Goodbye Mister B (Blackadder - Complete Series 4 (Blackadder Goes Forth) (DVD))

Name: Templar19

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Product:	Blackadder - Complete Series 4 (Blackadder Goes Forth) (DVD)
Date:	29/04/08 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Witty, clever and poignant

Disadvantages: A little dated, many will have seen the series time and again

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 butler to the Prince Regent in the early 19th century. Each of those incarnations had a series to themselves: The Black Adder (1983); Blackadder II (1986); and Blackadder the Third (1987). But it's with the fourth and final incarnation of the character that we are concerned with here, an incarnation that appeared in the 1989 series which is contained on this BBC DVD under review, Blackadder Goes Forth.

Here we find Captain Edmund Blackadder of the British Army (Atkinson) marooned in the trenches of the Western Front in 1917 and with only one thought in mind: how to get out alive. He's a cynical professional soldier who is bemused by the modern and efficient (and insane) 'war to end all wars' and his task is hastened by the impending "Big Push" that ideally will see everyone "sucking sausages in Berlin by tea-time" but, as Captain B knows very well, will actually see him and many more like him stone-dead in no man's land in no time at all. The series follows his varied attempts to escape the carnage.

Captain Blackadder is joined by a familiar host of characters who had popped up in various forms throughout the three previous series: The odoriferous and idiotic Private Baldrick (Tony Robinson) along with the well-meaning upper-class-twit, Lieutenant 'George' (Hugh Laurie), both of whom share the Captain's trench and are exploited routinely by their C.O. in his varied attempts to escape the madness; and the pair of gents back at Staff HQ who routinely scupper Blackadder's plans, bumptious buffoon, General Melchett (Stephen Fry) and his snivelling and sycophantic aide, Captain Darling (Tim McInnerny). There are also a few familiar faces who appear in specific episodes.

Episode 1 - "Captain Cook"

A tale of art, creative cookery and secret suicide missions. Captain B lands a job as a war artist by passing off one of George's works as his own, thinking that the job will entail some fun-time in Paris. But instead he and his two hapless sidekicks find themselves in no man's land sketching enemy positions for intelligence purposes. Recording a few "armaments factories" and, thanks to George's imagination, some "elephants" they survive only to face certain death in the coming offensive. Luckily a fake phone call to HQ claiming to be from Pope Gregory IX secures them a job. Posing as Italian cooks they dish up some of Baldrick's appalling improvised specialities to the General and Captain Darling.

A funny introduction to the series and an indication of the form it will take: witty one-liners delivered by the deadpan and contemptuous Blackadder as well as from his two innocent foils. The battle of wits between Captains Blackadder and Darling also begins. The two men are actually very similar in that they both just want to survive and will do anything to make sure they do. The element of pathos in their desperation begins to build.

Episode 2 - "Corporal Punishment"

Captain B finds himself on trial for his life after shooting and eating the General's prized carrier-pigeon, Speckled Jim. Baldrick's confusion inevitably cocks things up and the Captain finds himself defended by the hapless George instead of the finest legal brain in England, who has mistakenly been sent a letter requesting a sponge bag. Blackadder is condemned to death by the presiding military judge, a vengeful Melchett. Cue some cheerful members of the firing squad, a Robin Hood costume provided by Baldrick as a cunning disguise for when the Captain escapes and a last minute reprieve granted by George's uncle who just happens to be Minister of War.

The funniest moments are when the Captain is in his cell awaiting his fate, attended-to by his camp and cheerful guard (Jeremy Hardie): the reminiscence about his expected lawyer, Bob Massingbird, who got "big butch Oscar Wilde, the terror of the ladies", sent down for being a "woopsie"; and the contents of Baldrick's escape pack, notably the miniature trumpet provided in case the Captain needed to "find favour with a difficult child!"

Episode 3 - "Major Star"

Blackadder becomes an impresario, hosting a show to cheer up the men and stop them taking too much notice of the unfolding Russian Revolution. If the show is a success it will go on to the London Palladium and the Captain will spend the rest of the war comfortably billeted in the Ritz Hotel. George is the leading 'lady' but complications ensue when the General fall in love with 'her' and proposes marriage. 'Georgina' must be got rid of and a story is invented whereby she strayed too near a mine and was blown to kingdom come.

Relief is on hand when Melchett's driver, Bob (Gabrielle Glaister), a girl in disguise who is keen to experience a "man's war", steps in but the General dislikes the "drag act" and the show is cancelled. The Americans arrive at the Front laden with Charlie Chaplin films and with a message from the little tramp himself (to whom Blackadder has already sent an insulting telegram) telling all that the films can be shown twice-nightly just so long as the projectionist is a certain Captain Blackadder.

