@@stuarthastie6374 Richardson isn't playing her as a bimbo. She's playing her as a spoilt 5 year old girl, who's temper tantrums could result in anyones execution.
Miranda Richardson is playing a slightly batty Queen Elizabeth 1st - the thing to remember is at that time the power of the Monarch was near to _absolute_ and the the jobs, homes, freedom and even lives of those at Court (which Blackadder had now joined) depended on staying in the Queen's good books. There was tremendous peer group pressure to become a sycophant and the Queenie character sometimes has some fun seeing who would do the most ridiculous or preposterous things just to appease her.
Imagine someone who actually had the power that Trump thought that he had. Or perhaps a monarch who thought that they had the power that Trump actually had. America would be very different today if everyone who p*ssed Donnie off was just taken away & executed; not in 10 or 15 years time, after a long legal wrangle, & several stays, but next week.
@@chassetterfield9559 Yes, America as a bankrupt, fascist, police-state where society crumbles as ordinary people starve while the 'Supreme Leader' and his family live in luxury - imagine that.
Yes, it`s Mr Bean. The first series was expensive, filmed on locations with big sets and a big cast.. It wasn`t as funny and had less gags. They were only allowed a second series if they could get the costs down and put more gags in. So they filmed on small sets with a tiny ensemble and hired Ben Elton to write funny stuff. `Queenie` is Elizabeth 1st played by Miranda Richardson who is channelling the character of a posh girl she knew at school.
Baldrick said "We're not at home to Mr. Cock-up". Which basically means, let's try to avoid any mistakes (cock ups). Yes, it is Rowan Atkinson, he always plays the title role of Edmund Blackadder. I can't wait until you see Hugh Laurie's characters, it'll be interesting to see if you recognise him.
All the Blackadders are consistently funny and high quality. I think the British system of having fewer episodes in a series and mostly filming them all before release helps maintain quality. Nice reaction, I like the way you dive in and fully commit to finding out about your subject.
The first series was a bit hit and miss but it did have real belly laughs, the black Russian codpiece springs to mind, and Miriam Margolees as the Spanish Infanta🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The other comedy series (more like a training guide) that you should check out is Yes Minister, it is old and still somehow totally up to date. It is very well acted and features Nigel Hawthorne
Who in the 70's and 80's would think Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister would be barely parody by now? In some ways modern UK politics is more farcical!
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister two superb shows which showed the power of the Civil Service and meant lots of laughs. I still remember the episode where they were drinking on the fly in the embassy.
Just love this Blackadder series. Queen Elizabeth 1 reigned from 1558 so yes she was an actual queen. I love the way they call her Queenie. Miranda Richardson plays a very funny role. You sure need to watch a lot more of this series it’s so funny!
@@thefowlyetti2 no the 2nd one was the best one and it got worse everytime. Still, our differences aside any of them are better than the stuff they put on these days.
Miranda Richardson is so good at this role of "Queenie" its up there with Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson & Cate Blachett. Queenie has the mannerisms of a spoilt schoolgirl who just happened to possess the kind of casual, autocratic power that could have someone put to death if their nose is prettier than hers - a power which she revels in.
The queen is Elizabeth I. She's the daughter of Henry VIII and reigned from 1558 to 1603. The other characters are mostly fictional but, Stephan Fry's character is probably based on William Cecil who was chief adviser to the Queen. The Cecil family were an extremly influental Protestant noble family during this time period. William Cecil was an important influence behind the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and his son Robert would be instrumental in the accession of Jame I and the investigation/discovery of the Gunpowder Plot. Also Baldrick is played by Tony Robinson: an amazing actor, comedian and presenter. He has presented a lot of history documentiaries and Time Team is probably his most famous documentary. It follows a group of specialists and university professors conducting archaeological digs. I use to watch it a lot when I was younger.
I wonder why no American has yet reacted to Time Team? They even did one or two episodes in the United States but obviously of pre-Revolutionary sites. I remember that when they excavated a grave in a former churchyard they made the point that the skeleton within was actually an English person buried as such and Professor Mick Aston pointed out to the American archaeologist present that we would not be able to excavate such a grave back home in the UK because they are still in consecrated graveyards!
