Kinda didn't want to like the new ROBIN HOOD on BBC1 last night, mainly because as a kid I'd enjoyed ITV's mystic ROBIN OF SHERWOOD so much (what wasn't to like? I mean, come on - Ray fahking Winstone as Will Scarlet? Kick ass!). This Robin was a rollicking, swashbuckling, running commentary on The Blair Age. Post traumatic stress disorder in The New Crusades, maan. Kinda like last week's CRACKER special only with jokes that didn't fall flat on their ass. Some performances were a little broad. Okay, I'm singling out Sam Troughton and Keith Allen especially. Allen does what he always does, I suppose, and gave a scenery-chewing turn as The Sherriff Of Nottingham that was pure panto. Troughton, scion of one of the UK's most under-rated acting dynasties (grandson of Paddy, son of David, nephew of Michael), was the irritating comic relief Much (as in ...The Miller's Son of previous versions of the legends), but redeemed himself with some subtler playing during a quiet moment that made some of the subtext explicit (and yes, apparently the BBC's ROBIN HOOD/STRICTLY COME DANCING combo beat ITV's SIMON COWELL AND HIS CARTEL OF IDIOTS UNDERMINE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY/ANT AND DEC RIP OFF OLD NOEL EDMONDS IDEAS THAT WERE CRAP EVEN BACK IN THE EIGHTIES ANYWAY in the ratings - not that I noticed, as I was busy watching Northern Ireland's moral victory over a whinging, diving, Denmark side instead anyway - God bless ya, SKY+).