Robin Hood with Richard Armitage is now on WETAUK - For Viewers in the Washington DC Area

If you are a new Richard Armitage fan and just discovered him in The Hobbit, and if you live in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area,  and have yet to see him as Guy of Gisborne on BBC's Robin Hood series, here is your chance.  

WETA UK just started to show the series on Sundays at 9:00pm, but it repeats again throughout the week at different times. Check below for the schedule:

http://www.weta.org/tv/program/robin-hood

Good for old (longer time fans) too.  I've been watching it on Saturday's at 11:00pm.  Yes, I do have all the DVD's, but there's still something about watching when I know others are that makes it different somehow.

I think I'm safe in saying that Guy remains one of the favorite Armitage character for many fans, and many discovered our Lovely Lad from Leicester in this role. 

So what is my Armitage Guy of Gisborne story you all are (NOT) asking yourselves? 

I had already discovered Richard in North & South in 2005, but I wasn't really active in the RA fandom. At the time I was fairly involved in the Sean Bean fandom and with work and personal responsibilities had little time to take on anything else.  But luckily for me, there were a few Bean fans, mainly in the UK, who had also begun to follow Richard and so I got my Armitage "Army" news second hand from them. They would post things on Facebook or even on the Bean forums sometimes.  

So I remember one of my fellow Bean fans posting about this new Robin Hood series with Richard as Guy.  Now I was fairly familiar with the Robin Hood legend, and a fan of Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and of the Michael Praed series (though I never liked Jason Connery as Robin - forgive me Jason). To me Gisbourne or Gisburne or Gisborne (all sorts of spellings) was an evil and despicable bad guy with no redeeming traits who was the enemy of our wonderful hero, handsome, brave, and charming Robin Hood.

I've never been so wrong in all my life! 

I clearly remember watching a preview of this new Robin Hood series on BBCAmerica and just for a second, there he was, Richard, in head to toe black leather. I recognized him immediately, by now I had also seen him in The Impressionists. I think we saw it in the US about a year after the UK, as that's the usual pattern with BBCA and PBS. I just knew this was going to be my "must watch" series that year...and a few years after too.

I'm curious that most of the promotion about this series from US networks, Cable or PBS, have sold it as the traditional story of the legendary Robin Hood.  This series to me takes the Robin Hood legend and satirizes it in a way.  If you read even a little about the series, it was meant for young audiences, but there's lots of contemporary references aimed at making adults laugh.  I think they're selling the series in the wrong way for US audiences, or any audience.

One thing the US PR for the series ignores is that the character of Robin is really not the most interesting character in the series. The most interesting character in the series, and the one that was really the star of the show, was Guy of Gisborne, played by Richard Armitage.  

and gorgeous, did I mention devastatingly gorgeous

*****

I'm also grateful to BBCA and the Robin Hood series for all the behind the scenes mini-interviews and still one of my favorite Armitage interviews of all time.  It was really that BBCA interview that started me thinking... 

Who is this adorable, intelligent, complicated, funny, sweet man? 

(Photos and screencaps for RichardArmitageNet.com)

Weekend Bliss: North & South Groupwatch and WETA UK June 1-3

loschicosdelaprincesajazmin.blogspot.com

For many of us UK Television fans around the world, this blissful weekend will start tomorrow and continue through Sunday with the North and South Groupwatch on Twitter and Facebook. 


For all the details, time zones, Twitter training, and more, go to Armitage Watch at the link below. I'm planning on participating and adding to the Twitter chatter.

http://www.armitagewatch.blogspot.com/

For my fellow Anglophiles in the Washington DC Metro Area more good news awaits this weekend. Starting this Saturday PBS/WETA will launch WETA UK with twenty-four hours of pilots and previews of all the programs that will be on the regular lineup starting on Monday.  


In between watching North and South, doing laundry, and paying bills this weekend, I plan to tune in to my favorite programs on WETA UK.

Of course, I have to highlight one program starring the man who is at the top of this post as John Thornton. Richard Armitage also stars as Guy of Gisborne in BBC's Robin Hood on WETA UK this weekend. Below is a clip of an interview with Armitage talking Gisborne:

For all the news on the WETA UK lineup this weekend, go to Telly Visions at the link below:

 http://blogs.weta.org/tellyvisions/2012/05/31/weta-uk-almost-here-get-details-our-special-premiere-weekend-schedule-now

Here's the preview of Robin Hood that WETA has been showing on their Programmer's Choice site:

How can I not mention also that this weekend is the start of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne. For all the news click on the official website link below:

http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/

US Public Television Station Launches All UK Channel: WETA UK

Washington DC Metropolitan Area Public Television WETA launches an All British programming TV station, WETA UK on June 2.  This is very exciting news for DC Area Anglophiles. 


What is even more exciting for this Anglophile is that in the preview videos, you can see one by clicking HERE  and the other  below. 






I caught glimpses of the Sharpe series starring Sean Bean, and MI5 (Spooks) and Robin Hood starring Richard Armitage.

In their press release and website WETA says it will be different from BBC America (BBCA) because it is not affiliated with just one UK Television provider but will show programming from all UK television networks. I also hope that WETA UK will show programming that BBCA has neglected because of their need to show growing ratings and attract the 18-35 year-old demographic in order to charge and attract advertisers. WETA is supported by audience donations, foundations, US Government funding, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) and not dependent on advertising dollars. I hope donations do come in to make it possible for WETA UK to purchase rights to new and exciting UK programming. 

MI5 (Spooks)

Right now looking at the  lineup for this 24- hour seven day a week channel the program lineup is made up of what PBS calls "classic" programming that we've all seen for years and years. Though I love my classic UK TV (see Sharpe, MI5, and Robin Hood note above), I really hope this new channel becomes what many of us hoped BBCA would be. 


I do wonder if this idea of an all UK TV channel will catch on with PBS (US Public TV) networks across the United States, or at least in major TV markets. Many of us pay a premium to our Cable TV stations or other providers so that we can watch BBCA, but the PBS stations are "free".    


Oh, and by the way WETA UK, how about showing North & South with Richard Armitage on the new channel! Richard Armitage will soon be starring in The Hobbit and featuring this great series may mean a new and growing audience for WETA. You may start another innovative trend across the PBS universe by doing so. 


I'll be watching WETA UK starting on June 2 and will report back from time to time on what I think about the new channel and on any exciting UK shows we may have the good fortune to see in the DC Area.  Thank you WETA and Happy 50th Birthday!


To read more about it, click HERE.