What's to get about the synopsis? Blackadder is the family surname, and every series has some combination of a cunning/witty/sadistic Blackadder at a different time in history attempting to improve his social standing; occasionally succeeding, but more often being foiled by the idiots arounds him.
Though note that Blackadder's social standing actually declines from one series to the next. He starts off as royalty in S1, and ends up just a regular, relatively junior army officer in S4.
Some basic explanations of Blackadder: there were four seasons of six episodes; 1 - The Black Adder, 2 - Blackadder II, 3 - Blackadder the Third, 4 - Blackadder goes Forth; and some specials - Blackadder's Christmas Carol, Blackadder - The Cavalier Years, Blackadder - Back and Forth, Blackadder - The Army Years. 1 was set during the fictional Reign of Richard IV, 2 was during the Elizabethan period, 3 was the Regency of George III (Prince George would become George IV), and 4 is in 1918 in the Trenches of World War One; The Christmas Carol was a full-length special rewriting the Dickensian story with Blackadder changing from a philanthropist to an utter bastard instead. The Cavalier Years was a Comic Relief spot in two parts of about 10 minutes, set during the English Civil War. Back and Forth was a similar special for the millennium, with Baldrick inventing a time machine and he and Blackadder jumping through history: Dinosaurs, Robin Hood, Shakespeare, Hadrian's Wall (Roman Occupation), Napoleon (with 2 Darlings).... The Army Years was a monologue in present day, I think for a Royal Variety Performance - a riff on how the only time Britain has been on top economically was when they Invaded France. The core stars were: Rowan Atkinson and (sir) Tony Robinson in everything (except Army Years). Tim McInerney was main cast in 1, 2 & 4; Stephen Fry was main cast for 2 & 4; both cameo in single episodes of 3. Hugh Laurie was main cast for 3 & 4. Recurring cast included Rik Mayall, Gabrielle Glaiser, Miriam Margoyles, Jim Broadbent..... and cameos all over.
It's OK to call it "season 2," SoGal - we have adopted that terminology over here! This was indeed the point at which Blackadder found its wings and really started flying. The first season was enjoyable, but the titular character was a pathetic fop whilst Baldrick was cunning; for this second season onwards, their characters were reversed and it allowed Rowan Atkinson to be more waspish, which he turned out to be especially good at. Those two characters do indeed roll over from one season to the next, and remain as they are. Setting it in the Elizabethan era afforded plentiful opportunity to write and play it like a Shakespearean comedy (Shakespeare lived during Elizabeth I's reign) and Miranda Richardson really hammed it up as Elizabeth I, who would certainly not have been so silly - it's all for the humour, of course, because Blackadder doesn't suffer idiots yet must tolerate her idiocy because as Queen she would have the literal power of life or death over him. 8:02 Baldrick's line is "We're not at home to Mr Cock-Up," using the British slang for "mistake" or "blooper." You say that some of the humour might have gone past you as an American, but I saw you laughing in all the right places, so I think you're going to enjoy this as well as we Brits do!
No we haven't adopted "season" millenials repeat it as their viewing habits are dominated by US sources and monkey see monkey do. But Season is a legitimate tv seasons worth of viewing, that's why American series of 20 plus episodes are referred to as a season. British series of 6 episodes do not warrant the nomenclature.
@@terrortorn That's true enough, though one can also consider the context of sporting seasons or growing seasons - asparagus can only be grown in Britain for a couple of months, and our farmers do have a saying, consequently, that the British asparagus season is a short one - just enough for 6 episodes of a particular series, in fact. 😉 Whether we in the UK use the term or not is ultimately not a problem if an American refers to a season. It's their understanding and parlance, though SoGal is highly commendable for making the effort to learn how we say and do things.
@@MS-19 No, American tv schedules have legitimate seasons. Americans refer to their Autumn/Winter season line up and successful series are commissioned to run the full length of a tv season 20+ episodes. For instance the original Dear John written by John Sullivan was 14 episodes in total over 2 series. When the US took it up it they stretched it out to 90 episodes to make it fit their season output. They do it for virtually everything.
@@terrortorn I wonder if that's why (to take one example) Star Trek: The Animated Series had a large slate of about 16 episodes in its first season, but only 6 in its second?
@@MS-19 I think all these things also come under the influence of funding, copyright rights, writers motivations, audience retention, immediate success or lack of it and not only prescriptive broadcast schedules.
