So, before we commence with our #Dec31Ivanhoe watchathon, here's a very brief rundown of the original novel.

Sir Walter Scott's bid ol' brick of a novel played into the Regency/Victorian romanticizing of all things medieval. So, we have knights, derring-do and jousting.

The hero, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, has returned from the Crusades. He was disowned by his father for daring to love Rowena, who is expected to give birth to Saxon kings and overthrow the Normans. Meanwhile, an incognito King Richard is scampering about with Robin Hood.

But nobody, and I mean NOBODY, reads IVANHOE for Ivanhoe. Or Rowena or Richard or Robin, for that matter.

We are all here for Rebecca of York, a nice Jewish girl who is rich, beautiful and intelligent but has one fatal flaw: her taste in men runs to the himbo.

She digs Ivanhoe, in other words. And saves his life after a jousting incident. But he only has eyes for Rowena.

To make matters worse, the Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert is pursuing Rebecca because she outsmarted him and told him off. He's into that.

The Templars decide that the only way one of their own would fall for a woman is if...

Wait for it...

And so Rebecca has a trial by combat and to prevent Sir Brian from being her champion, the Templars make him THEIR champion and she has to ask the wounded Ivanhoe for help.

He may be a knucklehead but he's an honorable knucklehead, so he rides to the rescue.

But he doesn't stand a chance against the very un-wounded Sir Brian, who offers to throw the fight if Rebecca will elope. She refuses and things look bad...

(Spoiling 200-year-old book)

But then Sir Brian strokes out and Rebecca is saved.

Rebecca leaves, Ivanhoe marries Rowena, etc.

But quite a few readers over the centuries have been disappointed by Rebecca's single status at the end of the story.

Thus, we have Team Ivanhoe and Team Brian.

We have established that Ivanhoe isn't going to split the atom but Sir Brian is Rebecca's equal in intelligence.

So, it all comes down to weather you view him as a misunderstood loverman or a sex pest.

Generally speaking, most Ivanhoe adaptations made in the last 75 years or so have gone loverman. The 1970 version is significant in that it both acknowledges Ivanhoe's himbo status and portrays Sir Brian as a sex pest and keeps the original ending.

Almost all versions have the trial by combat end with Ivanhoe stabbing, bludgeoning, smashing or otherwise doing Sir Brian to death. This is sometimes combined with Brian being distracted by Rebecca's distressed hotness.

So, that's Ivanhoe. Officially about a knight but the real secret to its appeal is a very strong heroine with very bad taste in men.