I think this is underrated and harshly judged. I enjoyed it first time viewing it and it has grown on me even more in repeated viewings. Yes it seems silly on face value but I find it so well done and find that the absurdities are portrayed very deliberately and knowingly to great effect making it an intelligent satire. It is a playful spoof on the Robin Hood legends and the film versions of Robin Hood but isn't a spoof of Doctor Who itself. I find it very funny and witty and I love Peter Capaldi brilliantly showing his comedic skills. Mark Gatiss did a good job writing it, in my opinion.
The plot, largely done for laughs, is one that would not be out of place at all in the classic series. It has similar ideas but is done in a much better way than stories like The Gunfighters and on is a par with The Myth Makers which similarly had a sardonically comedic escapade among mythical history. It also bears something in common with great stories like The Time Warrior and New Series stories like The Unicorn and the Wasp.
The humour is sly and sarcastic rather than just dumb silliness so the seemingly childish idea of meeting Robin Hood becomes an in joke but it also gives enough reasons to allow you to accept it is really happening within the world of Doctor Who. If it was just silly and made the Doctor Who world into a farce I wouldn't like it but it is made to work for me with the way the Doctor reacts etc.
There are some decent Robots and a sneering villain as well. The acting is all good, especially Capaldi's, the script is funny and the story is fun.
Really good entertainment. Therefore, whilst not a classic I rate this as a strong episode.
My Rating: 8.5/10.
My Series 8 Episode Ranking: 4th out of 12.
The plot, largely done for laughs, is one that would not be out of place at all in the classic series. It has similar ideas but is done in a much better way than stories like The Gunfighters and on is a par with The Myth Makers which similarly had a sardonically comedic escapade among mythical history. It also bears something in common with great stories like The Time Warrior and New Series stories like The Unicorn and the Wasp.
The humour is sly and sarcastic rather than just dumb silliness so the seemingly childish idea of meeting Robin Hood becomes an in joke but it also gives enough reasons to allow you to accept it is really happening within the world of Doctor Who. If it was just silly and made the Doctor Who world into a farce I wouldn't like it but it is made to work for me with the way the Doctor reacts etc.
There are some decent Robots and a sneering villain as well. The acting is all good, especially Capaldi's, the script is funny and the story is fun.
Really good entertainment. Therefore, whilst not a classic I rate this as a strong episode.
My Rating: 8.5/10.
My Series 8 Episode Ranking: 4th out of 12.