I only give it an 8 because I don't recall too much, I mean, it's been a LONG time since I've seen it and I fully DO recall loving this show. I was lucky enough to catch an episode on, I believe YouTube a year or so ago and it brought back great memories. What lead me to YouTube was, after all the years that passed, I still recalled almost the entire theme song so, knowing you can find almost anything imaginable there, I went to see if it was there and if I had the lyrics right. I was about 95% right. If I recalled the theme, it had to have been a great show. Seeing that one episode confirmed it.It sadly was a classic example of idiotic TV executives who have no right being in those positions, making a decision that is just plain stupid. It should have run at LEAST a full season, if not several. It just never had time to grow and hit it's stride, and that is a damn shame.

"When Things Were Rotten" was the brainchild of comic genius Mel Brooks. He dared to ask, what if the Legend of Robin Hood was overblown hype, and that all of the people involved were nothing more than buffoons? The result was a uproariously funny and engaging program, in which the great legend of Sherwood Forest went slapstick.The show was brilliantly cast, with each player an expert in comedy. Dick Gautier, who worked with Mel on NBC's "Get Smart" as Hymie The Robot, knew a great deal about timing and was perfect as the leader of this merry band. He was matched in nit-wit by Henry Polic II, who portrayed the equally dunderheaded Sheriff of Nottingham, and a young Ron Rifkin (eventually of "Alias") played the likewise dubious Prince John. Add in Dick Van Patten, Bernie Kopell (another "Smart" vet), and the former Hee-Haw Honey turned Maid Marian, Misty Rowe with her buxom talents and you had a well-rounded group.The production values for the program were very high, with costumes and sets that looked lavish and the show was shot on film, making it appear as exquisite as any Errol Flynn feature. And the sight gags were hilarious, and should not be described here... they are "sight gags," after all! Years later, Brooks returned to the Robin Hood legend with his film "Men In Tights," but he avoided a lot of the stuff that was used in this production, and that was a disappointment. All he needed to do was to take all of the elements of the series and distill the various episodes into one great movie! What we got was a watered down version that couldn't come close to the laughs this program offered.Perhaps the reason for the show's demise was either in the subject matter or the competition... Robin Hood might have sounded dull and uninteresting to some viewers and those that would have been willing to look possibly wanted an adventure series, not a schlocky comedy. Also, the program aired opposite NBC's powerhouse drama "Little House On The Prairie," and CBS's variety series "Tony Orlando & Dawn," so perhaps people didn't tune away from these programs to try it. They don't know what they missed.I live in hope that some day the complete series will arrive on DVD.

I recall the program and thought it was a blast to watch. The puns were never ending and I really got to where I was looking for them. Then.... one day it was off the air, and at the young age of 15 I didn't follow-up but I always kind of missed the good laughs it gave me. This is the first time that I have ever looked this program up and I am glad to know that I was not the only one who really enjoyed it. I used to ask my friends if they watched it but few ever seem to have. I guess that's why it slipped away! Oh well, worse things have happened but again, I am glad to know that there were a few other crazies out there just like me.... just kidding. I turned out OK despite watching those really funny shows.

Mel Brooks is one of our true comic geniuses. He was overlooked for many years, but I am glad that he was able to make a comeback with the Broadway version of his original hit film The Producers. He started off in television with Carl Reiner and the 2,000 year old man skits and he also created Get Smart with Don Adams. When Things Were Rotten is another series that he created that I feel has been overlooked. It came along in a really bad tv season and was unjustly cancelled after only about half a season. Dick Gautier, Bernie Kopell, Dick Van Patten, Henry Polic 11 and Misty Rowe all made a great comic team. Unlike tv shows today, this one made you laugh innocently and not feel guilty about it. Mel Brooks has always been so creative and original in everything that he does. He brought that special quality to this series and I only wish that they would show it again. I was stationed in Korea and saw some episodes on videotape. Brooks made a film almost twenty years later in 1993 called Robin Hood: Men In Tights and he used a lot of the stuff that he used on this show (they pointed that out in a review they did of the film).