Blackadder: The Complete Series (1983-99)

The Black Adder (1983)

6 episodes, approx 30 mins each.

The first incarnation of The Black Adder isn't very good, but the ones that followed it definitely are. I wouldn't argue with anyone that says it ought to be skipped entirely in favour of the superior Blackadder II (1986). The only niggle I would have is that the viewer will miss out on Brian Blessed being awesome. The man with the giant's voice gets all the best scenes and he chews them up fervently. If someone made a compilation consisting of just those moments, then that person would be your friend.

It's an alternative history comedy set during the Middle Ages (1485–98) in which Richard III is succeeded by Richard IV after the Battle of Bosworth Field. His son, Edmund Plantagenet, is the Black Adder (Rowan Atkinson), a weasely, snivelling little prick who wants desperately to be King but doesn't have the stones to go about it in the correct manner.

The character gets bolder and more sarcastic as the series nears its end but the forced, exaggerated facial expressions don't get any less irritating; it's like watching an ancestor of Mr Bean, only worse.

William Shakespeare gets a writing credit on every episode. I suspect he'd have approved, given the nature of some of the comedy.

Blackadder II (1986)

6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each.

Ben Elton joined Richard Curtis on writing duties, which made Blackadder II considerably better than the previous series. Elton was no stranger to cheap alternative comedy, having worked on The Young Ones a few years before. The BBC put restrictions on the production, but together the two men managed to turn them to their advantage.

It's set in England during the Elizabethan era (1558–1603). The new Blackadder is a descendent of the original Black Adder. That means he can have different characteristics and a different personality.

Elizabethan Edmund is a lot more confident, much less of a wet handkerchief. He also has to be more cunning because he's still attached to the Royal Court and the Queen will have his head if she finds out about his antics. She's impulsive like that.

Both Tim McInnerny and Tony Robinson returned, but there was no Brian Blessed (Boo!). His absence was softened by having some new cast members who brought a new dynamic to the show.

Miranda Richardson played Queen Elizabeth. For two decades now, whenever someone mentions Queen Elizabeth in conversation Miranda is the first thing I think of. Also noteworthy are Stephen Fry as the Lord Chamberlain; Patsy Byrne as Nursie, the Queen's former nanny; and look out for cameos from a small number of other famous British comedians.

Blackadder the Third (1987)

6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each.

The third incarnation of the character jumped forward to the years leading up to the British Regency period (sometime in late 18th or early 19th Century), making Edmund the personal butler of the Prince of Wales.

The cast was lessened considerably, to just four regulars, and to compensate the dialogue was given even more importance. There seems to have been a conscious effort to make almost every word of Edmund's have some hilarious snide or sarcastic humour attached to it. He really is an acerbic git.

Baldrick is as important to the show's structure as Blackadder himself, so it's no surprise to see him.

We finally meet Mrs Miggins who, with absolutely no disrespect to actress Helen Atkinson-Wood, was the only new addition that felt de trop. The character simply didn't get anything noteworthy to do.

The final regular is the son of King George III, the Prince Regent, also called George, played by Hugh Laurie. Laurie's a natural born comedian. He's utterly believable as the epitome of the thick-as-shit, silver spoon-fed toff. He even managed to make Baldrick look relatively smart.

The Royal setting again enabled critique of the upper class and the monarchy, both of whom deserve all they get. Hurrah!

Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)

6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each.

In some ways it's business as usual for the team, but in other ways the fourth incarnation is very different. I can't say why without going into spoiler territory, but I'm confident that many people will come to the same kind of conclusions while watching it.

It's set in 1917. Edmund and friends occupy a WWI trench on the Western Front. They're all a little stir crazy. Edmund being Edmund means he'd rather be elsewhere doing other things, so he spends the entire time trying to achieve his seemingly impossible goal.

It's a kind of reunion of past cast members, each given a military rank. Besides Captain Blackader there's Private S. Baldrick (Tony Robinson);  Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie); Captain Darling (Tim McInnerny); General Melchett (Stephen Fry); and a few more cameos. Fry gets some of the best lines. I'm amazed he managed to deliver most of them without breaking down into gut-busting hysterics.

While Blackadder II is my personal favourite, there's no doubt that IV has better production. The sets are more believable and the costumes are beautifully made. It feels less like a comedy sketch show with a tacked on plot and more like an actual sitcom with lasting consequences. The actors fit their roles perfectly. The individual episodes are better scripted and the satire is arguably more relevant to our time. The last episode in particular deserves very high praise.

Blackadder: The Specials (1988-99)

I'm not going to go into every detail about this volume because it's the weakest entry in the series and will be of very little interest to most people. It's damn expensive to buy singly, so, for the completists who already own Series I – IV, if you must have it your best option is to double-dip and get The Complete Collection Box Set for a fraction of the price.

Firstly, Blackadder's Christmas Carol. It's the Dickens classic given a comedy makeover, featuring some of the best comedic talent in Britain at the time. It's longer than a typical episode. It was a joy to see Robbie Coltrane doing comedy again. He's good at it. What more can I say? Stuff it in your gift sock.

The Cavalier Years is an interesting addition. It's set in 1648, during the English Civil War. It's very similar to Blackadder II. If you picture Lord Edmund with a shaggy perm wig, you'll be close to the mark. It was part of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day in 1988 and is sadly only half the length of a regular episode. It's good that it's a standalone because, while it could've certainly worked as a series, it's much too similar to what came before.

The remainder of the disc is less than impressive. I'll mention Blackadder: Back and Forth because it's presented as the 'final episode in the saga', but the less said about it the better. It's a piss-poor effort. Rowan Atkinson tries his best but it feels as if everyone else is merely going through the motions for old-times sake. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise great series.