Season 2 (or Blackadder II) was when they settled into a pattern for the next two seasons too: Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder (Prince Edmund in the First, Lord Blackadder in the Second, the Honourable in the Third - ie upper-middle class, and Middle Class "Mr" Captain Blackadder in the Forth) (sir) Tony Robinson as S.Baldrick - a dogsbody, peasant, working class. Tim McInerney as Percy in the Second and Captain Kevin Darling in the Forth. Hugh Laurie (aka Dr. House) as Prince George in the Third and Lt. George St.John-Montague-Smythe in the Forth. And Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett in the Second, Lord Wellington cameo in the Third and General Melchett in the Forth. Miranda Richardson is Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, ie. Virginia.... played for a petulant child..... Rik Mayall is Lord Flashart (woof).... he took over every scene. The Humour is more cerebral and intellectual wordplay... along with the recurrent "Cunning Plan".
Hello SoGal and Roger. The actor who plays Baldrick is Tony Robinson. He also was in a series called Time Team that did serious historical investigation at archeological sites. See also Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, that almost paved the way for Horrible Histories. Perhaps Roger could copy Baldrick's hat? Or instead wear a ruff. I did wonder if you would get this style of comedy, since we British are in general a pretty disrespectful bunch, especially to those who are seen as from a different class, which is behind a lot of UK comedy. The characters in this do follow the names, almost as representing their class in each period. There is a bit of this in Dad's Army. There is a sketch you should see with John Cleese and the Two Ronnie's that is based on this. Baldrick is like the working class character. To go on would be spoilers, but as in this "I know my place". When I first did comments, from seeing you start the channel, I was not sure if I would strike the right note. If we like something in UK we tend to make fun of it in a way that can seem insulting to people who expect the British to be a cultured and reverential people, but as I said in a previous comment, you have seen Sharpe now and since that Private Hook in Zulu. You are more getting it than not. Happy viewing.
The sets are typical budget tv sets of the time. When a door slams, all the walls shake. The Blackadder and Baldrick characters/actors are in every series, other actors are in other series but play different characters.
Yes, the characters carry on through the series including Baldrick. 'Queenie' is a caricature of the very real Elizabeth I who was one of the most famous British monarchs in history; her reign basically laid the foundation for Great Britain becoming an empire by building the strongest navy and trade fleet of that era.
When I was at University, I showed this to my American friends who didn't laugh once whilst we all roared. However, after we watched Seinfeld, which I didn't get at all and yet my American friends thought was hilarious.
Thinking on, when you've finished Blackadder and Dad's Army, you might want to check out Goodnight Sweetheart. It's a sitcom about a man who time travels back to wartime.
Each series is set in true historical times, but they have taken enormous liberties with the real characters of the people named. Baldric 'travels' forward with Blackadder for all the four series. They work like a theatre company, many of the actors turning up in the other series in different parts - certainly Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and the chap who plays Sir Percy (sorry forgotten his name for the moment).
The Queen 'Queenie' (played by the excellent Miranda Richardson) is a parody of Queen Elizabeth I who reigned from 1558 to 1603 and was very much a real queen. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and most famous for the Spanish Armada and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. Yes that is Rowan Atkinson in the title role, plus Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett and Tim Mcinnerny (101 Dalmations and Notting Hill) as Lord Percy.
All the characters are descended from the original characters in the first series of Blackadder, the series follows the trials and tribulations of the characters desendents, with the first Blackadder being Prince Edmund, supposedly the youngest son of Richard III, in series 2 Queenie is based loosely on Elizabeth I.
In episode one ( series1) he is the youngest son of the fictitious Richard IV, played by Brian Blessed. He does for Richard III, played by Peter Cook, at the battle of Bosworth. ' first battle since puberty, and I can't find the field! '. When Henry VII turns up at the end of the final episode, he gives instructions that the whole sorry mess of a reign should be written out of history, giving Richard Curtis room to write his interpretation of the times.
I met baldrick( Tony Robinson) in my local bar.. He was filming the time team.... Nice guy,.. Black adder is kinda sarcastic humour.. Glad you enjoyed it..
