Blackadder: The Cavalier Years

I usually only rate an entire series, so reviewing a short fifteen minutes piece is difficult. It's basically an ordinary Blackadder episode with the same, great, British humour. And the setting is unique as we don't see it again after this, unlike the other settings which encompass whole series. Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) and Baldrick (Tony Robinson) are in the time of King Charles I (Stephen Fry) and Oliver Cromwell (Warren Clarke) where they try to protect the King from the threat of Oliver Cromwell.

Unique, but I wouldn't say it stands out from the others. Just another episode of Blackadder, but shorter due to the Comic Relief telethon here in the United Kingdom. No reason not to watch this if you're a fan of Blackadder.

Yet another great take on the "Blackadder" character in this short installment set in the "Cavalier Years" - the English Civil War (1642 - 1651). Rowan Atkinson slips straight back into his role beautifully for this special episode (filmed in between series 2 and 3 from what I understand). Hugh Laurie and Tim McInnery are absent in this, but the cast make excellent use of their limited time and resources to create a fifteen-minute episode that rivals any of the other series'.

As with all Blackadders, the background setting is remarkably complimentary to the comedy, and we are treated to seeing Stephen Fry act as King Charles II, as well as Baldrick, well, acting as moronic as ever. Blackadder's scheming and plotting is there, as well as the classic Blackadder-style twists. It's production values aren't as polished as the other installments, but this short episode in English history and English comedy is well worth tracking down.

"Blackadder: The Cavalier Years" is a very short, and very funny, episode of the adventures of one of the Blackadder's characters as played by the legendary Rowan Atkinson.

The story doesn't really matter, but goes around King Charles I being on the run from Cromwell and hiding at Blackadder's place. Of course, Cromwell discovers quite fast that King Charles I is there and apprehends him. Edmund will try to save... will try to do what interests him best, as always.

For a very short episode, just 15 minutes long, this "The Cavalier Years" pucks a punch and it's full of very funny jokes. The delivery is great, and all the actors do an amazing job on keeping the things funny and very silly. Probably at this stage they could all have played the characters in their sleep, but still do a great job in making them funny for the viewer. The production values and the camera work are just OK, but that is not what really matters.

A great extra in the "Blackadder"'s world.

I felt rather wistful watching this 16 minute segment from Comic Relief. That's because a Blackadder series set during the English Civil War might have been terrific--too bad it was only a small segment and not an entire series! The show is set in the final days of the Civil War. At this point King Charles is virtually alone--with only Blackadder and Baldrick! In other words, he's totally screwed! Eventually, the King is captured and the next order of business is to find someone awful enough to be willing to execute the man. Take a wild guess which scoundrel they manage to find who is willing to do this infamous deed! Overall, not bad at all--just too short, too short, too short.

This instalment of Blackadder is not a regular episode. It is a fifteen minute special written for the 1988 Comic Relief telethon here in the UK. However, despite its short running time it manages to cram in all of the usual Blackadder humour. Blackadder - The Cavalier Years is just as funny as the other episodes.