I really loved the earlier episodes, done by Shamus Culhane. They were stories, the animation was pretty good, and they made "sense" in that the story resolved itself by the end of the episode. Later when Ralph Bakshi took over, he did the same hack job he did on Spiderman, Cheap acid inspired ink stain on paper backdrops, and missing cells on scenes that often left a character without a mouth, and stories didn't always get resolved or make sense. Also voices changed between characters during a scene. That having been said, some of his stories were good, like the "Minutae", "Space Ghosts" and Dimentia 5". I loved Dr. Nocturn, he was just creepy. The episode that has him encased in liquid mercury was actually a kinda scary. The show had the best score and music since Spiderman and was truly unique among the Saturday morning cartoons.
15 Reviews
Hark now and again to the ballad of Rocket Robin Hood
k_t_t20015 December 2009
There is simply no explaining the appeal of Rocket Robin Hood. Many of the stories were silly tipping over into ridiculous, the animation was cut rate at best, the whole premise was largely preposterous, and yet it is one of those programs that indelibly imprints itself on the young mind, a fond memory of television cartoons of days long past.
The series was high concept to say the least: in the year 3000, a descendant of the original Robin Hood reforms the Merry Men, complete with namesakes of the originals, to combat a new Prince John, despotic ruler of the National Outer space Terrestrial Territories, and his evil, but cowardly lackey, the Sheriff of N.O.T.T.. While the bow and arrow was still Robin's weapon of choice, most everything else was updated. He now had rayguns, electro-quarter staves and rocket ships at his disposal, not to mention abandoning a dark old forest hideout for bright and cheery New Sherwood Asteroid as a headquarters.
The first year of the program was nothing special. The series at this point was definitely aimed at younger children and featured such juvenile shtick as leprechauns, friendly dinosaurs and space cowboys, not to mention having a senile Merlin the Magician, travelling salesmen and annoying relatives popping by New Sherwood for visits. It was, to say the least, an undistinguished beginning.
All that changed with years two and three. Prince John and the Sheriff were all but jettisoned from the program and the stories became darker; the villains more diabolical; the adventures more fantastic. Here begin the stories that would be remembered, the frightening, thrilling moments that decades later are still unforgotten.
Indeed, who could ever forget the giant mutant brain created by the hideous Dr. Medulla? Who could not recall the Dracula like Dr. Mortula and his plans to forever blot out the sun above his world or fail to remember the shadowy Dr. Nocturne, with his living shadows, extinguishing entire stars to plunge the entire galaxy into darkness? Then there was the most unforgettable of all, the adventure that grown adults still remember their younger selves being chilled by, the battle with the demonic Infinata, ruler of the nightmare realm called Dementia 5.
It is too easy to see the many flaws of Rocket Robin Hood. The silly early episodes, the poor man's animation and the blatant splicing together of whole sequences from earlier episodes to make "new" stories in the final days of the series: these failings are obvious and indisputable to any adult eye. But then, Rocket Robin Hood was never meant as entertainment for adults.
There is something magical about a program that can leave memories so vivid in the mind after so many years. There was something special about the villains, the images and the concepts that were able to overcome the almost laughable poverty row production values and create an indelible impression in the minds of young viewers. There is something intangible, indefinable and inescapable about the show that still pulls those who saw it as children, now older and wiser, back to watch it again with more discerning eyes that see all the many flaws and yet remember only the magic.
"Come gather around me. Space travellers surround me. Hark now to the ballad of Rocket Robin Hood."
The series was high concept to say the least: in the year 3000, a descendant of the original Robin Hood reforms the Merry Men, complete with namesakes of the originals, to combat a new Prince John, despotic ruler of the National Outer space Terrestrial Territories, and his evil, but cowardly lackey, the Sheriff of N.O.T.T.. While the bow and arrow was still Robin's weapon of choice, most everything else was updated. He now had rayguns, electro-quarter staves and rocket ships at his disposal, not to mention abandoning a dark old forest hideout for bright and cheery New Sherwood Asteroid as a headquarters.
The first year of the program was nothing special. The series at this point was definitely aimed at younger children and featured such juvenile shtick as leprechauns, friendly dinosaurs and space cowboys, not to mention having a senile Merlin the Magician, travelling salesmen and annoying relatives popping by New Sherwood for visits. It was, to say the least, an undistinguished beginning.
