Favorite TV Shows: Blackadder
I love Rowan Atkinson. I think he’s a comedy genius, but I’m not sure how well known he is here in the US. I think we’ve mostly seen him in some bit parts like in Four Weddings and a Funeral, and maybe Mr. Bean, but that may be it. While I love Mr. Bean, which shows off his enormous talent at physical comedy, I first became aware of him thanks to a friend who introduced me to his series, Blackadder. If you have never seen this, I hope you do yourself a favor and seek it out.
The series tells the story of several generations worth of scoundrels. The story begins in the Dark Ages, where Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh. It starts out with the Battle of Bosworth Field, where a kindly Richard III is killed and succeeded by Richard IV. Edmund is the second son and so not favored at all. His inept attempts to redeem himself continually fail, until he eventually decides to scrap the idea and just become a bad guy, adopting the nickname The Black Adder, which all of his offspring adopt. From there is moves to the Elizabethan Age, where gaining favor with the queen takes on a decidedly more dangerous edge, as Queenie is continually having people’s heads removed. Blackadder falls even further during the Regency, although he still is rubbing elbows with royalty, just this time as the valet of the Prince. The fourth and last full season of the series takes place during World War I, where Blackadder is on the front lines of the trench war. There’s also a special where Blackadder travels through time.
Along the way Blackadder is accompanied by his faithful servants Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson, and Percy, played by Tim McInnerny, both of whom are brilliantly ridiculous. In the second season, they are joined by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. There are so many hilarious guest stars as well including the entire cast of The Young Ones, Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter series), Robbie Coletrane (Hagrid in Harry Potter), Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter), and Tom Baker (Doctor Who).
The first season is not the best. The second is, so if you find yourself wondering what the heck I’m talking about with this, just hang on until you get to season two and if you still don’t like it, I find it hard to believe you’d find anything funny. It’s a very British sense of humor, and I guess that sometimes is difficult for some people, so I guess you have to take this recommendation with a grain of salt. You know if you like Britcoms, and if you don’t then you won’t like this. If you do like Britcoms, you’ve probably already watched this one. So I guess I’m writing this for anyone who might be on the fence with their comedies.
The comedy ranges from silly to intelligent, physical to cerebral. But there is more than that. There is a bit of history to the show; the final episode of the fourth season is really touching. The characters are well drawn, with Blackadder becoming less unctuous and more confident, smooth, and suave (mostly), despite his failures and falling from grace through the centuries.
But the best part is always Atkinson himself. While Mr. Bean may have brought him to the American attention, he deserves it more for Blackadder. It is more akin to the role he played in the movie Love Actually than the broader comedic parts he’s played. Perhaps it’s that subtler stance that has kept it from being so popular. Perhaps it’s Atkinson’s reluctance to appear in public. He rarely makes appearances and keeps his personal life strictly private. He also appears to be very selective when it comes to the films he appears in. His most recent role is in a TV series based on the Maigret novels by Georges Simenon. He’s also apparently developing a third Johnny English film. Hopefully he’ll receive more recognition from American audiences. But if not, I hope at least more Americans can become aware of this amazing series.
The series tells the story of several generations worth of scoundrels. The story begins in the Dark Ages, where Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh. It starts out with the Battle of Bosworth Field, where a kindly Richard III is killed and succeeded by Richard IV. Edmund is the second son and so not favored at all. His inept attempts to redeem himself continually fail, until he eventually decides to scrap the idea and just become a bad guy, adopting the nickname The Black Adder, which all of his offspring adopt. From there is moves to the Elizabethan Age, where gaining favor with the queen takes on a decidedly more dangerous edge, as Queenie is continually having people’s heads removed. Blackadder falls even further during the Regency, although he still is rubbing elbows with royalty, just this time as the valet of the Prince. The fourth and last full season of the series takes place during World War I, where Blackadder is on the front lines of the trench war. There’s also a special where Blackadder travels through time.
Along the way Blackadder is accompanied by his faithful servants Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson, and Percy, played by Tim McInnerny, both of whom are brilliantly ridiculous. In the second season, they are joined by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. There are so many hilarious guest stars as well including the entire cast of The Young Ones, Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter series), Robbie Coletrane (Hagrid in Harry Potter), Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter), and Tom Baker (Doctor Who).
The first season is not the best. The second is, so if you find yourself wondering what the heck I’m talking about with this, just hang on until you get to season two and if you still don’t like it, I find it hard to believe you’d find anything funny. It’s a very British sense of humor, and I guess that sometimes is difficult for some people, so I guess you have to take this recommendation with a grain of salt. You know if you like Britcoms, and if you don’t then you won’t like this. If you do like Britcoms, you’ve probably already watched this one. So I guess I’m writing this for anyone who might be on the fence with their comedies.
The comedy ranges from silly to intelligent, physical to cerebral. But there is more than that. There is a bit of history to the show; the final episode of the fourth season is really touching. The characters are well drawn, with Blackadder becoming less unctuous and more confident, smooth, and suave (mostly), despite his failures and falling from grace through the centuries.
But the best part is always Atkinson himself. While Mr. Bean may have brought him to the American attention, he deserves it more for Blackadder. It is more akin to the role he played in the movie Love Actually than the broader comedic parts he’s played. Perhaps it’s that subtler stance that has kept it from being so popular. Perhaps it’s Atkinson’s reluctance to appear in public. He rarely makes appearances and keeps his personal life strictly private. He also appears to be very selective when it comes to the films he appears in. His most recent role is in a TV series based on the Maigret novels by Georges Simenon. He’s also apparently developing a third Johnny English film. Hopefully he’ll receive more recognition from American audiences. But if not, I hope at least more Americans can become aware of this amazing series.
Comments
Post a Comment