=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= MAID MARIAN AND HER MERRY MEN - a Programme Guide by Benjamin John Evans ("Barrington") version 1.2, June 1998 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CONTENTS '|' marks updated since last version. 1. About this Programme Guide 2. MAID MARIAN AND HER MERRY MEN: an Overview and History 3. The Episodes | 3.1 Series One | 3.2 Series Two | 3.3 Series Three 3.37 The Christmas Special 3.4 Series Four 4. The Characters ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. About this Programme Guide Maid Marian and her Merry Men and all characters, etc. are (c) Tony Robinson This guide is the text version of Swirly Thing Alert's Maid Marian and Her Merry Men programme guide; both can be found at http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~bjev/marian/ or http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/2592/ I created the guide as a tribute to the show I love so much; I may not watch it as much as Red Dwarf, say, but I will always have a soft spot for every one of those twenty-five adventures in Sherwood Forest. There isn't much info out there on Maid Marian, so I hope this guide and the accompanying FAQ can help you if you're curious. The Songs and Books sections from the web version have been omitted, as well as the "best lines" from the episodes section; this is because these sections are either less important and/or fiddly to format into plain text. If necessary, however, I can supply an unformatted text version. In addition, the Character section has been rewritten to make it shorter, and only the regular characters are included. Well, that's it; go and enjoy the programme guide! Cheers, BJE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. MAID MARIAN AND HER MERRY MEN: an Overview and History Maid Marian and her Merry Men is one of those rare children's programs that, when viewed, gives rise the question: surely children couldn't fully appreciate this? Created and written by Blackadder's "Baldrick" and accomplished storyteller Tony Robinson, the show revolves around the "real" story of Robin Hood - that Robin (Wayne Morris) was a cowardly tailor from Kensington who fancied himself a bit rough, and that it was Maid Marian (Kate Lonergan) who was the true leader of the Merry Men. Robin and Marian are aided by a "ruthless band of freedom fighters" once described as "a Rasta, a wally, and a bearded avacado". The Rasta is Barrington (Danny John-Jules), super-cool and the most intelligent Merry Man next to Marian. "Wally" is a simple if accurate description of Sherwood's strongest and stupidest man, Rabies (Howard Lew Lewis), apparently born in a pigsty and raised by pigs. The final reference is somewhat hard to explain without going through the plot of the episode, but the "bearded avacado" is Little Ron (Mike Edmonds). Unlike his traditional namesake Little John, Ron is, in fact, very little - but he is also the most insanely violent man in Sherwood. The Merry Men's mission is to free the oppressed villagers of Worksop from King John (Forbes Collins), a nasty piece of royal work who is essentially a childish bully. It is the Sheriff of Nottingham (Tony Robinson), however, who is their most cunning foe, even if his plans are nearly always ruined by King John or the stupidity of Gary (Mark Billingham) and Graeme (David Lloyd), his two guards. "Ye Baddies" were joined in series two by Guy of Gisbourne (Ramsay Gilderdale), the King's nephew, sent to stay with John as a way of introducing him to the real world (which he has apparently never met); although Guy is twenty-seven, he has the mind of a particularly obnoxious six-year-old. In a two-part episode at the end of the second series, we meet one of Robin's biggest fans and an old friend of Marian's; "Rotten" Rose Scargill (Siobhan Foggarty). Rose is completely selfish and ruthless, and worse, almost as devious as the Sheriff. The introduction of these two new characters gave new motivation to "Ye Baddies" and introduced new conflicts into the program. King John is constantly on the look-out for ways to be rid of Guy, but also must strive to keep him happy on pain of Queen Elinor doing "that disgusting thing with a pencil"... Rose and Marian are in constant friction; Rose will cheat, steal from and betray Marian for her own ends, and the Merry Men are frequently on the wrong end of her dealings with the Sheriff. The peasants of Worksop are generally the focus of every episode; it is they who are predominantly in need of the Merry Men's assistance. Despite their vital importance, however, there are only two who play a major part in most episodes; Gladys (Hilary Mason) and Snooker (Robin Chandler) represent the cream of Worksop...or at least, the stuff that floats to the top... By the third