Watch out for the wickedly funny Miriam Margolees as Lady Whiteadder and her classic line, "Cold is god's way of telling us to burn more Catholics." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Baldrick is in all the seasons, Percy is in the first season, and the fourth as Cpt. Darling. Lord Melchet (Stephen Fry) also appears as the Duke of Wellington in Blackadder 3, and as General Melchet in 4. Hugh Laurie (House) is the Prince Regent in Season 3 and as Lt. George in Season 4. Missing the 1st season means you miss Blackadder's fall from grace from the 2nd son of a king to that of a captain in the army via being a lord and a valet to the Prince Regent in between.
Blackadder and Baldrick are in all the series, Melchet turns up again in the fourth series and Percy becomes Captain Darling in the fourth. Hugh Laurie joins the cast in the third and fourth series as king George and Lieutenant George.
You'll find that the core of the cast travel through various time periods. The middle ages season 1 The Elizabethen period. Queen Elizabeth 1st. (Season 2) Season 3 The regency period King George the 3rd Season 4 France 1917 ww1 .
The Queen is Elizabeth1 or Elizabeth Tudor Queen of England played by Miranda Richardson "Were not at home to Mr Cock Up" means they don't do mistakes The series of BlackAdder all the main characters carry on through all the four series. Basically it's how the dynasty of BlackAdde'rs and Baldrick's are through the ages
QE1 in American terms was a "bad ass" monarch. Speech "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field."
We had this series on DVD as a boxed set when I was a kid and we would watch and re-watch it- the whole family over and over! Man, I miss those times! One of the few things we enjoyed together. :'( I must've watched each of these episodes like 50 times. My favorite was the episode with the baby murdering bishop. 😀
They satirise the Queen (Elizabeth Tudor) by making her immature and fickle natured, when history tells us that she was quite the opposite. The style of the comedy is typical of Ben Elton, one of the writers, it is satirical rather than sarcastic.
Miranda Richardson is playing Queen Elizabeth I. But the writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton wrote the character as a kind of spoiled teenage girl used to getting her own way!! Its generally held that Blackadder and Baldrick are decendents in each of the series. Percy was in the first series as well but not in the third or fourth.
@wafefite. I had suggested the film in SoGal comments before, because it shows the British had German soldiers too in AWI, but feared the headless horseman might put Sarah off.
Hi SoGal ... the theme music was composed by Howard Goodall (you're already familiar with him from your music series) ... Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder ... Sir Tony Robinson who plays Baldrick has presented many history programmes including Time Team, Worst Jobs in History & in 2005 he joined James Cameron on his final dive to the Titanic.
I have met him twice and he was a miserable git on both occasions. the first time was with the Time Team digging at a German AA batterie here in Jersey. the second time was doing another history programme where he filmed at Elizabeth Castle.
Howard Goodall also wrote the music for Red Dwarf, which is one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. I recommended it to SoGal in a comment on another video as I know she is a Star Trek fan.
There are 2 stand alones too. Those are good. Blackadder goes Back and Forth and Xmas Carol. Tony Robinson presented Time Time if you like archaeology.
Baldrick says "We are not a home to Mr. Cock-up" which means we do not make mistakes. For example if in one of your puppet shows you stumble over your script then you have cocked-up the script.
You are so correct in that Blackadder references British culture heavily, so it would be harder for an American to perhaps follow. What I would say, however, is that whilst it is very obviously a comedy, some of the history is not totally inaccurate and I think that if you are able to watch it you will gain a decent understanding of various periods of British history. For example, This series of Blackadder is set during the reign of Elizabeth I, one of England's greatest Queens, and I would recommend you watch the movies about her life as there are a few excellent ones. I think that if you watch, say, "Elizabeth" with Cate Blanchett and/or the sequel "Elizabeth: The Golden Years" you will probably be able to follow them and enjoy them better having watched Blackadder Series 2.
It's a shame about the Copyright, but it's a very good show, worth watching the entire lot just for your own entertainment. The Queen is physically Based on Elizabeth I, but mentally exaggerated and silly for the show. With some realities thrown in (Elizabeth I had problems looking for a partner, she was not keen on royalty and typical rich men, she was known for her desire to marry a intelligent but down to earth man and not someone who will just satisfy the basic needs of a monarch like the culture so far had been, she was also very open about it, normally something reserved for the close. This theme they "kind of" keep in the show). Other than that, don't look too much into the culture as a none Briton, the themes are designed to be loose and not overly relatable and certainly not educational or historical. To make a point, the Queens right hand person in this series looks like Queen Victoria... They are just setting a general theme.
