News article: Bristol Evening Post, 6 December 1972

On 6 December 1972, the day “Arthur of the Britons” first aired, the series appeared in the Bristol Evening Post as Paul Dalby’s “TV CHOICE”, under the heading:

Arthur – a king-size hit

Arthur of the Britons HTV’s new £500,000 series, rides onto our screens tonight to explode myths of a fairy-tale king and his round table knights.

This Arthur is a young, cunning warlord who united the feuding Celtic tribes against the threat of annihilation by Saxon invaders.

The series – easily the best thing done so far by Harlech – has been meticulously researched with over £50,000 spent on constructing stockaded camps, clothing, weapons and even musical instruments.

The result kills off the legend that Arthur rode round in a suit of armour and lived in a castle complete with drawbridge.

This was 12th century invention and HTV’s Arthur is much closer to the historians’ version – a hard, shrewd, freedom fighter with a gift for battle and diplomacy.

The filming in West Country locations, combined with first-rate acting and tight, no nonsense scripts, should make this a big money-spinner for HTV both at home and abroad.

Oliver Tobias (24), former leading man of “Hair” is just right as the young warlord with his handsome, rugged looks. But it’s the all-round excellence of the cast which stamps this a winner – Jack Watson as Llud, Arthur’s most trusted warrior, and Michael Gothard as Kai, the young warlord’s right-hand man.

The first of the initial 12 episodes is entitled “Arthur is Dead” (HTV 6.30) but it doesn’t mean the young leader has met his maker already.

Showing his cunning, Arthur fakes death to bring every Celtic warlord together in a trial of strength for his place as leader then tricks all of the into following him.

It is interesting to note that the article allocates about 10 % of the budget to sets, costumes and props.

News article: Western Daily Press, 6 December 1972

King Arthur at war with the mud

Camelot, legendary home of King Arthur, is beseiged again – by mud.

And the mud looks like winning where the fifth century Saxon failed.

Camelot is the stockaded encampment built in Woollard, near Bristol, for the new HTV series, Arthur Of The Britons, which begins network transmission tonight.

Trouble

The deluge that has flooded the West Country has raised the River Chew in Woollard to flood level. With it the waters have carried away the bridge built by the HTV film-makers and has left Camelot deep in mud and water.

Actor Oliver Tobias, who plays Arthur, told me yesterday: “We are in serious trouble. The mud is indescribable. Arthur may have beaten off the Saxons and the Picts, but he could not have won against conditions like this.”

HTV has filmed 23 episodes of the Arthur series, but the last one, due to be completed next week, may have to be postponed until the flood subsides.



The press is still insisting on referring to Arthur as “King”, and his camp as “Camelot”, though neither were given those titles in the series.

The floods referred to occurred over the previous weekend, 2 and 3 December 1972, and, judging by the state of the village at Woollard, the episode being filmed during and after the torrential rain must have been “The Swordsman.” Also, the girl in the picture, “Celtic maiden Elsa Smith”, was the actress who played “Esla”, in “The Swordsman.”



The footage from “Daughter of the King”, in which Arthur and Kai carry supplies across the flooded yard, must have been filmed soon after the flood.

Review: The Sun, 6 December 1972

This review by Philip Phillips appeared in The Sun, on 6 December 1972.

WAS THIS RUFFIAN THE REAL ARTHUR?

King Arthur rides on to our screen today in a new series, Arthur of the Britons (ITV, times vary).

Ostensibly, it is a children’s series, but HTV, who made it, hope it will be a hit with adults, too.

For the TV company has spent £500,000 on the 24 episodes and hope to recoup some of the money by selling it abroad.

Shift-workers, housewives, children and others who are at home early enough to watch it are in for a shock. This Arthur, played by Oliver Tobias, is not the romantic figure we learnt about at school.

He is a fierce, cunning warlord who lived around about the year 450AD. And the lovely Guinevere, the noble sword Excalibur, Sir Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table are all conspicuous by their absence.

For the truth is that Arthur and his band of cut-throats were about as chivalrous as Genghis Khan and his mates.

Peter Miller, the producer, said: “We have done a lot of research, and our series is as accurate as any historian could make it. Arthur and his exploits were glamorised by medieval writers and romantic Victorians. There were no knighthoods, or other noble titles as we know them today, until after the Normans arrived in 1066.”

Nasty

Two stockaded encampments, one Saxon and one Celtic, have been built by ITV at a cost of £20,000.

I had a preview of some episodes yesterday. It was as exciting as any good Western. But, in place of the cowboys and Indians, we see the Celtic Arthur and his men fighting Saxons, savage Picts, and some equally nasty types from Ireland.

Mr Phillips seems to take a fairly dim view of our re-imagined heroes! He isn’t entirely wrong about the lack of chivalry, but comparing Arthur to “Genghis Khan and his mates” seems a bit harsh!

It is interesting to see a cost of £20,000 given for building the camps at Woodchester and Woollard, but the writer is incorrect in suggesting they were both stockaded; there was no stockade at Woodchester. In any case, by the time this article was published, no scenes had been filmed at Woodchester for many months.

The writers’ opinion that the show was “as exciting as any good Western” must have gained a few viewers who might otherwise have ignored a historical drama.

It is not immediately obvious who he was thinking of when listing, “some equally nasty types from Ireland” among Arthur’s enemies, but perhaps he assumed that the tribe led by Hoxel (Tim Condren), who imprisoned Kai and Llud in “The Prize”, were Irish; Tim Condren was of Irish descent, and Hoxel has a slight Irish accent.

The photo is captioned, "OLIVER TOBIAS, as the rough-neck King Arthur rides into adventure on ITV today".

News article: Daily Mirror, 6 December 1972

This review by Kenneth Hughes appeared under the title, "'HAIR' TO THE THRONE"

King Arthur as a tough freedom fighter without shining armour, a round table or Guinevere, comes riding in for a new series called ARTHUR OF THE BRITONS (ITV, 4.50 except HTV).

HTV have spent £500,000 on the twenty-four episodes, and screen it at 6.50. They believe it should be seen by an adult audience as well as by children. They have a point.

For this is a literate and lively account of the life and times of a king whose personality has been blurred at the legendary edges.

Arthur is played by 24-year-old Oliver Tobias, former star of the London production of “Hair”.

The style of the series is far removed from past notions of Camelot. Every sword and every broken shield clangs and smashes with the ring of authenticity.