Black Adder - The Complete Collector's Set

Blackadder showcases the talent of British comedy through the history of the devious and cunning Edmund Blackadder, played brilliantly by Rowan Atkinson. With his dogsbody Baldrick, Blackadder flits through the pinnacle ages of English history.

The first series is the poorest of the four series. Shot on location, the first series lacks the wit of the other three series, and relies too much on physical comedy (Atkinson's squirming face for example). It is also in the first series that we see the very worst of Blackadder, portrayed as weak, conniving and sniveling heir to the throne. Even his haircut is hideous...

Ben Elton was brought in as a writer for the second series - which is now set in Elizabethan England - and the script improves considerably. It has more witty humour and greater character dialogue, as well subtle references to modern history and culture as well. Also, this series is shot in a studio and this makes the whole thing more atmospheric (believe it or not!)

Whilst Rowan Atkinson is the star of the whole historic storyline, each series has its own star that steals the show. In the second series it is Miranda Richardson's Elizabeth I that sparkles. Richardson plays the strong-willed Queen as a brattish spoilt girl who demands she wins at everything, and not just at war with the Spanish (everybody lets her win at party games in case she decides to cut off their heads). Other recurring characters include Lord Melchett, played by Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson as the sufferable, but filthy, Baldrick. Rik Mayall pops in as Lord Flashheart, a swashbuckler who steals Blackadders 'bird'.

The third series is the best in my opinion, and whilst Atkinson is great as usual it is Hugh Laurie (House) as the gluttony, pampered Prince Regent (son of George III, the 'mad king') who steals the series. Laurie is superb as the buffoon, served by his considerably smarter butler Blackadder. Other real historic characters come to and thro in this series, including The Duke of Wellington, played draconically by Stephen Fry, who hates the Regent more than he hates servants, and, apparently, his own soldiers.

The fourth series, set during The Great War of 1914-1918 is the most poignant. The humour is more double-entendre and `toilet based' but Blackadder, by this time is a more sympathetic character, less cruel as before but still as devious and cunning as ever, though is main objective through out the series is to survive the war.

Stephen Fry plays General Melchett, who sits behind the frontline by 35 miles and barks insane unworkable orders to the Tommys on the frontline. Tim Mcinnerny, who plays Percy in the first two series, returns as Captain Darling in this series. A man of nervous disorder and doing things by the book, as well as loads of Darling jokes, he is as pathetic as Percy and the butt of Blackadder's jokes.

This series is very anti-war, and in particular the war that it is set in. Blackadder, like many of the officers in the British army at the time, was a veteran of the Great Colonial Wars of the British Empire. These men now found themselves suddenly involved in this new unimaginable horror of mechanical and industrial warfare This series was criticized for humouring a difficult subject, but the ending, where the boys go off to their doom in no-mans-land, definitely put a poignant and sobering end, as the battlefield merged into modern day, full of poppies.

The extras are great, but one off specials are not as good as the series, but they add new insight into the family of Blackadder, and his dogsbody Baldrick. If you want to watch a series with sharp jokes whilst serving up a humorous portion of English history, then watch this!

I hope they make a new series, and rumours always abound that they will (including one where Blackadder and Baldrick are in a music band).

This show is one of the best of the Brit coms. The way they have packaged it however is another story. Do the makers of theses packages ever actually try to use them? I'm sure not. The five disc set is packaged on 3 holders. No not one by it's self and two discs on opposite sides of swinging leaf pages. That would have made some sense. What they have done is stacked the discs on each other. You say you want to watch Blackadder the third. Then you have to take out Blackadder II and hold it (or lay it down somewhere) while you get out the disc you want. The discs are stacked in a staggered fashion on one another. No protection for them at all. The manufacturers of this and all DVD's should stop trying to save an extra 3 cents per package and place these discs in the package in a manor that is protective for the disc and convenient for the people who will be using them.

Great dvd. Great show. The best of British comedy.
Despite the fact that I would have prefer more extra features (this one has a great interview with Richard Curtis), nevertheless, this DVD is a great add to your collection. If you like the show, you will love this DVD.

I bought this set for my son who is a huge Hugh Laurie ("House") fan. He was amazed how funny he is! My other kids love Rowan Atkinson ("Mr Bean")so this has been a big hit in my household!

You have to give the Blackadder family credit -- they're tenacious. "Black Adder - The Complete Collector's Set" chronicles this odd, sardonic family's presence throughout the greatest eras of British history. The first season stumbles somewhat, but the following seasons are brilliant -- sardonic, kooky, and sometimes rather sick.

On the day of the Battle of Bosworth Field, the Duke of York (Brian Blessed) and his son Harry (Robert East) accompanied the king (Peter Cook) into battle. His second son Edmund (Atkinson) hopes to come along, but he oversleeps -- and when he arrives, he accidentally kills the king, and Edmund's his father is made king. He dubs himself the "Black Adder" and decides to one day become king of England... too bad nobody likes him.

He's followed by a string of descendents through the ages -- all more acid-tongued and intelligent than he, or anyone else around them. And they're always accompanied by a Baldrick. That includes Lord Edmund Blackadder, the favorite of the demented queen Bess (Miranda Richardson); Edmund Blackadder Esq., valet and butler to the half-witted Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie); and Captain Blackadder, a soldier in World War I who spends his time trying to get out of it.

These unlucky Blackadders find themselves dealing with demented Puritans, hosting bawdy drinking parties, crazed bishops, even crazier princes, giant turnips, the Red Baron, drag musical acts, Spaniard inquisitors, and almost being shot for eating a carrier pigeon. Startlingly, the final season -- although another is in the planning stages -- ends on a very poignant note.

But there is an upbeat ending overall -- the final episode introduces us to the modern-day Blackadder, a sharp-tongued aristocrat dining with the modern-day descendents of Prince George, Queen Elizabeth, Melchett and Darling. Not to mention Baldrick in a truly horrifying porno apron.

Blackadder reveals that using da Vinci's plans, Baldrick has constructed a time machine, and bets £30,000 that he can bring back historical items. It's actually an elaborate scam... until the machine works, and Baldrick and Blackadder find themselves spinning helplessly through time, with no idea how to get home. Or, for that matter, how much they've inadvertantly changed things...

The series starts off a little weakly -- the first season is funny, but not outrageously so, and Prince Edmund is the incompetant twerp rather than Baldrick or Percy. But things blossom with the arrival of a new writer in "Blackadder II," and sets the tone for the rest of the series: a smart, bitter man who's constantly surrounded by nincompoops.

There are one or two dud episodes, but the majority of them shine with comic genius, from the kookily childish Queen Elizabeth ("Who's Queen?") to Baldrick's rancid boxers killing the dinosaurs. Atkinson gets most of the good lines ("He's the most over-rated human being since Judas Iscariot won the AD31 Best Disciple Competition") but the rest of the cast usually gets in some great ones too ("A total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through!").

Atkinson, of course, rules the whole series a series of acid-tongued Blackadders who have influence but no power, and Robinson is great as the gross servant who always has a cunning plan. The rest of the cast reappears regularly -- Laurie as a series of half-witted bluebloods, Richardson as drippy young women, Fry as cunning advisors and hearty generals, and McInnery as airbrained idiots and prissy assistants.

The complete series of "Black Adder" is a comic cornucopia -- it starts off a bit weakly, but once it gets its footing, it's absolute hilarious. A must-have.