The Queen is Elizabeth 1st who reigned from 1558 to 1603. The US 🇺🇸 state of Virginia was named after her as she was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married or had children.
QUEEN elizabeth was Queen at the time of Spanish Armada, the King of Spain did not recognise Elisabeth ,a Woman and a Prodistant . so he declared himself king with the Popes blessing. I don't remember the early Queen Elixzabeth having a small crown But Queen Victoria certainly did.
King Phillip of Spain had been married to Mary, Elizabeth's older half sister, so he had been king while Mary was alive. He was denied executive power though, and barred from ruling past Mary's demise. Couldn't give the throne away by default, but they did 150 years later when William III carried on after Mary II died.
Queenie is a parody of Queen Elizabeth I. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII (who created the Church of England). Elizabeth was 25 when she became Queen, so I think the show is set very early in her reign, this is why she acts like a spoiled teenager.
Hiya So Gal, Queen Elizabeth 1st was the daughter of Henry the eighth and Anne Boleyn (Henry's 2nd wife), Elizabeth rained for 45 years 1558 to 1603, the American state of Virginia was named after her because Elizabeth was a virgin, but historians have found out that she wasn't a virgin, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Just found your channel today. Started with the 2 part Operation Black Buck videos which I found endearing that you're interested in that sort of subject. Now you're watching Blackadder, possibly my favourite comedy series. 😃
Baldrick says..Not home to Mr cock up...which is slang for failing miserably ..great show and yes Rowan Atkinson is always Blackadder in all seasons in fact most of the cast return playing different characters except for Baldrick whos is also in each series and is played by Sir Tony Robinson who makes great history documentaries btw
It's said that, after the poor reception of Series 1, John Lloyd (the producer) promised the BBC that Series 2 would be the cheapest comedy it would have to fund. That's why there are a limited number of small sets.
It has left some influence on the language as well.... 'I ... have a cunning plan' said in with the same accent is frequently used when somebody has an idea , often said tongue in cheek. Also, you are not going to be really ready for the end of the very last episode.
Except Elizabeth I had a horror of ordering people’s heads to be cut off. She ordered the beheading of 6 or 7 people (total) in her 45 year reign. Her mother, her step mother and her young cousin were all beheaded. She thought she was going to be beheaded in her sister’s reign. I think that affected her, and she had to be pressured into executing the Duke of Norfolk and Mary Queen of Scots.
I think it was for the 10 year anniversary of the show, the BBC did an hour long documentary about the four series, they interview all the characters, showed clips, spilled the beans ( some beans!) on inside stories. It was very entertaining and informative. No use rooting it out until you have seen the series first, but might be a long term goal to put it up on patron. Difficult to know what Roger should have, as fashion styles have changed down the centuries. Unless you change it for each series. What about a narrow scroll like they put under coats of arms with Blackadder written on it?
Queen Lizzy in Blackadder is a blast. :D Tony Robinson's Baldrick and Rowan Atkinson are just awesome. Interestingly enough - in Season 1 Blackadder actually is the idiot, while Baldrick actually has at least some street smarts. That was reverted from season 2 on - and while season one is just as funny Rowan Atkinson simply does the cynical asshole so good... By the way - if you're into funny insults you can't do much better than Blackadder and Red Dwarf - another UK comedy show, this one's set in space.
You should watch the first series. Admittedly its more raw and less polished than the other s but sets the trend. The very last episode of all is worth waiting for
Miranda Richardson stole the show in the second Blackadder series. The late, great, Rik Mayall as Lord Flasheart was always hilarious. I'm guessing someone probably recommended "Bottom"? "The League Of Gentlemen" is weirdly compelling and mocks my local area. For exceptional writing, nothing beats "Spaced". Takes a couple of episodes to set up the gags but everything thereafter is sublime comedy.
There ARE a lot of cultural references in Blackadder but if you watch several of the shows you'll soon get into it. And I agree the views in some comments below, that Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister are brilliant. You will love the word play and duels between the main three characters.