series, the King's dungeon had aquired the regular presence of Weasel (John Dallimore), previously a henchman of the Beast of Bolsover (The Beast of Bolsover), and in series four he was joined by Walter. These two bring comic relief to scenes of torture, and even managed to be the centre of attention in The Wise Woman of Worksop. The only other villagers o have played important roles have been children, most notably Nettle (who appeared in most of series two). Hayley filled a slightly similar role in They Came From Outer Space. Each episode features at least one song; originally, these songs told part of the story and were sung by Danny John-Jules as Barrington, and short four-line verses were used to bridge scenes in the first two episodes. They were occassionally performed by the cast members themselves in later episodes, but more often other artists' voices were dubbed over the top, with the actors miming along (providing yet another opportunity for in-jokes). Danny John-Jules continued to sing intermittently, but Wayne Morris was most prolific, always performing Robin's songs himself. The songs were often accompanied by parodies of cliche ridden dance routines; indeed, the songs and even the episodes themselves often parodied anything and everything, from television darts coverage to Star Trek. Many of the jokes stem from modern topical references, sometime without even altering the facts to fit the 1190s. For example, Gladys refuses to miss her neighbours because she has to know what's happening on Ramsay street, the GCSE (General Certificate of School Education, record of high-school level of acheivement) is often referred to, whereas the Worksop-Scunthorpe Tunnel will be finished on July 6, 1996. The first series was a more-or-less complete story cycle of how the merry men formed their band and gained noteriety, and is (very loosely) based on the more traditional story of Robin Hood. Later episodes were largely self-contained, and each series was made up of the usual (for a BBC series) six episodes; in addition, a Christmas special was made for 1992 but was postponed until after series three, and series four boasted a seventh special episode, Voyage to the Bottom of the Forest, in which the Merry Men are transported into a parallel universe. David Lloyd has informed me that the Maid Marian team are trying to get a new series off the ground, possibly as an animated series, or even to get a screenplay together. So keep your fingers crossed for them! :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The Episodes ------------------------------ 3.1 Series One (1989) A note: all six episodes of series one have been released by BBC video on two tapes: How the Band Got Together containing episodes one, two and three, and The Miracle of St. Charlene, containing episodes four, five and six. No other episodes have been released at this time (as far as I know). 1. How the Band Got Together Originally Broadcast: November 16, 1989 Songs: Mud The honest people of Worksop have long been menaced by the villainous King John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. A young maid named Marian has had enough -she's going to form a band of ruthless guerilla fighters to otherthrow their menace. This is the story of how the Merry Men were recruited; the story of Barrington the Rasta, Rabies the wally, Little Ron the violent, and the cowardly but soon-to-be famous Robin of Kensington... With Lionel Taylor as the GATEKEEPER 2. Robert the Incredible Chicken Originally Broadcast: November 23, 1989 Songs: The Story so Far King John is not pleased that he has been hung up in his own torture chamber, and now he's ready for revenge. But when the Sheriff, Gary and Graeme, out stalking bushes, are scared out of their wits by what they believe is stunning piece of trick archery by the great Robin Hood, the King has a plan to lure Robin into a trap. With Alan McMahon as CLOUGH and Kellie Bright as the LITTLE GIRL 3. A Game Called John Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1989 Songs: Pancake Day Even the festivities of Pancake Day can't cheer up King John when he realises that his subjects don't recognise him. The Sheriff is convinced that naming a new game after him is the only way to ensure his fame. Robin, meanwhile, is still trying to convince Marian that the Merry Men need new uniforms. Can these two plot threads possibly be related? With Kellie Bright as the LITTLE GIRL 4. The Miracle Of St. Charlene Originally Broadcast: December 7, 1989 Songs: Gotta Get Across King John's rich Uncle has died, leaving him only a hot water bottle - which he orders the Sheriff to sell for fifty gold pieces - no easy task when, even if you can convince them it's a holy relic, the only thing the peasants have fifty pieces of is mud. And the Merry Men