All that changed with years two and three. Prince John and the Sheriff were all but jettisoned from the program and the stories became darker; the villains more diabolical; the adventures more fantastic. Here begin the stories that would be remembered, the frightening, thrilling moments that decades later are still unforgotten.
Indeed, who could ever forget the giant mutant brain created by the hideous Dr. Medulla? Who could not recall the Dracula like Dr. Mortula and his plans to forever blot out the sun above his world or fail to remember the shadowy Dr. Nocturne, with his living shadows, extinguishing entire stars to plunge the entire galaxy into darkness? Then there was the most unforgettable of all, the adventure that grown adults still remember their younger selves being chilled by, the battle with the demonic Infinata, ruler of the nightmare realm called Dementia 5.
It is too easy to see the many flaws of Rocket Robin Hood. The silly early episodes, the poor man's animation and the blatant splicing together of whole sequences from earlier episodes to make "new" stories in the final days of the series: these failings are obvious and indisputable to any adult eye. But then, Rocket Robin Hood was never meant as entertainment for adults.
There is something magical about a program that can leave memories so vivid in the mind after so many years. There was something special about the villains, the images and the concepts that were able to overcome the almost laughable poverty row production values and create an indelible impression in the minds of young viewers. There is something intangible, indefinable and inescapable about the show that still pulls those who saw it as children, now older and wiser, back to watch it again with more discerning eyes that see all the many flaws and yet remember only the magic.
"Come gather around me. Space travellers surround me. Hark now to the ballad of Rocket Robin Hood."
old serial style
SnoopyStyle30 July 2017
Rocket Robin Hood and his Merry Men live on Sherwood Asteroid outsmarting the tyrannical Prince John and the bumbling Sheriff of N.O.T.T. The Merry Men includes Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, cook Giles among others. They fly their rockets and battle various villains throughout the universe.
This animation series is based in Canada. The production does span into US and they took over a reduced Spider-Man later on. It has a certain look. It's a little cheaper. The style is a homage to old fashion serials. Each half hour episode is divided into three section with the first and second ending in a cliffhanger. Robin has the chiseled jaw and heroic boy scout manners. The theme song is memorable. This may not be top quality but the style fits and the shows are quite watchable.
This animation series is based in Canada. The production does span into US and they took over a reduced Spider-Man later on. It has a certain look. It's a little cheaper. The style is a homage to old fashion serials. Each half hour episode is divided into three section with the first and second ending in a cliffhanger. Robin has the chiseled jaw and heroic boy scout manners. The theme song is memorable. This may not be top quality but the style fits and the shows are quite watchable.
Overlooked slice of Canadiana!
cfc_can11 December 2000
One of my favorite childhood memories was coming home from school for lunch and watching Rocket Robin Hood while eating lunch. It's one of Canada's few cartoons that endured over the years. I loved the opening theme (which was actually kind of spooky) and the way that each show was divided into three segments. In between, there were interludes in which the Merry Men sang their joy of being part of the band and for having Robin as a leader. Looking back on it as an adult is amusing in that the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John as well as all their guards (who all looked alike and always wore orange uniforms) were so hilariously inept. The guards not only always lost every fight with Robin and his men, they always were getting knocked out from one punch. One wonders why Prince John didn't try to replace them. Actually, it was a violent cartoon in some ways. Each show seemed to feature a fight scene in which the viewer saw a close up of Robin's fist coming at the screen or Little John (who looked like Moose from the Archie comics) clobbering someone with his electro-quardo-staff (which could be used to fly with). Even Friar Tuck often participated in the fighting. Sometimes he used his fists, other times he simply hit oncoming attackers with his enormous belly and sent them flying.
The shows were comic book-like and often featured imaginative monsters. One of my personal favorites was a space vampire with eternal life and a giant robot bat. As a child, I didn't notice but the producers were constantly using the same backdrop over and over again in different episodes. There were also two different versions of Rocket Robin Hood. In one, the colors were all dark green and red. These shows were almost surreal and genuinely scary. The second version (the one most people preferred) was bright, colorful and cheerful. (just like the Spiderman cartoon, made by the same producers, featured two different versions) Rocket Robin Hood may not be the best cartoon ever but it was pretty good and deserves a place in the Canadian history books.
