp, the spectacle, the “so-bad-it’s-delightful” vibe. The review author says: “Subjectively? I couldn’t be having more fun and I suspect it will be the same for anyone who goes into it with the right attitude.”

For whom is this show? And when to watch it

If you like deep character work, procedural tension, gritty realism or nuance in myth retelling, then this is definitely not your show. But if you:

• enjoy medieval adventure with no apologies,
• don’t mind your hero being called “Rob” instead of “Robin”,
• relish seeing odd fantasy elements (faeries! spirits! court seduction!),
• and are up for something unashamedly ridiculous then you’ll probably have a blast.

Final Thoughts 

So: yes, this is a ridiculous show. Yes, it falls flat in many of the technical and narrative arenas. But yes, you should still watch it, if you approach it like a novelty ride rather than a masterpiece. There’s value in television that knows its own absurdity and leans into it with gusto.

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