La vipère noire

I love Rowan Atkinson. I think he's the best contemporary British comedian around. Rowan has a great talent especially playing Edmund Black Adder. Edmund, the Black Adder, begins the series in the Black Plague or Black Death. The second series is a lot better with Queen Elizabeth I played by the wonderful Miranda Richardson (I wondered what happened to her). This role was before her Oscar nominating role in Damage. She is hysterical as the Virgin Queen which I bet is the funniest Queen Elizabeth I in history. I love the costumes, the language. The series got better as it went along. I loved Hugh Laurie as the dumb prince. Tony Robinson as Baldrick always made me laugh. The Black Adder kept moving on until World War II. Don't you think it's time that Rowan Atkinson became knighted.

I have always been a fan of British TV comedy and this is one of my favorites. It's a good start to the whole series and "side" shows. It's interesting to note that the main character Edmond is silly and immature in this show while his henchmen come off has somewhat smarter. In later shows, Blackadder II, III, and go's forth, Edmond becomes ever smarter while the henchmen become as dumb as a box of rocks! It's also funny how he slides down the social ladder from duke to commoner. I highly recommend the whole series. It's appeal crosses all age groups with a few "blue" jokes but nothing remotely vulgar. As Blackadder mite put it "It's a show so clever, you could stitch on a tail and call it a weasel"

Although series 2 ('Elizabethan'), 3 ('Regency'), and 4 ('Great War') were probably better overall, this was the series that introduced Edmund Blackadder to the TV-watching world twenty years ago. In series 1, however, it was Edmund who was spineless and Baldrick who really did have the sense; in subsequent series these roles would be somewhat reversed and the idea then really took off.

I do like series 1 for the following reasons: strong casting aside from Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson and Tim McInnerny; this series included Brian Blessed, Robert East as regulars and guests like Peter Cook (brilliant in the very first episode), and Alex Norton (as McAngus). The eagle-eyed will also spot a very young Angus Deayton in the St Leonard's Day episode. While the three following series were sharper and more studio-based (not always a good thing ...) I do think the wild open spaces of The Black Adder helped enormously to get some sense of the Middle Ages into comedy, even if all four series have played havoc with historical fact!

If you are having trouble defining wit, sarcasm or tongue-in-cheek watch one episode of "Black Adder". It's all there and then some. Each episode mints a new insult or sly comeback. The art of verbal humor has finally found a champion in the authors and actors of Black Adder.

Much has been written here about `Black Adder' already, and even if you haven't seen it yet, you probably know whether or not you like the dry, sarcastic style of British comedy that this show typifies. Don't misunderstand, though. It's not all high-toned satirical treatment of British history. There's great low comedy, as well. I found it clever and multifaceted enough so that repeat viewing enhances my appreciation of it. For those not well-educated on the aspects British history and monarchy that this show sends up (as I am not), they also become clearer with repeat viewing. So if it doesn't quite register with you at first, you may want to revisit it again. However, DO NOT base your supposed knowledge of British history on this show, as they make things up for the sake of comedy.

With the recent release of the wonderful `Complete Collector's Set' of Blackadder series on DVD, I had the chance to watch them all again. If you've only ever seen these shows on American TV, you may be surprised at a few of the bits you hadn't seen before. The most striking example of this is the episode in the first series where Edmund Blackadder is named Archbishop of Canterbury. To my surprise, I found an extended version of the scene where Edmund, Percy and Baldrick discuss the marketing of fake religious relics, a scene in which occurs a large and intimidating codpiece known as the `Black Russian,' and of course, the scene wherein Baldrick subdues a troublesome bishop by beating him with a crucifix. Obviously, Satan and his pitchforks hold no fears for the posteriors of Black Adder's producers, while American TV execs still fearfully guard their nether regions, if not from the Devil's minions, at least from religious protesters. Political correctness will be the death of comedy, yet.

Among the special features of the DVDs are brief history lessons on certain historical figures, events, places, and cultural references in the shows, explained by Tony Robinson in Baldrick's wonderful, melodious working-class accent. Also, they cover not just all four series, but every special show and skit associated with Black Adder, making it truly `complete.' The packaging design of the Complete Collector's Set is so cunning, you could brush your teeth with it, though I wouldn't recommend it.