Search - The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV Series) on DVD

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 7/9/2018...

Thirty half hour episodes here. From a more innocent time. Lead cast is William Russell who starred as a companion to the very first Doctor Who William Hartnell. Half of these episodes are color and half black/white. Some great sword fight scenes. I tend to put this on in the background while doing other things. It's comforting in it's own way. Patrick McGoohan is here too (of "The Prisoner" fame.) Good renaissance stuff for kids back in the 50's and 60's.

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The Definitive U.S. Release of the "Sir Lancelot" Television

Robert Huggins | Suburban Philadelphia, PA United States | 09/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" (NBC, 1956-57) was one of several costume adventure series produced in England that followed the very successful release of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (CBS, 1955-58) a year earlier on CBS. Produced by Sapphire Films, the company that produced "Robin Hood" and "The Buccaneers" (CBS, 1956-57), "Sir Lancelot" brought the legend of King Arthur and Camelot to the small screen. Although it only lasted a single season, "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" is historically important in the annals of television history as it was the first British television series with multiple episodes produced in color.



"The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" was issued on DVD in its entirety in England by a company called Network, but previous U.S. DVD releases have been limited to a few selected episodes on discs such as The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Volume 1 and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Vol. 1. With the release of this 3-DVD, 30-episode set from Timeless Media, those previous releases are no longer necessary for anyone collecting episodes from the show; this release has it all. The series' entire run of 30 episodes is included in this set and the audio/visual quality, while far from perfect, represents a major improvement over all previous U.S. DVD releases of the series. Most importantly, 12 of the 14 color episodes that were produced have survived the ravages of time and are included in this set. Some of the color episodes are faded and a few are quite vivid, but the color episodes were, apparently, only broadcast during the 1956-57 season and subsequent airings of the series were broadcast in black & white. So it's a revelation to see the color schemes employed for this show after more than half a century.



William Russell is well cast in the starring role as the gallant knight, and other cast regulars included Ronald Leigh-Hunt as King Arthur (Bruce Seton portrays Arthur for the first three episodes), Jane Hylton as Queen Guinevere, Cyril Smith as Merlin and Robert Scroggins as Squire Brian. British character actors like Nigel Green and Derren "Derry" Nesbitt are featured as different characters in numerous episodes, and Patrick McGoohan makes one of his earliest television appearances as a villainous knight in one of the series' early episodes titled "The Outcast."



This release is a must for anyone who enjoys the British costume adventure shows of the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s. Timeless Media has also released episode compilations of The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Buccaneers and William Tell. All of these series are enjoyable and highly recommended.



My rating for "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot" is closer to **** & 1/2 due to some comparatively minor film flaws here and there as well as some of the faded color issues previously mentioned, but it's really not much of a deterrent to anyone's enjoyment of this series."

Cute, but kinda silly...

counterrev | Eustace, Texas | 01/09/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a cutesie little 50's offering, but no Robin Hood or William Tell. This one strays even farther from any possible connection with history...I think the main difference is that this one can't decide if the protagonist is a hero or a comedian. The Round Table is presented pretty much as a collection of characters, none of whom are particulary outstanding in any way. None of the crises that arise are particularly interesting or important. One gets the feeling that England is a sort of medieval Gillegan's Island...but without the laugh track...which sounds like a plus, but if you had it, you'd at least know when they were TRYING to be funny...I recommend Robin Hood and William tell, and even Buccaneers, over this series---still, it's better than what's being turned out now..."

The Adventures of Squire Brian

Ursus Somnolicus | Bearizona, USA | 06/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before you buy this, please understand what you're getting. Don't expect any continuity with previous Arthurian tales. Try to ignore the charaters' names and let the stories speak for themselves.



As to those stories, it's clear that this series was aimed at a young audience. In short order Lancelot 'adopts' young Brian to serve as his squire, and Brian proceeds to steal the show. Each week will dish up another problem for Lancelot to solve, and Brian's help will be essential.



Given this youthful focus, and the mores of the time, it's no surprise that this series delivers peril without tragedy, and combat without bloodshed. Humorous moments are plentiful, and any flirtation between Lancelot and Guinevere is strictly courteous (in the original sense of the word).



Within these boundaries the series provides a lot of good, clean fun. The characters are quite engaging. I'm especially fond of Merlin, who's more showman than sage. Lance is on to him, but they quickly come to an understanding."