Black Adder

Alright, I have to admit, this is a new interest for me. In the past when I would say to my friends that I liked British television, they would inevitably reference either Benny Hill or Mr. Bean. I shudder to think that all of British TV has been reduced to Benny Hill or Mr. Bean. I guess those shows are alright for anyone who likes them, but they are just not for me. I understand the humor, but I'm just not a fan of it.

However, British Telly is really so much more than that. Are You Being Served is better than either Benny Hill or Mr. Bean, and so are shows like Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers and Monty Python just to name a few. There are also shows like Britain's Got Talent and Cash in the Attic that while not humorous, are equally entertaining.

The problem is that British TV works differently from American TV. It's government run and supported by licensing to start with, and on top of that shows have to apply for money, kinda like a grant to produce and air. Where there are benefits to this like no commercials, there are also some problems. Short series (not season) is one that immediately comes to mind. Also ratings may not reflect what is made or what is not. So a short good show that lasts maybe six episodes might be cancelled where in an American market, it would be a hit. Of course then you also have things like Dr. Who that runs for 42 years, and just doesn't show a sign of slowing at all. Funny world.

I said that to say this. Blackadder is a set of 6 episode series that really hasn't got much play in America. It's one of those things that is less known than Benny Hill, Are You Being Served, or Monty Python, but dang it if it's not hilarious. I'll go on record now saying that yeah, maybe it didn't hit its stride until the second series, or at least until the end of the first season, but taken in it's entirety, it is a gold mine.

Blackadder is a person. In the first series, Edmond Blackadder is the second son of the King. He's also a bumbling idiot. His faithful companion's name is Baldric, who although also stupid has a good heart. Edmond wants to be king and goes about conniving and scheming to try to accomplish this goal, but is too much of a jelly brain to pull it off.

The second series is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and the Edmond and Baldric are the descendants of the originals. I think the second series really shines and some of the humor really is top notch. The episode with Blackadder's priestly relatives is just hilarious.

The third series is set at the end of the 18th century, and Edmond is the servant of the Prince of Wales, who is played by Hugh Laurie. Hugh Laurie absolutely makes this series and the next one too. Rowan Atkinson is great in this whole series too, but Laurie really shines.

The fourth series is set during World War I and Edmond and Baldric are both soldiers of the line. I'm torn as to whether this is the best series or whether the second is. I lean toward the second, but this one is at least a very close second. Laurie is good in this one too.

One really funny part is that everyone seems to end up dead at the end of each series. Did I mention that Laurie is really funny?