I loved this 1970 BBC series when I saw it twice as a child and have never forgotten it, having read the book twice since and watched other versions with a critical eye. I have searched many times to find out information about this version, and thought it must have been lost from the BBC archives, so I was amazed to see that it is now available on DVD from Simply Media. Of all the film and TV versions of Ivanhoe, this remains the definitive version for me in spite of its faults (such as some weird colours, and comical chants of "Normandy" or "England" in the tournament scenes). I dislike the Hollywood film version, and appreciated the BBC 1997 version in many ways, but although this 1970 BBC version lacks some realism by modern standards, it is still the version that faithfully represents the book and the many great characters in it. Next time I watch it (and I'm sure I will), I'll turn off the colour to recreate my fond childhood memory with even more accuracy. A gem!
Review of Ivanhoe