The royal chamber is probably small for budgetary reasons rather than comedic ones. One of the stipulations for the show being recommissioned was that the budget must be slashed. A small cast, 2-3 cameras, 2-3 small studio sets, rather than the extravagances of the first season which was closer to something like Game of Thrones in terms of production than your traditional British sitcom. You'll see when you get to it.
Rowan Atkinson’s entry into mainstream TV started with the comedy series “It’s Not the Nine O’ Clock News”. He’s one of those great actors who is able to completely morph into different characters, may be that’s partly why you didn’t recognise him?
Elizabeth I was the longest reigning monarch of the Tudor period, her dad being Henry VIII and her mum Ann Boleyn, the shortest monarch was Lady Jane Grey, who ruled for 9 days, as Elizabeth sister, Mary, aka bloody Mary won a battle, this is due to Elizabeth and Mary youngest brother Edward V.
Blackadder is a refinement of Cambridge Footlights humor. Word play and absurdity, mockery of the established order while being anodyne rather than provocative or actually revolutionary. By giving san outlet for our anger in the form of laughter prevents revolution, rebellion, radicalism or any change at all. exceptions to that rule: the character of Queenie. she's not likeable, she's detestable, terrifying the embodiment of arbitrary power and quite mad. Contrast this with the image of Queen Elizabeth II. Miranda Richardson played her soo originally, that "the boys"" (Atkinson and the wriers just had to let her do her thing, and write for that character thheafter, a feminist backstage coup) The payoff to all the empathing that we do with Edmund and hiis motley crew is at the vvery end of Bllackadder goes Forthh. The most potent anti-war statent in ouur cuullture.
Fun fact. In Scotland, the current Queen is Elizabeth I. The English don't see it that way, but who cares. Check out "Scottish National Party walk out of Commons in protests. As to this, I grew up on Rowan, Fry, Hugh watching PBS. Want some real English fun - because - even though I'm a Scottish-American, Young Ones will blow your mind.
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listen to the lyrics of the song at the end of every episode. as they are totally different each week.
Don't forget to watch Blackadder a Christmas Carol
Watch out for the episode "BOB!"
@@SulsaCikkectuve Not forgetting the time travel episode which was part of red nose if I recall correctly.
Think the time travel episode is part of the Christmas Carol one off special. The ghost shows him the future.
Miranda Richardson is playing the real Queen Elizabeth 1st, nicknamed the Virgin Queen and the last Monarch of the House of Tudors. 👑
Elisabeth 1st wasnt a bimbo but was probably virgo intacto...
She was an Early of Essex, girl..........the vigin queen........yeh, right..........
@@williamwilkes8177 %
Nice for you to to be that well acquainted with Essex girlgirls.
%)
@@stuarthastie6374 Richardson isn't playing her as a bimbo. She's playing her as a spoilt 5 year old girl, who's temper tantrums could result in anyones execution.
Miranda Richardson is playing a slightly batty Queen Elizabeth 1st - the thing to remember is at that time the power of the Monarch was near to _absolute_ and the the jobs, homes, freedom and even lives of those at Court (which Blackadder had now joined) depended on staying in the Queen's good books. There was tremendous peer group pressure to become a sycophant and the Queenie character sometimes has some fun seeing who would do the most ridiculous or preposterous things just to appease her.
Imagine someone who actually had the power that Trump thought that he had. Or perhaps a monarch who thought that they had the power that Trump actually had.
America would be very different today if everyone who p*ssed Donnie off was just taken away & executed; not in 10 or 15 years time, after a long legal wrangle, & several stays, but next week.
@@chassetterfield9559 Yes, America as a bankrupt, fascist, police-state where society crumbles as ordinary people starve while the 'Supreme Leader' and his family live in luxury - imagine that.
Yes, it`s Mr Bean.
The first series was expensive, filmed on locations with big sets and a big cast.. It wasn`t as funny and had less gags.
They were only allowed a second series if they could get the costs down and put more gags in. So they filmed on small sets with a tiny ensemble and hired Ben Elton to write funny stuff. `Queenie` is Elizabeth 1st played by Miranda Richardson who is channelling the character of a posh girl she knew at school.
Baldrick said "We're not at home to Mr. Cock-up". Which basically means, let's try to avoid any mistakes (cock ups).
Yes, it is Rowan Atkinson, he always plays the title role of Edmund Blackadder. I can't wait until you see Hugh Laurie's characters, it'll be interesting to see if you recognise him.
