Black Adder: Remastered (The Ultimate Edition)

Rowan Atkinson was funny as Mr. Bean, but he was downright hilarious as the Black Adder. He had such a talent for playing the sharp-tongued rogue I'll never figure out why he decided to start doing comedy in which he hardly spoke. The premise of this British comedy series is that the central character, "The Black Adder", shows up at different points in history in various incarnations distorting historical events and poking fun at various British historical figures and situations along the way. Lots of people don't like Black Adder I, in which the title character, Edmund, is the younger son of a brutish man consumed with thoughts of war who actually becomes king of England through Edmund's own bungling - he arrives late for the Battle of Bosworth Field and winds up chopping off the head of Richard III, thus saving the life of Henry Tudor. Throughout this first season he plays the buffoon, often having the expression of a deer caught in the headlights. This is the only season in which the Black Adder takes on the persona of a weak effeminate person. Especially funny is Edmund's mother who is a proper noble woman sitting around doing embroidery and indifferently waiting for the next marauding army to pass through. The second season takes place early during the reign of Elizabeth I, with the Black Adder confident, handsome, and even a favorite at court. A young Amanda Richardson plays the role of Elizabeth I, who comes across as Betty Boop, just not as intelligent. Although more cunning in this season, Black Adder still comes up the loser in just about every episode. My favorite is "Bells", in which Blackadder finds his new servant, Bob, curiously pleasant company. Afraid for his reputation at court, Blackadder searches for a "cure" - which of course involves leeches, until Bob conveniently reveals that she is in fact a girl called Kate. Their wedding is disrupted by the profane Lord Flashheart, who, although he is the best man, winds up stealing the bride. The third season takes place in the eighteenth century during the reign of George III, and will be a favorite of all fans of "House, M.D." due to the presence of a young Hugh Laurie. Here, Black Adder plays the manservant of the Prince Regent, George, played by Hugh Laurie. George is the dim-witted target of Black Adder's many schemes to enrich himself by taking advantage of his cushy position in George's household, and this often means having to save the Prince Regent's pension and position in the kingdom, which is largely controlled by Parliament. The fourth season takes place during World War I, with Edmund Blackadder as a captain in the British army whose company is trapped in one of the trenches that gave everyone in Europe such a distaste for warfare between the two world wars. Blackadder's aim in this season is to stay alive by staying in that trench until the war ends. His stunts include shooting a carrier pigeon when it arrives with orders to advance, and joining the Royal Flying Corp - "the twenty minuters". Unfortunately, the name comes from how long they are expected to live once in the air, not how much time they work each day, as Blackadder had originally thought. This show has several interesting plot devices. First, most of the main characters show up in different periods of time with the same name but different roles. Hugh Laurie is always "George", Tony Robinson is always "Baldrick", Stephen Fry is always "Melchett", and Tim McInnerny is always "Percy". Since each season was shot in alternate years - (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) - the cast must have been having a terrific time in order for them to be regathered after such long intervals in order to make filming this series possible. Secondly, everyone in the cast, including the Black Adder, always dies in the final episode of each season. It is somewhat like the South Park stunt of Kenny being killed at the end of every show only to reappear in the next episode as though nothing had happened. Do note that there are only six episodes per season. If you liked "Red Dwarf" or "Fawlty Towers", you'll probably like this series too. As for extra features, disc five contains the specials. The Cavalier Years has Stephen Fry as King Charles and Warren Clarke as Oliver Cromwell. There is also Blackadder's Christmas Carol and Back and Forth. Christmas Carol is pretty funny, but I've never cared for Back and Forth. Disc six contains the documentary Blackadder Rides Again, a 90-minute special with the behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage from the fourth season included. There's also a look back at the costumes used in Costumes Revisited, along with extended interviews and audio commentaries with the key actors. As for the audio commentaries, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny and producer John Lloyd have all contributed to these.

I was turned onto Mr. Bean by a friend, who told me that he had seen it after searching for something to watch one night, and well we both agreed the show seemed silly from the clips and descriptions. Then he watched it and couldn't stop laughing, so he told me I Had to watch it. We have similar tastes, so I did. I was thoroughly impressed. My first foray into British comedy, and except for the half naked women running around, there wasn't much there to hold my interest. I thought British comedy was pretty bland and unfunny and a bit crude (but not the good kinda crude like Richard Pryor) But this changed my mind. So after seeing all the Bean episodes, I started looking for other things he's been in. So I went into the video store and found black adder, what I didn't know, and the salesperson didn't help me with, is that there are more than one series, and really they should be watched in order. I had bought one of the early years, and one of the wartime years. (the ending to me was rather dramatic for a comedy series, but fit the tone of the show) I have never watched these episodes from start to finish, as I am waiting to get this series (money reasons) I have seen the Christmas Carol (great irony) and the Back and Forth episode, which I loved. I Can't compare it to any "season" as i've never watched a full series. But it was great to see Rowan talking, and it was amazing how much of a prickly character he played. Mr. Bean was harmless like a little child, tossed into a grown up world. Black Adder was just downright bitter, and it was fun watching him take so much pleasure in playing the character. After watching this I also watched him in the Thin Blue Line (hopefully that is the right name of it)in which he played a police chief. But, it was black adder that showed his range and his live show (now on dvd) that told me how funny he could be and how british humor could be. Maybe he is an anomaly lol. Either way this collection is for people who both love Black Adder or anyone who loves great tv shows. I am rather a tv snob, so it's rare i give any show this kind of reccomendation. But it is one of the classics, but it's still fresh today, not only because of the writing, but since the show takes place in different time periods it rather avoids the "dated" problem. Now, remember I have not watched all the episodes, so this review is based on what I have seen. I'm sure anyone who is reading this is already curious as to what Black Adder is and whether or not it's funny, and I just want to let anyone who is on the borderline that you should buy this and share it without everyone you know, because this is one freaking funny show that should not be missed out on.

