Chillichap's Review - A Quick A to Z of The Blackadder TV Series Starring Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson - 1980's British Comedy at its Best

Hello!

I hit my teens in the 80's and I was probably a typical teenager with the usual amounts of angst and sarcasm. I can actually remember watching the first-ever episode of Blackadder and not having a clue what it was going to be about. I hoped it wasn't a historical drama as I hated history then (but love it now). I knew of Rowan Atkinson thanks to the excellent Not the Nine O'clock News. I'd never heard of Tony Robinson. The funny thing is that when I went back to school, none of my friends had watched Blackadder. Most had not heard of it. Fortunately, I loved Blackadder and couldn't wait for the next series. Everyone seemed to see the second series and it seemed the favourite of a lot of people as the Edmund Blackadder in that series was smart and cunning, as opposed to the first series where he was a bit of a drip and just stupid. I hope you enjoy my quick A to Z review of Blackadder

A - Atkinson, Rowan

The comedy genius who played Edmund Blackadder-old rubber face himself. Could anyone have played this character better?

B - Baldrick

Played by Tony Robinson. Baldrick was Blackadder’s loyal servant, whose IQ seemed to diminish rapidly with each new series. Famous for his “cunning plans.”

C - Curtis, Richard

Co-creator and writer of the series, along with Ben Elton and Rowan Atkinson.

D - Dry Humor

So many jokes were delivered dead-pan by the various characters and this was a trademark of the shows.

E - Elizabethan Era

In “Blackadder II,” we got to see what went on at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.

F - Flashheart, Lord

Played superbly by Rik Mayall, this man's man and daring heartthrob stole every scene he appeared in. 'Woof!'

G - George, Prince

Hugh Laurie played the not-very-bright Prince Regent in “Blackadder the Third.”

H - Historical Parodies

Many historical events and figures are featured throughout each series with odd unexpected twists and one particularly poignant ending.

I - Insults

Blackadder's insults were often ingenious and really cut people to the quick.

J - Jester

Blackadder usually had to act like this to survive in the royal court, where the knives often seemed to be out for him.

K - King Richard IV

The excellent Brian Blessed played this fictional king in “The Black Adder,” the first series of the show.

L - Legacy

Blackadder is now indelibly inked into British comedy and culture. 

M - McInnerny, Tim

Actor who played various subservient roles, including Lord Percy and Captain Darling.

N - Nursie

Queen Elizabeth I's scatty nursemaid (whose real name was Bernard)  in “Blackadder II.” fantastically played by Pasty Byrne.

O - One-Liners

One-liners that went on to become television history like - “‘Yes, it is,’ not ‘That it be’.” or “Am I pleased to see you or did I just put a canoe in my pocket?!”

P - Puns

Clever wordplay and puns are resplendent throughout the scripts

Q - Queenie

Miranda Richardson portrayed Queen Elizabeth I, like we've never seen her before. Childlike and deadly as a viper.

R - Running Gags

There are a lot of recurring jokes in Blackadder that we all know and love.

S - Satire

The sharp satirical edge that the series used to comment on modern society.

T - Time Travel

The theme of “Blackadder: Back & Forth,” is where Blackadder travels through time.

U - Uniforms

There was meticulous research conducted for each series as shown in “Blackadder Goes Forth,” with the detailed military uniforms which all added to the authenticity of the show.

V - Very Small Thingy

Whatever it was, it got in the way according to Baldrick.

W - World War I

Blackadder Goes Forth,” occurred during WWI and was as memorable for its drama as well as its comedy.

X - eXecution

The frequent threats of execution that seemed to loom over Blackadder’s head.

Y - Yuck!

Queenie asks Blackadder if his girlfriend's nose is as pretty as hers. because if it was she would've cut it off-'Imagine the mess when she got a cold-yuck!'

Z - Zeitgeist

Although set in various historical periods, “Blackadder” managed to be topical and continues to be relevant today.

Personal Reflection

• Favourite Aspects: I expect I may be in the minority here, but I enjoyed Series I the most and then the rest in the order they appeared. I liked Blackadder as a numpty. The humour was sillier and I really like silly. The episode with the Spanish Infanta will always go down as one of my favourite scenes in any sitcom. 
• Critique: There's not a lot to critique. We were treated to a star-studded cast reading amazingly funny scripts with perfect timing throughout. 

Conclusion

• Final Thoughts: I love Blackadder and all of its characters. I expect we all have favourite versions of Edmund-mine was the basin-haired, codpiece-wearing prince whom nobody would take seriously. Blackadder will always be right up there with the greats of British humour in my humble opinion.
• Recommendation: I would definitely recommend Blackadder to new viewers. But just remember, this was British life in the 1980s, and just appreciate comedy geniuses at work. There are quite a few extra Blackadder programs, some of which can be found on YouTube with a bit of effort.

Thanks for reading

Matt AKA Chillichap