have their work cut out for them if they're to steal it - because first, they need to cross the river... With Kellie Bright as the LITTLE GIRL 5. The Sharp End of a Cow Originally Broadcast: December 14, 1989 Songs: Popular King John is less than impressed with the Sheriff's performance. Not only are Robin Hood and his Merry band of freedom fighters still fighting free, but Robin and the Men have become incredibly popular with the peasants! John decides the Sheriff's for the sack, and heads out to find Hood himself. Luckily, Robin has just devised a new method for the Men to alert each other of danger, which is a great idea even if Marian can't see it; and they're going to need it, because the Sheriff, in a desperate bid to get his job back, has gone undercover... 6. The Whitish Knight Originally Broadcast: December 21, 1989 Titles: As normal, accompanied by "The White Knight" song, reading "6. The White Knight"; the title is repeated after the Men re- christen him the Whitish Knight, with "ish" hand-drawn after "White". Songs: The White Knight A mysterious knight clad in white (or at least a sort of creamy-beigy colour) has been sighted across the country. King John has received a postcard from his brother Richard with news of an impending visit. Are the two connected? Could it be that Richard has returned, and that England's woes are at an end? Well of course not, don't be stupid, there wouldn't be any scope for the next three series if that happened... With Reg Harding as the HORSEMAN and Forbes Collins as KING RICHARD ------------------------------ 3.2 Series Two (1990) The Beast of Bolsover Originally Broadcast: November 15, 1990 Songs: Ambush! Sherwood is the Merry Men's forest. Everyone knows that. Barrington even wrote his name on one of the leaves just the other day...but you try telling that to the Beast of Bolsover and his two sidekicks. They've come to Sherwood and they're not leaving - and that means they're kicking out the Merry Men and taking over their hideout! Things look grim, but a well-placed blow with a frying-pan gives the Sheriff a nasty headache - and Marian a plan. With Kerry Potter as NETTLE, Marcus Eyre as the BEAST OF BOLSOVER, Philip Neve as the NUISANCE OF NUNEATON, and John Dallimore as WEASEL The Beast of Bolsover Originally Broadcast: November 22, 1990 Songs: What is Happening Here?; Bop for an Egg King John wants an egg - and as luck would have it, the fabled Worksop Egg Fairy has just delivered one under the town's chicken. The Merry Men's rescue mission doesn't quite go as planned, however, and it seems that the only way to give the villagers of Worksop eggs is to save them from their own stupidity. But that's not an easy task when you're talking about people who believe that at the end of the rainbow there's a volcano spewing forth mauve custard... Little Brown Noses Originally Broadcast: November 29, 1990 Titles: The end titles are scrolled over the villagers rejoicing at Colin's return, accompanied not by the theme but Colin's Release Song. Songs: Against the Law; Colin's Release Song The Sheriff is cracking down on crime - and he's nicked Colin, Worksop's chicken, for illegal parking! Robin thinks that they should pay the fine, but will their charity concert raise enough money? And what will the King's sister do to John with a pencil if he doesn't look after his nephew, Guy of Gisborne? With Kerry Potter as NETTLE and Dale Shoulders as YOUNG SNOOKER Rabies In Love Originally Broadcast: December 6, 1990 Titles: The titles, decorated with valentine's hearts and lace, are shown over a film-clip like montage of Rabies rolling in flowers, etc., accompanied by "Rabies in Love". Songs: Rabies in Love; Wedding Today Rabies is the perfect advertisement for Marian's aerobics classes, easily beating all-comers at arm wrestling. But then Fergi arrives, and Rabies is besotted with the strongest woman he's ever seen. But just when they hit upon a plan to bring his mind down from "higher things", they discover that Fergi won't be available for a blind date - because the King is going to get rid of Guy by marrying him off to her. But perhaps that's just as well; I mean, who needs all that sickening love stuff anyway? With Kerry Potter as NETTLE, Jelena Budimic as FERGI, John Rapley as SIR WALTER FERGUSON, and Sophie Reissner as MARGARET THE THATCHER Rotten Rose Part One Originally Broadcast: December 13, 1990 Titles: Decorated with Rose buds. Songs: Robin Hood; Song from Guy (i) Robin has become a mega-star - all the girls of Worksop have their eye on him, and none more so than Marian's old schoolmate Rose Scargill. After tricking Marian into letting her visit the Merry Men hideout, and nicking a sackful of Robin's personal effects, Rose discovers that the Sheriff would only too gladly remove Robin's head