Remastered and Complete All 4 series and specials Plus an entire disc worth of bonus features English subtitles Arrived early and in great condition. A must own for any enthusiast of comedy, British or otherwise.

More wonderful British comedy.

OK, I will post a good boy comment, I would not want to hurt anyone's feelings. Fast service, great quality DVD, old school comedy that I grew up enjoying, you can take that any way you like.

I used to love Mr Bean and the Black Adder. The quality of the remastered videos is good, and the series are complete. To be honest, for me, it just hasn’t aged well. It’s not that the work is offensive or anything. It’s just I don’t find it as funny as I used to. I found some of the plots and gags tedious, kind of how Family Guy lost the bubble. Your mileage may vary.

Okey dokey...here is the brief...if you love British humor on the scale of 'Fawlty Towers', then, you will love the Black Adders series. There is a lot less physical humor in the Adder series and more tasty bon mots; so this entire series should be sub-titled, "The Art of The Insult". The main character, Edmund, the Black Adder, continually lambastes those of lower rank and peerage than himself throughout each episode and throughout the series as he attempts to gain favor with his higher ups thus gaining more power and money. The main target of his disdain and disgust is Baldrick, his servant, as well as others too dense to understand his thinly veiled attacks. The series characters are multi-generational descendants throughout British history. The titles are: 1.) 'The Black Adder', set in the fictional reign of "Richard IV". 2.) 'Blackadder II', was set during the reign of Elizabeth I. 3.) 'Blackadder the Third', set in the late 18th, early 19th centuries in the reign of George III. 4.) 'Blackadder Goes Forth', set in 1917, in the trenches of the World War I. Now the eras don't really matter so much although the history of each period is used to launch some very witty and hilarious jokes. No, you don't need to have passed your history class in high school to get the jokes. As a matter of fact the first series is set in a fictional reign of Richard IV in1485 at the end of the British Middle Ages. It is written as an alternative history in which King Richard III won the Battle of Bosworth Field only to be mistaken for someone else and murdered. He is succeeded by Richard IV, one of two Princes in the Tower imprisoned by Richard III. The second son from the tower is...Edmund, the Duke of Edinburgh, aka Black Adder, who attempts in each episode to increase his standing with his father and also wishes to overthrow him so he can be king. One episode in the series has Black Adder hosting his extremely wealthy, virtuous relatives and a stag party at the same time, in the same house. Switching between the two soirees as one gets more boring and the other gets increasingly wild is fun to watch as, again, Black Adders life is not getting any better as he tries to manage the mayhem. It is not necessary to review each series but to let you know that there are a multitude of British actors involved that you will recognize even if you don't recognize their names. Some of the actors are Stephen Frye (A Bit of Frye and Laurie, The Hobbit), Hugh Laurie (House, Jeeves and Wooster), Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter, Crying Game), Tim McInnery (Notting Hill, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter films, Henry V) and Brian Blessed (Star Wars Episode 1, Dr Who); some of the best actors of the time are featured in this series. The actors are cast in different parts throughout the series and do a fine comedic job. The series also features some Shakespearean dialogue, usually adapted for comic effect with the credits stating, "Additional Dialogue by William Shakespeare". Punking Shakespeare is the ultimate insult, yet there are many more as the series progresses so stay tuned. You may or may not recognize the inserted Shakespearean quatrains but it doesn't matter. The writers cleverly worked William's words into the script and the actors are able to use the language to its advantage. You will be none the wiser and you will laugh anyway. Believe me this is not high-brow entertainment. By the way, neither is Shakespeare. If you are not a fan of put-down humor then you should resist the urge to watch these hilarious 30 minute episodes that romp through history like a bull through a rose garden. I personally give it 5 Stars for its subtle appreciation and irreverence for history as well as its acerbic and wicked wit throughout the entire series. Shakespeare would be proud. After all, he wrote for the masses, peerage and royalty alike.

I'm not going to rehash the stories, since I've seen some very in-depth reviews that I can't improve upon. But here's my take: I've never been a big fan of Mr. Bean; I see it as an SNL skit: great in 2-5 minute chunks, but damned boring in a feature film. The first time I saw Mr. Atkinson truly speak (in a standup show), I thought he was a comedic genius & wished for more. I only caught part of a Black Adder show on PBS (where he turned highwayman)and was hooked. When this set came out on a Gold Box deal, I hadn't thought about the show in years, but had to buy it. Best money I've spent in a while. If you like British humor as well as intelligent sarcasm, you'll love this. Rowan Atkinson is great, but I doubt the show would be as good if it weren't for the fantastic supporting (?) cast. I was shocked to see Dr. House in drag and acting like a total moron (and doing so beautifully). My favorite character, though was Baldrick. He could always be counted on to come up with a 'cunning plan' to save the day. My main advice, if you're not a huge history buff (or only learned history in a US public school) is to watch the 'Moments in History' bonus features first. This way you'll understand many of the references made and get more of the subtle jokes as they happen. I'm a public school educated history buff & missed quite a few references that made sense after I discovered this material. Don't expect Monty Python or Benny Hill. They're both great, but this requires you to pay more attention. I love that about 'Black Adder' as too much comedy today is designed for those with short attention spans and no need for an education. I like 'The Blue Collar Comedy' series as much as the next guy, but intelligent humor is a rare blessing these days. I've just finished "Black Adder Goes Forth" and look forward to finishing the set over the next few days. I have no doubt I'll be ready to repeat this experience on a big screen when I get home (I'm on vacation & watching on my laptop right now).