The BBC just ain’t what it used to be. And that’s a good thing.

Like most television viewers in America, my exposure to the BBC came from our local PBS affiliate. We got the best of the best from across the Atlantic piped into our homes, and it was some pretty good stuff. I watched “Doctor Who,” “Monty Python” and “’Allo, ‘Allo.” However, as good as these shows were, what really stood out was a substandard production value.

The new BBC shows, now beamed in through BBC America, give us higher production value with the same deft wit from decades ago. Whether you’re watching the new “Doctor Who,” “Hex” or “Robin Hood,” newly out on DVD, you’re not just getting a good show. Now, you’re getting a well-made show as well.

The new “Robin Hood” series is available in its first season on DVD. The episodes are still running on BBC America, but if you can get your hands on the box set, so much the better.

This new incarnation of “Robin Hood” follows the stories – or at least the myth of the stories that us Americans can recall – but adds a modern spin to it. Robin of Locksley (Jonas Armstrong) has returned from the Crusades with his faithful manservant Much (Sam Troughton). However, instead of a hero’s welcome, he is faced with oppression and poverty.

The evil Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen) is squeezing the peasants to draw more taxes for the war abroad. Soon, Robin butts heads with the Sheriff, which sends the lord on the run as an outlaw. The sinister Guy of Gisbourne (Richard Armitage) takes over Robin’s land to squeeze the peasants even more.

As Robin hides in Sherwood Forest with his band of not-so-merry men, Lady Marian (Lucy Griffiths) tries to work within the system to serve the people.

While there isn’t a defining arc throughout the season that leads to a stupendous conclusion, the show flows along relatively well. About half of the episodes feature Robin and the outlaws as they face a weekly threat. Often it’s the Sheriff or Gisbourne who is behind the threat. Robin never really chips away at the yoke of oppression, but he makes a good effort.

Bringing the season together is the story of Marian as the rival outlaw called the Nightwatchman. Her involvement outside of the law puts her close to jeopardy several times in the season and serves as a focal point of the finale.

I wouldn’t call myself a Robin Hood aficionado, but I’ve seen plenty of adaptations. Sadly, the most defining incarnation came at the hands of Kevin Costner, who butchered the character with his stiff, unaccented acting. Indeed, more spoofs and light takes on the legend riddle the landscape, whether it’s Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” or Disney’s classic animated film.

In this respect, it’s refreshing and quite fun to watch a live-action Robin Hood that is actually designed to follow the legend. And the BBC was the right choice, considering American television would have probably cast Freddie Prinze Jr. as Robin Hood and Lindsay Lohan as Maid Marian.

The five-disc box set includes all 14 episodes of the first season, with audio commentary featured on select episodes. There’s additional features including spotlights on casting, training, costumes, production design and characters.

As a flagship show for the newly imported BBC dramas, I thoroughly enjoy the new Robin Hood. There’s plenty of humor and quite a bit of anachronisms (some intentional and some not, I would imagine). And while Jonas Armstrong is a bit scrawny to be the action hero, he still holds his own in the role. However, my favorite character has to be Much. Too bad he never gets the girl.



Specifications: Dolby Digital .1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (16:9). English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.