The secrets of Sherwood
Each week we talk to an artist about their best-known work. This week, Jason Connery lifts the lid on muchloved 1980s TV series Robin of Sherwood.
Iwas so lucky. I came into that show as the new person after (the original Robin) Michael Praed left in 1985. It was a bit daunting because the rest of the cast had all done the first two years and the show had been successful. Now here was this new guy turning up and I felt a little bit intimidated. Then they started taking the piss out of me almost immediately and I thought ‘‘OK I can handle this, this will be fine’’. And you know, it was 30 years ago and I’ve got to say I’m still mates with so many of them. Ray (Winstone, who played Will Scarlet) is a great friend and so are Mark (Ryan,
Suddenly we were told we weren't doing another series, which was heartbreaking. Jason Connery on Robin of Sherwood's demise
Nasir) and Clive (Mantle, Little John) and Nick Grace (the Sheriff of Nottingham).
I thought all jobs would be like that because we had such a good time just running around the woods killing Normans and it was brilliant and my abiding memory was just one of fun. We used to have food fights and what’s been lovely every now and then they invite me to some convention and there’s a whole load of people there who remember the episodes much better than I do and they ask me questions about things I’ve forgotten mostly about.
Unfortunately we got into a situation after the end of the third series where Goldcrest, who were the main people behind the show, made a film called Revolution with Annie Lennox and Al Pacino and directed by Chariots of Fire’s Hugh Hudson, which went £20m over budget. Suddenly we were told we weren’t doing another series, which was heartbreaking because it was all set up to go. It was so depressing because we were all excited to come back. And then there were all these various news stories about us demanding all this money, which was all boll...s because we’d all signed our contracts for three years. It was a bit weird and sad really.
Fortunately we recently all reunited for a charity audio series for a writer who died. It went down really well and was great fun and now they want me to do a couple more.
We’re trying to write what would have happened if the series had carried on – Marion’s at the nunnery and I’ve gone to the drink. We’re putting together a couple of double episodes and we’ll see how it goes. – As told to James Croot