The shows were comic book-like and often featured imaginative monsters. One of my personal favorites was a space vampire with eternal life and a giant robot bat. As a child, I didn't notice but the producers were constantly using the same backdrop over and over again in different episodes. There were also two different versions of Rocket Robin Hood. In one, the colors were all dark green and red. These shows were almost surreal and genuinely scary. The second version (the one most people preferred) was bright, colorful and cheerful. (just like the Spiderman cartoon, made by the same producers, featured two different versions) Rocket Robin Hood may not be the best cartoon ever but it was pretty good and deserves a place in the Canadian history books.
"And, It's A Joyous Shout Throughout The Land For Rocket Robin Hood!"
StrictlyConfidential13 May 2020
Yep. I'd say that "Rocket Robin Hood" (from 1966-1969) definitely had both its fair share of good moments, as well as its not-so-good moments too.
With its dated pre-CGI/2-D animation - I think that the viewer is clearly gonna have to be willing to cut this futuristic TV series some serious slack, otherwise, they aren't likely to get much enjoyment out of watching it.
With its story set in the year 3000 - "Rocket Robin Hood's" action often takes place on or around the Sherwood Forest Asteroid where our big, muscular hero and his trusty, merry-making pals must deal (on a regular basis) with all sorts of villainous opponents who force them into some very high-risk, battle-like confrontations.
(Trivia note*) - "Rocket Robin Hood" was a Canadian production (which originally came out of the city of Toronto, Ontario).
With its dated pre-CGI/2-D animation - I think that the viewer is clearly gonna have to be willing to cut this futuristic TV series some serious slack, otherwise, they aren't likely to get much enjoyment out of watching it.
With its story set in the year 3000 - "Rocket Robin Hood's" action often takes place on or around the Sherwood Forest Asteroid where our big, muscular hero and his trusty, merry-making pals must deal (on a regular basis) with all sorts of villainous opponents who force them into some very high-risk, battle-like confrontations.
(Trivia note*) - "Rocket Robin Hood" was a Canadian production (which originally came out of the city of Toronto, Ontario).
Cherished Childhood Memories watching Rocket Robin Hood in the early 1970's in the Adirondack Mountains of New York via a black & white TV with only 1 Channel; Canadian.
libertythruchrist26 April 2023
Cherished Childhood Memories watching Rocket Robin Hood during the early 1970's in the Adirondack Mountains of New York on a black & white TV. With only 1 Channel Canadian. After each episode I would act out their different adventures pretending to be Maid "Marion"; which was my mother's name. I still remember the 1st time I was able to watch on a Color TV and see all the Colors! WOW! The I can still hear the Theme Song in my head. It's strange what makes an impression upon one's childhood. Thinking back I guess it was perfect for the times I grew up in. It had very patriotic feel, The Brave Hero Good Guys stand-up to and fight the bad guys. Perfect for the dawn of the Space Age in the midest of The Cold War. Awe The Fond Memories of Childhood.
Bad then, bad now
vvcnsyqq7 September 2023
I remember watching this as a child in toronto and thinking how horrible the animation was. The plots were equally bad. Now it sticks in my mind as just another example of second-rate Canadian productions then and now. Thank heavens we got stations from Buffalo so I could see really good animations like the Flintstones.
I'm guessing people feel nostalgic for this nonsense because it's all they could see thanks to the state of Canadian regulations. Government insisted that all programming had to have a certain level of Canadian content. If that isn't a recipe for mediocrity, I don't know what is.
I'm guessing people feel nostalgic for this nonsense because it's all they could see thanks to the state of Canadian regulations. Government insisted that all programming had to have a certain level of Canadian content. If that isn't a recipe for mediocrity, I don't know what is.
I'd Rather Watch This Than The Flintstones... Any Day
Etherdave23 October 2005
Extremely crude, terribly animated, eminently watchable series from the late sixties. Ralph Bakshi again shows his imaginative hand, even if the other is tied firmly behind his back.
All the well-known characters of the medieval romance are back, this time 1000 years in the future. The Solar System is dominated by the evil, monolithic N.O.T.T., and Robin and his merry men resist and rebel against all it stands for. Using a bevy of futuristic weaponry, including the formidable Electro-Quarterstaff, Robin and his Band "rob the Astro-rich to give to the Astro-poor".
As a young child I was wildly in love with this shlocky series. If I had to choose between the fabulously underdressed Maid Marion and the supernaturally-capable Samantha Stevens I'd have been one unhappy camper. Still a good watch, I hope a live-action picture is made of this one day. Maybe with Nathan Filion in the lead...
