Blackadder - Complete Series 4 (Blackadder Goes Forth) (DVD)

When we think of the 1980s in the U.K. we can picture many things: yuppies, Princess Di, Margaret Thatcher, mobile phones the size of bricks and, last but not least, 'alternative' comedy. For the latter, as far as TV went, its beginning was heralded by the BBC's "Not The Nine O'Clock News" series that began in 1979. One of the stars of that series, Rowan Atkinson, would in the 80s create a comedy character whose several historical incarnations would become synonymous with that decade, one Edmund Blackadder. He first popped up at the tail-end of the Wars of the Roses, reappeared a century or so later at the court of Good Queen Bess then again as ...  Read the complete review

The fourth and final series of Blackadder sees Rowan Atkinson play as a reluctant Captain in the trenches of the first world war who, far from filled with patriotic fervour joined the British army back in the days when it was an expeditionary force, consisiting, in his own words, of more of an "overseas gentlemans club" in which the chief priorities were sleeping with native girls and taking the lands of people armed only with sharp pieces of fruit. The world-weary Captain Blackadder finds himself effectively incarcerated alongside Private Baldrick (Tony Robinson), whose character has regressed to even greater relams of stupidity, and the equally ...  Read the complete review

Blackadder was a very successful comedy series for the BBC and had 4 series. Each series had a theme/ time period. This DVD has all 6 episodes of series 4 on it. Series 4 is set in the British trenches in World War 1. Blackadder (who is played excellently by Rowan Atkinson) is desperate to get out of the war (or at least the trenches) and thinks the whole thing is pointless. He tries all sorts of cunning tricks to get out but none of them quite work! In his trench is Baldrick (Tony Robinson) who is incredibly dumb and smelly. I think Baldrick is brilliant and provides many of the laughs with his stupidity. Blackadder is also stuck with Lieutenant ...  Read the complete review

Blackadder is the generic name of a historical sitcom by the BBC that ran for four series. Each series is set in a completely different era from the Tudors to World War One, yet each follow the fortunes and misfortunes of Edmond Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson and his sidekick though more often dogsbody Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson. In each series Blackadder must not only try and put up with Baldrick's dim wits and poor personal hygiene standards but also an equally dim-witted aristocrat (Lord Percy Percy played by Tim McInnerny in series 1 and 2, Prince George in series 3 and Lieutenant George in series 4 both played by Hugh Laurie). The fourth ...  Read the complete review

I watched a cast reunion program about a week ago which made me think about this series again. I loved all the Blackadder series, but for me I think that series 4 was outstanding. They tackled a really tragic situation and managed to bring out the humour and still show the dignity which should be attributed to the men who lost their lives during the pointless futility of the First World War. I think it has to do with the ability to be in the middle of a really funny scene which switfly moves from comedy to drama so smoothly. I have said in reviews of other comedy series that only the best comedies can manage this seamless step from comedy to tradgedy and this is one ...  Read the complete review