if he caught him. Thus begins a twisted and insane plan, and before it's over, Robin will be languishing in a dungeon believing Marian is a traitor... With Kerry Potter as NETTLE, Lorraine Parslow as COWPAT, and Alan McMahon as CLOUGH Part Two Originally Broadcast: December 20, 1990 Titles: Again decorated with rosebuds. Shown at the end of "Rotten Rose", which is accompanied by clips of part one. Songs: Rotten Rose; Song from Guy (ii) It's almost time for Robin and Marian to get the chop. Will Marian save them from Rose? Will Robin work out what's going on? Unfortunately, it looks like the Merry Men will have to come up with a plan by themselves, and that doesn't bode well for Marian and Robin... And look out girls, because Robin Hood appears in this episode clad only in his green underpants! With Kerry Potter as NETTLE ------------------------------ 3.3 Series Three (1993) The Big Baby Originally Broadcast: January 7, 1993 Titles: King John yells "Guards! Where are the titles?" and he, Gary and Graeme read them from rolls of parchment. Songs: Father Bloopy; Don't Worry 'Bout the Pain While the Merry Men are trying to explain to Rabies that Barrington is merely doing impressions of the King and the Sheriff and has not actually swallowed them, King John has decided it's time people paid respect to their monarch and gave him presents. But the life-size jelly baby in his image is captured by the Merry Men, so the Sheriff needs some other gifts fast. He soon hatches a plan involving a new holiday, the King, and a lot of stupid peasants to ensure His Majesty is showered with gifts. With John Dallimore as WEASEL Driving Ambition Originally Broadcast: January 14, 1993 Songs: Take Action; A Friend Like Rose Life is dead boring in Worksop; this week's highlight is the Grade A mud-throwing, followed by the reserves. But the one talent possessed by the villagers - singing - has been completely ignored, and so Marian plans a Song for Worksop competition. The competition is soon hi-jacked by Rose, and the Sheriff too; he needs money to bribe the King's driving instructor, and Guy has bet a thousand gold pieces that he won't win the contest. Of course, Barrington knows that he could win doing a duet, but with Rose running the show? Both sides soon hit upon a plan to provide the panel with bent judges... Keeping Mum Originally Broadcast: January 21, 1993 Songs: Pierced; Call the Dentists Marian's Mum is coming to visit, but there's a slight problem - she thinks Marian's a dental receptionist! The Men offer to pose as dentists for her, and the ruse works. The Sheriff, however, sees only one thing in Marian's Mum (apart from her cardigan) - the perfect bait with which to capture Marian. with Patsy Byrne as MARIAN'S MUM They Came From Outer Space Originally Broadcast: January 28, 1993 Titles: Purple grows through main title and writer credit, accompanied by video game sound effects; the episode title is written in a suitably "alien" font. Songs: Only Child; Naked to the Visible Eye When a blazing fireball flies through the sky, the villagers and the Men start wondering about life beyond the stars, Guy says he has an invisible friend named Plop-bop, and King John is suddenly frightened of invasion by space carriage. As a result, the Sheriff is ordered to raise money for a protective net, but all that's left to take from the peasants are their clothes...so Marian decides that aliens might just come to the castle after all. With Carly Britnell as HAYLEY and Nathalie Bennion as HAYLEY'S MUM. Robin and the Beansprout Originally Broadcast: February 4, 1993 Titles: The Men read them during their opening song Songs: I Wish They'd Put Their Heads Outside; Chop Suey Marian has had enough of Robin's excuses, based as they are on last night's bedtime stories. He's got to return with dinner for the men or else! Robin sets out with only a solitary beansprout for company, but soon miracluous events and fortuitous circumstance enable him to boldly go where no man has gone before - and return with several massive platefuls of takeaway Chinese food. The Great Mud Harvest Originally Broadcast: February 11, 1993 Titles: Written in the mud. Songs: White Suit The last of Worksop's valuables have been taxed by the King, and as such, the Sheriff is made redundant - unless he can find some more riches to plunder from the villagers. Meanwhile, Marian is frustrated as her famine relief does nothing to cheer up the peasants, while Robin infuriatingly keeps them happy singing about his new white suit. But can he keep it clean? ------------------------------ 3.37 The Christmas Special Maid Marian and Much the Mini Mart Managers' Son Originally Broadcast: December 24, 1993 The Christmas special was scheduled for and filmed in 1992, but not broadcast until Christmas Eve 1993. Details