All the well-known characters of the medieval romance are back, this time 1000 years in the future. The Solar System is dominated by the evil, monolithic N.O.T.T., and Robin and his merry men resist and rebel against all it stands for. Using a bevy of futuristic weaponry, including the formidable Electro-Quarterstaff, Robin and his Band "rob the Astro-rich to give to the Astro-poor".
As a young child I was wildly in love with this shlocky series. If I had to choose between the fabulously underdressed Maid Marion and the supernaturally-capable Samantha Stevens I'd have been one unhappy camper. Still a good watch, I hope a live-action picture is made of this one day. Maybe with Nathan Filion in the lead...
Hey! Sorta cool in a weird way.
Travis_Moran9 May 2005
I watched this several times on teletoon retro. I also remember seeing it maybe 5 years ago too.
Like dumb kids we called it Krantz crap cartoons. It IS pretty bad animation, but I like the idea of Robin Hood in space. This is certainly not anywhere close to being a favourite show of mine. In fact almost the opposite is true. But I did get some enjoyment from it, if for nothing else the wild idea of a space Robin Hood.
I hope they keep running this even if it is old. Cause it's fun to kick back and watch it when you've got nothing else to do and see what cartoons were like way back when.
Now for you guys that like all the new stuff, you probably will dis this pretty bad, but you gotta look at when it was made. 1966 is almost ancient history.
Looking back on this, I guess I should explain the "Krantz crap" comment. Krantz films distributed several animated shows (I think Trillium in Toronto actually made Rocket Robin Hood) and the name of course always came up at the end. I think Krantz did Spiderman cartoons, Rocket Robin Hood, and maybe others.
Like dumb kids we called it Krantz crap cartoons. It IS pretty bad animation, but I like the idea of Robin Hood in space. This is certainly not anywhere close to being a favourite show of mine. In fact almost the opposite is true. But I did get some enjoyment from it, if for nothing else the wild idea of a space Robin Hood.
I hope they keep running this even if it is old. Cause it's fun to kick back and watch it when you've got nothing else to do and see what cartoons were like way back when.
Now for you guys that like all the new stuff, you probably will dis this pretty bad, but you gotta look at when it was made. 1966 is almost ancient history.
Looking back on this, I guess I should explain the "Krantz crap" comment. Krantz films distributed several animated shows (I think Trillium in Toronto actually made Rocket Robin Hood) and the name of course always came up at the end. I think Krantz did Spiderman cartoons, Rocket Robin Hood, and maybe others.
A Timeless Treasure
Jeope!12 December 2000
Before the Golden Age of infomercials, many television networks relied on recycled episodes of way outdated programs. During what would become the prime-time of the infomercial industry (approximately 4:00 AM until dawn), youngsters in the 70s and 80s were exposed to a brief glut of super-subpar cartoons. These included an animated version of "The Mighty Hercules", "Max the 2,000 Year Old Mouse" (forgive me if I've reported this one wrong, it's been awhile) and "The Amazing Spider-Man". In Canada specifically, there was "Rocket Robin Hood".
Taking the chintzy animation of the aforementioned programs one step lower, "Rocket Robin Hood" graced Canuck TV sets for a brief moment in time in the mid-60s. But due to its rapid demise, many kids were introduced to the 'toon in subsequent decades. Featuring the melodramatic, sometimes comedic, sometimes outright inane adventures of the ubiquitous Sherwood Forest gang, the makers of "RRH" added a like, total 60s twist. They added the limitless possibilities of...The Future. "RRH" you see, took place in 'the fantastic year 3000' in a galaxy ruled by the evil despot Prince John and his fiendish aide, the Wicked Sheriff of Nott. And as for our merry men? They threw cosmic wrench after cosmic wrench into the Prince's schemes out of their base on the lush, green Sherwood Asteroid. By this point, you either see this as way trippy or totally psycho. In this hombre's opinion, those who witnessed the spectacle of "RRH" are truly blessed individuals, exposed to an endless wealth of kitschy pop culture material. Who could forget the timeless theme song, or the cute vignettes of each character that peppered each episode? Or the one time Robin squared off against the evil Infinata of Dementia Five (a feat that was duplicated shot for shot in an episode of "Spider-Man")? This is high-calibre stuff. Seek it out.
It is hoped that one day that this show will make a comeback, as chances are it's been relegated to the TV scrapyard for good. In the future perhaps, the ever-expanding array of channels will force someone to pick it up out of sheer desperation. Let's just hope it happens before the fantastic year 3000.
