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When Things Were Rotten Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 1975 - 1975
Episode 1
The Capture of Robin Hood
Wed, Sep 10, 197526 mins
Rumblings continue to grow among the peasantry as tax collections increase. The Royal tax collector is waylaid and robbed by Robin and his band of men, and news of the incident reaches the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John. Marian warns Robin that an archery contest is indeed a trap, but he enters anyway. Robin wins the tournament and is immediately arrested. The Merry Men launch a rescue which culminates in a sword fight with the Sheriff. Robin defeats the Sheriff, escaping back to Sherwood Forrest and further adventures.
Episode 2
The French Dis-connection
Wed, Sep 17, 197526 mins
The French Ambassador visits England to forge an alliance that will make Prince John so powerful that King Richard will never be able to reclaim his throne. Robin and his men infiltrate the palace to prevent this.
Episode 3
The House Band
Wed, Sep 24, 197526 mins
The Sheriff recruits a band of evil look-a-likes to impersonate Robin Hood and his band in order to discredit them with the peasants while the real Robin and his men are on vacation.
Episode 4
Those Wedding Bell Blues
Wed, Oct 1, 197526 mins
Sheik Achmed comes from Arabia to sign an olive oil treaty with Prince John, but demands the hand of Maid Marian in marriage as part of the deal.
Episode 5
A Ransom for Richard
Wed, Oct 8, 197526 mins
The peasants' faith in Robin Hood is shaken after he is chosen to guard King Richard's ransom from Prince John and the Sheriff and the treasure comes up missing.
Episode 6
The Ultimate Weapon
Wed, Oct 15, 197526 mins
While Robin attends his class reunion, Little John leads the Merry Men to stop the wagon of Professor Otto Bahn, weapon inventor. A search of his wagon reveals plans for a device so destructive it defies belief. Little John destroys the blueprint, but Otto is easily able to recreate it for Prince John. He builds the weapon in the dungeon at the prince's request. Maid Marian informs Robin of what is happening, and he and Alan sneak into the dungeon disguised as engineers to find a way to stop the Sheriff from destroying Sherwood Forest. They convince Otto that he should be running things instead of Prince John. But Otto can't resist following an order; with the Sheriff ordering him on one side and Robin ordering him on the other, the inventor nearly has a breakdown. He climbs into the barrel of his weapon to think in peace, and Robin fires him all the way to Murray's Ocean and out of the picture for good.
Episode 7
Ding Dong, the Bell Is Dead
Wed, Oct 22, 197526 mins
The good Abbott of Nottingham reports that the famous Stradibellius bell has been stolen from Nottingham Abbey by the Sheriff, and it's up to the Merry Men to recover it. Prince John has plans to sell the bell to bell collector Prince Enjomo from Ethiopia in order to seal a trade agreement between their two countries. During a banquet in Enjomo's honor, the Merry Men enter the castle, but Little John has been on a diet and lacks the strength to lift the gigantic bell. He sneaks into the banquet hall to, with Maid Marian's help, fortify himself. Bertram attempts to ring the bell, but the Merry Men have already muffled it with bandages. A sword duel ensues between Robin Hood and Bertram, which the outlaw manages to win thanks to Alan who is disguised as a castle guard. Once Little John has his strength back, he manages to lift the bell and remove it from the castle. When Prince Enjomo learns from Robin that Prince John tried to sell him a stolen bell, he is furious and will no doubt sever all future trade relations with the prince. The Stradibellius is returned safely to Nottingham Abbey and the grateful monks shower Robin with gifts.
Episode 8
There Goes the Neighborhood
Wed, Oct 29, 197526 mins
The Sheriff of Nottingham concocts a new scheme: to raze Sherwood Forest and build in its place Sherwood Meadows, a housing development for wealthy burghers. This would not only line his pockets but also deprive Robin Hood and his Merry Men of a place to hide. The only woodsmen with the power to chop down an entire forest are the Four Guys from Gloucester, whom the Sheriff has hired for the job. They accept the assignment, but only on the condition that Sherwood Forest is not haunted or enchanted. The Sheriff assures them they have nothing to worry about on that score. While he and Bertram show off their model home to potential investors, Maid Marian warns the Merry Men, who decide to frighten off the Four Guys by preying on their superstitious natures and making the forest appear to be haunted. They adopt various disguises, such as vampires, ghosts, and witches, and proceed to scare the not-so-brave woodsmen into putting back all the trees they've already cut down. Robin and Alan then visit the Sheriff disguised as the wealthy Charcoal Burghers and steal all the money he has so far collected. Everything is back to normal in Sherwood Forest, except for one lingering ghost of unknown origin.