Episode 4 - "Private Plane"

Womanizing sex-machine and hero of the Royal Flying Corps, Lord Flasheart (Rick Mayall) crash-lands in Blackadder's trench and while waiting to be picked up regales the men with tales of life in the "Twentyminuters". Finding out that twenty minutes is the average time a pilot spends in the air, the Captain, Baldrick and George enlist in the Flying Corps expecting a cushy time of it. As it turns out, twenty minutes is actually the average life-expectancy of new pilots but by the time Blackadder finds this out it is too late.

Cue a brief flying career for the Captain and Baldrick before they are shot down and imprisoned by the Red Baron himself, Manfred von Richthofen (Adrian Edmondson). Baldrick worries for his virtue as the Germans "will have their wicked way with anything of woman born" but his fears are groundless. The two captives are instead to be humiliated by being sent to Germany to teach home economics to schoolgirls. Blackadder thinks he could stand such a punishment but before they leave they are rescued by Lord Flash and the Captain's teaching dream is dashed.

Episode 5 - "General Hospital"

George is slightly wounded during a game of I Spy and is sent to hospital. When the Captain and Baldrick visit him to raid the inevitable food hamper "the size of Westminster Abbey" that will have been sent by his "in-bred" family they meet soppy Nurse Fletcher-Brown (Miranda Richardson) and a curiously German-sounding patient, Smith (Bill Wallis). The Captain is then informed by HQ that there is a German spy at work and he is given the task of "winkling" him (or her) out. The Captain returns to the hospital, convinced that he has his man.

He soon gets intimate with Nurse Brown, who's soppiness is only her "fluffy bunny" bedside manner, and begins interrogating suspects, Captain Darling being the first. The nurse is suspected and then turned in; a firing squad awaits. It turns out that Smith is actually a British spy who has simply picked up a "bit of an accent" while working in Germany. Only too late do all discover that the spy was actually George who had inadvertently been sending chatty letters to his inquisitive German Uncle. The interrogation techniques recommended to the Captain are interesting and involve "getting hold of a cocker spaniel, placing [the interogee's] todger between two floury baps and shouting, 'dinner-time Fido!'"

Episode 6 - "Goodbyeee"

This is the episode that everyone seems to remember. The Big Push is imminent and time is running out for Captain Blackadder. What is he to do? He decides to fake madness by putting a pair of underpants on his head and two pencils up his nose. The plan fails when Melchett spots it as an old army trick. There is only one thing left: he remembers that he once saved Field Marshal Haig (Geoffrey Palmer) from a "pygmy woman with a sharpened slice of mango" back when they were both in the East African Rifles together and phones him to call in the favour. Haig simply suggests the underpants trick and Captain B realises that he's done for.

Captain Darling is no luckier. General Melchett signs an order for the front line that will allow Darling to join his comrades immediately in order for him to take part in "the final scrum-down". Darling and Blackadder make a reconciliation of sorts and the gang reminisce for a while. Baldrick recites his war poems and the 1914 football match against the Germans, played during the Christmas truce, is remembered by Captain B; an offside decision given against him still seems to rankle. The final order comes and all of them go over the top to meet their fate. The final scene fades to show the modern poppy fields of Flanders.

Since its first broadcast in 1989 "Blackadder Goes Forth" has entered the pantheon of British comedy classics, being voted 16th in the list of 100 Greatest Television Programmes. This can be a good thing, but also a bad thing. Sometimes our memories play tricks on us and when we watch a comedy that we haven't seen in years it might not be as funny as we remember it being.

"Blackadder Goes Forth" seems curiously dated now. It is, after all, nearly twenty years old and when compared to modern comedies - for example, "Curb your Enthusiasm", "Extras", even "Peep Show" - it can strike us as being quite formal and traditional. However, it IS the best of the Blackadder bunch and the scripts are consistently funny and clever. The comedy of Captain Blackadder himself is as much in what he doesn't say as in what he does say; his reactions to the idiocy around him can be priceless. There is also a layer of pathos that runs right through the series because we all know right from the start that the characters are doomed. At the end they all meet their fate with a quiet dignity and that is quite touching.

The BBC DVD is a simple package that contains all six episodes as well as scene and episode selection. There is also a subtitle facility for the hearing impaired. The total running-time is 174 minutes.

Amazon.co.uk currently offers the DVD for £13.48 but cheaper deals are certainly out there because I bought my copy in a supermarket for £8.00.

Summary: A classic 80s comedy that still makes us laugh