Not having read the book, I have to accept from other reviewers that this is a faithful adaptation. Having said that, Sir Walter Scott has given his hero strange treatment, having him bedridden from a jousting injury early in the story. Perhaps Scott was trying to put across a picture of racial and religious intolerance, zealotry and bigotry. Certainly, some of the actors paint this picture vividly.
Actors of note in this production include Anthony Bate, Roger Bizley, Peter Dineley and especially Andre Van Gyseghem but Eric Flynn was perhaps not the best choice for playing Ivanhoe, the knight just returned from the crusade. Also,Tim Preece just did not convince as the nasty scheming Prince John. The whole production did not look too good either.
The action sequences looked rather amateurishly done and although the mail armour for the knights looked real enough, the weapons sounded wooden. With bare trees and snow lying on the ground, it looked as if this series was made in the depths of winter - perhaps renting the locations was cheaper in winter. I felt that the BBC did not do justice to Scott's novel.
Actors of note in this production include Anthony Bate, Roger Bizley, Peter Dineley and especially Andre Van Gyseghem but Eric Flynn was perhaps not the best choice for playing Ivanhoe, the knight just returned from the crusade. Also,Tim Preece just did not convince as the nasty scheming Prince John. The whole production did not look too good either.
The action sequences looked rather amateurishly done and although the mail armour for the knights looked real enough, the weapons sounded wooden. With bare trees and snow lying on the ground, it looked as if this series was made in the depths of winter - perhaps renting the locations was cheaper in winter. I felt that the BBC did not do justice to Scott's novel.