Episode 9
Quarantine
Wed, Nov 12, 197526 mins
King Richard needs his royal seal, and Prince John agrees to send him....a sea lion instead. So it's up to the Merry Men to get the actual seal to the Crusades. Robin and company sneak into the castle, unfortunately right in the middle of a royal banquet. A fight naturally breaks out, until Bertram is struck down by the plague, which he contracted while collecting taxes in the northern provinces. Robin declares a quarantine; no one can leave the throne room for twenty-four hours until the plague's incubation period is passed. Both Merry Men and soldiers begin dropping like flies. Eventually everyone in the throne room falls prey to the plague, leaving only Robin, Marian, and the Sheriff still standing. When the Sheriff sits down to dinner, Robin realizes it's not the plague, it's food poisoning from contaminated ox. Once the Merry Men recover, they are off to deliver the royal seal to King Richard.
Episode 10
Birthday Blues
Wed, Nov 19, 197526 mins
It's a happy birthday for both Renaldo and Bertram, in Sherwood Forest and Nottingham castle. When Renaldo goes to the castle to see Bertram, he is captured and sentenced to death. Will Bertram forget old scores and save his brother's life?
Episode 11
The Spy: Part 1
Wed, Nov 26, 197526 mins
A little-known law of England states that the king must set foot on English soil every 24 months or lose his crown. The time is almost up for King Richard, and Prince John is plotting how he can stop his brother and seize the crown for himself. Meanwhile, the Merry Men enjoy a rare night of relaxation, unaware that the Sheriff and his guards are surrounding the inn preparing to attack. Although Robin and his band escape, they suspect that there is a spy in their midst. The spy visits Nottingham Castle to report to the Sheriff--it is none other than Renaldo, who is actually working as a double-agent at his leader's request. Robin hopes that his spy will learn where and when King Richard will return. Renaldo disguises as his twin brother Bertram and learns the time of the king's arrival at Dover beach. Robin rides to France to warn the king, but Renaldo is seen at the castle by Maid Marian and exposed. He can't tell his comrades about the mission, so they prepare to hang him as a spy.
Episode 12
The Spy: Part 2
Wed, Nov 26, 197526 mins
When last seen, Robin Hood was knocked unconscious, the Sheriff was plotting to kill King Richard, and Renaldo was about to be hanged by the Merry Men as a traitor. Robin is found by Tania and her band of Gypsies and nursed back to health, though he doesn't have much time to recover if he's to ride to France and warn King Richard. The Sheriff packs up his weapons in preparation for his trip to Dover beach to waylay the king. And Renaldo demands a fair trial by his peers. The Merry Men agree: Little John becomes the prosecuting attorney, Alan-a-Dale is council for the defense, and Maid Marian acts as the judge. There is not much evidence to be heard, since Renaldo will not reveal the details of his secret mission, and all the Merry Men believe their comrade to be guilty of spying, so it's no surprise when the jury of peasants finds Renaldo guilty. The penalty is death. But when Robin's horse returns to camp riderless, Renaldo feels the time has come to tell all. He explains that King Richard must return to England by the next day or lose his crown, and that the Sheriff and Prince John are on their way to Dover beach to kill the king. So the Merry Men ride for Dover, arriving just in time to spot the Sheriff attacking the king. But it's only Robin disguised as Richard. The Merry Men battle the guards while the real King Richard steps safely onto English soil and then escapes.
Episode 13
This Lance for Hire
Wed, Dec 3, 197526 mins
In a battle with Prince John's soldiers, the Merry Men are once again victorious. But their beloved leader has been wounded in his right arm. This becomes a problem when the Sheriff hires a notorious bounty hunter called The Black Knight. The knight challenges Robin to a duel with crossbows and the outlaw feels honor-bound to accept. Robin practices with his left hand, with less than stellar results. The Sheriff decides to hedge his bet by stationing his archers in a position to kill Robin if the mercenary knight should fail. Maid Marian threatens to leave Robin forever if he goes through with the fight, and the Merry Men try to get the crossbow away from Robin, but to no avail. Renaldo and Little John pay a midnight visit to the knight, revealing that their leader is wounded and bribing the knight to leave Sherwood. A man of honor, the Black Knight refuses to combat a wounded foe. But Hubert will not let his hired killer out of the contract. Very well, the knight will fight Robin Hood...and then finish off the Sheriff for free. Hubert instructs his archers to make sure neither Robin nor the Black Knight survive the duel. At last, Robin and his adversary square off. A tricky move enables Robiin to shoot the crossbow from the Black Knight's hand. The combatants are instantly set upon by the castle guards; they fight together to save themselves, with a little help from the Merry Men. The Black Knight, Lester of Chichester, parts as a friend.