are scarce, but the plot centred around Marian falling in love with the Manager's son of the title, who was trying to manipulate her as well as Rose Scargill. This special episode was 50 minutes long. ------------------------------ 3.4 Series Four (1994) Tunnel Vision Originally Broadcast: January 5, 1994 Songs: Double Trouble Gaming has come to Sherwood! The men are playing "Chronic the Hedgehog" and Robin's right into Dungeons and Dragons, even if Marian doesn't play by the rules (must be something to do with the new haircut...). Meanwhile Rose has kidnapped Guy, and the Sheriff has to convince Queen Eleanor that Guy's been enjoying himself... Bouncy Sheriff Originally Broadcast: January 12, 1994 Songs: Friends or Foes? Guy has filled the castle with his useless toys, and the King wants the Sheriff to get rid of them - under threat of being turned into an inflatable bouncy Sheriff for Guy's enjoyment. Meanwhile, Marian has had enough of the Men's sexist attitudes, and is leaving. Against her better judgement, she takes a job with Rose selling shoddy housing, and finds herself imprisoned - and the Men aren't far behind her. It looks like the King's new torture machine is going to get a real workout! With John Dallimore as WEASEL and Alastair Galbraith as WALTER Raining Forks Originally Broadcast: January 19, 1994 Songs: Vacation; High Forks Night Worksop is held in the grip of a terrible plague, or, as it's more usually known, a bad cold. The King is also afflicted, and decides what he really needs is a nice vacation by the sea-side in a resort. The Sheriff goes into Evil Plan Overdrive as he cons the peasants into building the holiday camp for free. Luckily for them, though, the Merry Men are on the holiday from hell in Skegness, just down the road from the new Holiday Camp. Before High Forks Night is over, the Merry Men will have busted the peasants free of their forced labour - or been blown up trying. With Peter Waddington as the FOOD INSPECTOR The Wise Woman of Worksop Originally Broadcast: January 26, 1994 Titles: Lighting for Robin's rave. Songs: Pixie Paul The men can't sleep, and as if that weren't bad enough, they're keeping the rest of Sherwood awake with their all-night raves. Gladys has a solution, but when things go wrong, only her father can help, and he's strung up in the King's dungeon - or at least he was. With Marian and Robin captured, it is Rabies who comes up with a plan to set them free - and, astonishingly enough, it works. With John Dallimore as WEASEL, Alastair Galbraith as WALTER, and Roger Ostime as GLADYS'S DAD Robin the Bad Originally Broadcast: February 2, 1994 Songs: Thicky-Stupid; A Collection of Amusing Things He's wreaking havoc in the village of Worksop! He's a menace to society! He's killed the King! He's ... Robin?!! Well, he's not actually, but Clem Costner is such an amazing lookalike that soon only Barrington, Rabies and Little Ron believe Robin is innocent; but in the meantime, the Sheriff has taken over the post of Most Popular Man in Sherwood. With Karen Salt as CHICKWEED The Nice Sumatran Originally Broadcast: February 9, 1994 Songs: The King of England is a Pig; Party People Party; Take My Heart Marian's plan to scare off King John has worked - he's abdicated, leaving Guy on the throne. But soon a vagrant turns up at Merry Men headquarters, and Robin decides to follow the example of the Good Sumatran and allow him to stay - until the untimely demise of Clarence the Water-Vole. King John has to go, and that means putting him back on the throne - but where can Marian find a plan stupid enough to frighten off Guy? And will the Sheriff actually work with the Merry Men to remove Guy's crown? Voyage to the Bottom of the Forest Originally Broadcast: February 16, 1994 Songs: Lazy; The Story of Workflop Rabies' laziness has cost the merry men yet another armed robbery; but when they steal a battleship, and try to launch it, they begin a weird adventure in a freaky parallel Universe where everything is almost, but not quite, the same (except for some things which are completely opposite). The strange country of Engyland, however, has awaited Rabies' arrival - for it is his destiny to save them from the wicked witch and her cohort, the awful Ogre... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. The Characters YE GOODIES Marian (Kate Lonergan) Marian is the leader of the Men, a former farmer and villager who decided enough was enough and that it was time to battle the tyranny of King John and the Sheriff. She is strong-willed, even stubborn, but knows a great deal about the forest and the skills necessary to be a Merry Person. She is feminist in that she thinks herself the better of most men, and even cut her hair short, as "long hair's for girlies". She's far better at all aspects of Merry Men life than Robin, especially archery. Robin of Kensington (Wayne Morris) A cowardly tailor, Robin was forced to join the Merry Men by Marian, who more or less took him hostage. After a run-in with Gary and Graeme, Robin was an outlaw, and there was no turning back. Now accepting his life as a "hero", Robin revels in the fame and glory of his title "Robin Hood", although he is rarely brave or intelligent enough to live up to his reputation. Robin is an excllent tailor, and has a good singing voice. Barrington (Danny John-Jules) It's hard to explain what a Rastafarian like Barrington is doing in England in the late twelfth century, but he's there nonetheless. Previously a rat salesman, Barrington is streetwise and cool, is almost as intelligent as Marian, and is a firm friend of Gladys. He also has an excellent singing voice (he does the most singing in Worksop) and possesses an extraordinary talent for mimicry. Rabies (Howard Lew Lewis) The hulking behemoth and towering pillar of strength in the Merry Men. Unfortunately, Rabies is not very intelligent, which perhaps has something to do with the fact that he was raised, Tarzan-like, by a family of pigs. Rabies is by no means useless, however, and has come through - somehow - for the others on many occasions. Little Ron (Mike Edmonds) Little Ron is violent. It's his main characteristic; if he can solve a problem by hitting someone, he will. He's a master of unarmed combat, but he's fairly attached to his club as well, and employs it with deadly accuracy. Despite his vicious nature, Despite only joining up with the Men for the clobbering opportunities that it offered, his heart is in the right place, and he will willingly risk himself to help others. On no account let him sing. YE BADDIES King John (Forbes Collins) Basically history's biggest bully, with supreme power over the nation and no brains or long-term goal with which to wield it. When John wants something, he wants it now, and he wants to get it with the least amount of personal effort...hence the Sheriff's job. John desperately wants to dispose of Guy, but lives in perpetual fear of his sister Eleanor doing "that thing with the pencil" to him if he doesn't look after his nephew. The Sheriff of Nottingham (Tony Robinson) The real brains and Marian's arch-nemesis. If the Sheriff were to quit, no doubt King John would be overthrown in a very short space of time. The Sheriff is cruel, cunning, and without morals; if it will help him achieve his goal, he'll do it. However, the SHeriff is not as large a threat as he might be, since most of his energy has to be channelled into not being flayed alive by King John and serving the needs of both the King and Guy. Gary and Graeme (Mark Billingham and David Lloyd) There's obviously a narrative law that lumbers every crafty and intelligent villain with incompetent henchmen, in order to give the good guys a chance. Gary and Graeme are those henchmen to the Sheriff's villain. Gary and Graeme are nice enough lads, but they enjoy the job of being a guard and being nasty, and Graeme in particular can be quite horrible to young children. Gary is the younger and more child-like of the two; Graeme acts like Gary's older brother, looking after him and trying to keep him out of trouble. Guy of Gisborne (Ramsay Gilderdale, series 2-4) King John's nephew, son of Queen Eleanor. Basically, a twenty-seven year old with the mental capacity of a seven year old. Guy is petulant, impatient, cruel and spoilt (much like his uncle in many ways), and his favourite pastimes include squashing caterpillars, keeping secrets and singing horrible, horrible songs. Don't let him sing either... Rotten Rose Scargill (Siobhan Forgarty, series 3-4) An ex-classmate of Marian's, whose argument with Marian over a boy led to the both of them being expelled. Rose is completely selfish, and will do anything to get what she wants. She's also rather jealous of the fact that Marian has her band of Merry Men, and that she has nothing; especially since she spent some time as Robin's biggest groupie. YE PEASANTS Gladys (Hilary Mason) She may be an old crone, but Gladys knows how to get down with her bad self. Unfortunately for Worksop, though, she is their Wise Woman, and she's none too wise... Great friends with Barrington, Gladys is able to knock up a bit of magic when needed very badly, and also has a talent for sewing. Her memory, though, is starting to go, and she falls for all the same tricks as the other villagers. Snooker (Robin Chandler) The archetypal peasant of Worksop. Soonker isn't too bright, but he can sing (a bit) and isn't completely stupid (although he's often one of the first to fall for the Sheriff's diabolical schemes). The game snooker is, in fact, named after him, but probably not because he invented it.