“I have a cunning plan.”
Rowan Atkinson’s genealogical relations return as we look down the Black Adder line. Basil Fawlty usually has a rival in the form of Black Adder as this series is equally beloved as a “Brit”com.
The Blackadder line began in 1485 and continued through 1917 (and beyond!). It was begun with the unintelligent Edmund Blackadder and his more cunning servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson).
The line would follow the same pattern of servitude for the generations of Baldricks, but each subsequent Blackadder would be more cunning, devious, and wanting to increase their social status, though not always successful at their cunning deviousness so their social status would only reduce and not rise.
Blackadder would go on to form four series and a cavalcade of specials. This collection adds all the series together with the specials, remastering both, but each one is also available separately. There are also some nice special features on each series, but the Ultimate Edition adds another disc of great special features.
Rowan Atkinson is a hoot, though is initial Blackadder offering tends towards Bean it’s when he becomes a social climbing sycophant that the show starts to show stride. There are also delightful turns from the servile Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, and Stephen Fry.
The Black Adder (1983): Set during the really dark part of the Dark Ages during the (fictional) reign of King Richard IV (Brian Blessed), it chronicles the wickedly funny misadventures of the terminally treacherous Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), Duke of Edinburgh, in the most gripping sitcom since 1380!
Blackadder II (1985): England 1558-1603. The nasty genes of the Blackadder dynasty bubble back to the surface as Lord Edmund swaggers around town with a big head and a small beard in search of grace and favor from the stark raving mad Queen Bess (Miranda Richardson). Accompanied by a rabble of riff-raff, the dastardly Lord Blackadder tarnishes the reputation of England's Golden Age.
Blackadder the Third (1987): England 1768-1815. A golden age of wealth, power and discovery though not for Edmund Blackadder Esq. In a situation that can rightly be seen as something of a slump in the fortunes of the previously aristocratic Blackadder family, Edmund is now butler and gentleman's gentleman to the "mini-brained" Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie).
Blackadder goes Forth (1989): The Western Front 1917: There's disorder in the ranks when that numb-headed ninny, Captain Blackadder, stumbles onto the battlefields of WWI and discovers that people are trying to kill him. The British may be able to defeat the Germans, but it's unlikely they'll ever survive a comic assault by Blackadder.
Blackadder is presented in fullscreen. Special features are spread across six discs. Disc one contains the first series and only has some audio “footnotes to history” that tell of the historical events that inspired the show.
This special feature is on all of the series discs so I’ll not mention it again. Disc two (Blackadder II) has commentaries by writers Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and producer John Lloyd on “Bells,” Tony Robinson and Tim McInnerny on “Money,” and Stephen Fry on “Chains.” Disc three (Blackadder the Third) has commentaries from Atkinson and Lloyd on “Ink and Incapability,” Elton, Curtis, and Lloyd on “Amy and Amiability,” and Fry on “Duel and Duality.”
Disc four (Blackadder goes Forth) has commentaries from Robinson and McInnerny on “Major Star” and Atkinson and Lloyd on “Goodbyee.” Disc four contains the specials, Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988, 43 minutes), Back and Forth (2000, 33 minutes), The Cavalier Years (1988, 15 minutes), and Baldrick’s Video Diary (29 minutes) that was made during Back and Forth.
Disc six contains the new 59 minute documentary “Blackadder Rides Again” as well as interview extras with Atkinson (23 minutes), Fry (15 minutes), Curtis and Elton (16 minutes), Robinson (14 minutes), Richardson (5 minutes), Hilary Bevan Jones (4 minutes, Jones is the Deputy Chairman of BAFTA, but was also an assistant floor manager on the first series), Laurie (4 minutes), and Rik Mayall (4 minutes). The 10 minute “Costumes Revisited” takes a closer look at the costumes used in the show with Richardson.
Blackadder is back and he looks better than ever in this remastered version. The best addition might be the new documentary, but you’ll only get it with this set. Well worth the cost though, you may have to think of a cunning plan to get this ultimate edition.
Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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