Taking the chintzy animation of the aforementioned programs one step lower, "Rocket Robin Hood" graced Canuck TV sets for a brief moment in time in the mid-60s. But due to its rapid demise, many kids were introduced to the 'toon in subsequent decades. Featuring the melodramatic, sometimes comedic, sometimes outright inane adventures of the ubiquitous Sherwood Forest gang, the makers of "RRH" added a like, total 60s twist. They added the limitless possibilities of...The Future. "RRH" you see, took place in 'the fantastic year 3000' in a galaxy ruled by the evil despot Prince John and his fiendish aide, the Wicked Sheriff of Nott. And as for our merry men? They threw cosmic wrench after cosmic wrench into the Prince's schemes out of their base on the lush, green Sherwood Asteroid. By this point, you either see this as way trippy or totally psycho. In this hombre's opinion, those who witnessed the spectacle of "RRH" are truly blessed individuals, exposed to an endless wealth of kitschy pop culture material. Who could forget the timeless theme song, or the cute vignettes of each character that peppered each episode? Or the one time Robin squared off against the evil Infinata of Dementia Five (a feat that was duplicated shot for shot in an episode of "Spider-Man")? This is high-calibre stuff. Seek it out.
It is hoped that one day that this show will make a comeback, as chances are it's been relegated to the TV scrapyard for good. In the future perhaps, the ever-expanding array of channels will force someone to pick it up out of sheer desperation. Let's just hope it happens before the fantastic year 3000.
One Of My Best Childhood Memories.
blackarachnia214 July 2003
Rocket Robin Hood was one of the best childhood memories that I have. It happened in 1967 which was nine years before my time. Thank GOD for the 80's and the 60's cartoon revivals otherwise I would have never been able to watch this cartoon. :)
awesome!
melissajanesanderson17 August 2005
this show has been dated quite a bit because it is so old but i was so excited to see it running in reruns on the cartoon channel! the show is very old but it is Canadian and is so "retro-cool" i could scream. i remember watching this show as a kid and can't believe i still love it this much. the drawings/animation are pretty dated but that is one of the things that makes the show so interesting. if you are a fan of today's high tech cartoons with their "smoother" animation you won't like this show to much but for those of us who do this is a can't miss show. not sure if it was on much, or well know, in the united stated. the stories can sometimes be slow paced and it is really frustrating sometimes that they always repeat the entire very long opening credits scene after each break but that is because it was filmed and put on television originally in serial style.
Unique Canadian animation series -- some hallucinatory cartoon !!
p-gonzo16 November 2005
I have the entire visual and aural tableau of Rocket Robin Hood indelibly etched into my brain from watching this countless times as a young person. This was aided and abetted by the fact that the show repeated its theme song incessantly in each episode, as well as repeated various parts of each episode to pad out the time. This imparted a strange overlapping, "Groundhog Day' feeling to watching the show. And the whole concept of merry old Robin Hood and his men in some way-out future is totally Lysergic to begin with -- and the cra-zay electronic sound effects only added to the bizarre alternate reality depicted. Those noises were pure, unadulterated SYNTHESIZER-rama.
N.O.T.T. to be missed!
mirok16 July 2005
Rocket Robin Hood was a clever animated version of the adventures of Robin Hood and the Merry Men but with futuristic twists. Instead of being set long ago in Merry Olde England it's far in the future; instead of Sherwood Forest we have Sherwood Asteroid; and Nottinghamshire becomes N.O.T.T. or National Outer-Space Terrestrial Territories. Definitely one that would appeal to kids although it must be admitted that the humor would appeal best to adults, same way as the awful groaners in series such as Batman and The Green Hornet weren't aimed at kids either. It's good, family fun and so what if it isn't the greatest effort made in this regard -- it is still enjoyable after all these years. N.O.T.T. to be missed in my opinion!
Terrible.
chester-gray9 May 2005
This had to be one of the worst, poorly made cartoons ever. The lip-syncing was almost always completely off, the plots were stupid and and the dialogue wasn't much better. Even for the sixties, it was poorly animated. I am shocked that something this bad could come out of Canada. Maybe part of it is also the setting. You have all the original characters from Robin Hood, like Maid Marion, Prince John, etc living a thousand years in the future fighting off a bunch of robotic enemies and other futuristic creatures. Not worth watching at all. I can't believe they stop airing the Flintstones on Teletoon Retro for the sake of this.
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