Arthur of the Britons

[bunn]

I am hugely enjoying watching this 70's TV series.   Brian Blessed, hamming relentlessly! Tom Baker, ditto!  Actually, lots of people all making a drama out of a crisis, apart from Arthur (Oliver Tobias), who is rather subtle and dangerous (if a bit pouty) with 70's Rock Hair and is my new Favorite TV Arthur... 

Lots of horses hammering around at top speed (I don't think people on TV ride horses as fast as that now,on the whole, it really looks dangerous).   Hilarious wigs, bizarre beards,  strange leather jackets with have a definite 1970s-not-500s vibe about them, mad battles with really-not-enough people... and yet, the plots are weirdly compelling! 

  Did people in the 70's actually have more teeth than we do now? 

Comments

[ideserveyou.livejournal.com]

It's brilliant, isn't it? You have to love Brian Blessed in a leather vest. And can any other series claim to have Dr Who and Darth Vader guesting in the same episode?

I think the teeth show up more because everything else is wondrously gritty and dirty... and you're probably right about the horse speed, this lot were definitely giving it their all. Oliver Tobias said his audition for the role of Arthur consisted of him and Michael Gothard (who plays Kai, his fabulous Saxon right-hand man) riding horses up a hill and down again as fast as they could. And they did all their own horseback stunts apart from the one right at the beginning where Arthur rides into a tree, which was too dangerous even for him. He did nearly get killed during the filming of another episode, when he took a spear to the back of the head and was hospitalised for weeks...

Tell me to shut up whenever you like. I am a bit obsessed. This was the fandom that introduced me to... well... fandom... and it's still my Absolutely Favourite Thing. Much to the amusement of the rest of my family.

There is a small but committed arthur_britons community that you'd be welcome to join btw. The more the merrier!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I love Brian *anyway* but he's really made to be Mark of Cornwall!

I joined! ;-)

[ideserveyou.livejournal.com]

Yay! I am so pleased that you did! We are few, but we are dedicated. As you have no doubt already gathered...