All the Blackadders are consistently funny and high quality. I think the British system of having fewer episodes in a series and mostly filming them all before release helps maintain quality. Nice reaction, I like the way you dive in and fully commit to finding out about your subject.
The first series was a bit hit and miss but it did have real belly laughs, the black Russian codpiece springs to mind, and Miriam Margolees as the Spanish Infanta🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The other comedy series (more like a training guide) that you should check out is Yes Minister, it is old and still somehow totally up to date. It is very well acted and features Nigel Hawthorne
Yes! Britain’s greatest sitcom🙂👍🙂
Who in the 70's and 80's would think Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister would be barely parody by now? In some ways modern UK politics is more farcical!
Omg that's so funny. The comedy reminds me of that show with a young Pauline fowler. The name escapes me
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister two superb shows which showed the power of the Civil Service and meant lots of laughs. I still remember the episode where they were drinking on the fly in the embassy.
Sadly these get demonitized and copyright claimed to barely anything, even simple scenes most often get done.
Just love this Blackadder series. Queen Elizabeth 1 reigned from 1558 so yes she was an actual queen. I love the way they call her Queenie. Miranda Richardson plays a very funny role. You sure need to watch a lot more of this series it’s so funny!
Doing the whole series on Patreon :)
@@SoGal_YT 4th series is the best one. It got better every time.
@@thefowlyetti2 no the 2nd one was the best one and it got worse everytime. Still, our differences aside any of them are better than the stuff they put on these days.
You should watch the first series. Because it will help you understand the context of the whole story through the ages.
@@scottythedawg Lol bro you are absolutely in the minority with that opinion.
Miranda Richardson is so good at this role of "Queenie" its up there with Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson & Cate Blachett. Queenie has the mannerisms of a spoilt schoolgirl who just happened to possess the kind of casual, autocratic power that could have someone put to death if their nose is prettier than hers - a power which she revels in.
But Queenie's nose is perfect💕♥️💕♥️
The queen is Elizabeth I. She's the daughter of Henry VIII and reigned from 1558 to 1603. The other characters are mostly fictional but, Stephan Fry's character is probably based on William Cecil who was chief adviser to the Queen. The Cecil family were an extremly influental Protestant noble family during this time period. William Cecil was an important influence behind the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and his son Robert would be instrumental in the accession of Jame I and the investigation/discovery of the Gunpowder Plot.
Also Baldrick is played by Tony Robinson: an amazing actor, comedian and presenter. He has presented a lot of history documentiaries and Time Team is probably his most famous documentary. It follows a group of specialists and university professors conducting archaeological digs. I use to watch it a lot when I was younger.
Henry VIII, not VII, I thought.
Henry the Vlll not 7'th
Apologies, edited it because of a typo. I meant Henry 8th not 7th.
Fun Fact: Jonathan Cecil, the late actor, was a descendant of Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley)
Thank you So Much for reviewing Blackadder
Season Two is where it finds its feet and gets going...
This is british Sarcasm at its finest
"Some beans."
Yes, basically The same characters (different genetations) pop up on each series.
Yes, all the characters carry on through the ages. Tony Robinson plays Baldrick. He hosted a very popular TV archeology series called ‘TimeTeam’
I wonder why no American has yet reacted to Time Team? They even did one or two episodes in the United States but obviously of pre-Revolutionary sites. I remember that when they excavated a grave in a former churchyard they made the point that the skeleton within was actually an English person buried as such and Professor Mick Aston pointed out to the American archaeologist present that we would not be able to excavate such a grave back home in the UK because they are still in consecrated graveyards!
He also did "The Worst Jobs in Britain"
What's to get about the synopsis? Blackadder is the family surname, and every series has some combination of a cunning/witty/sadistic Blackadder at a different time in history attempting to improve his social standing; occasionally succeeding, but more often being foiled by the idiots arounds him.
Though note that Blackadder's social standing actually declines from one series to the next. He starts off as royalty in S1, and ends up just a regular, relatively junior army officer in S4.
@@stormwreath You should watch the three specials episodes they made after that.
Some basic explanations of Blackadder: there were four seasons of six episodes; 1 - The Black Adder, 2 - Blackadder II, 3 - Blackadder the Third, 4 - Blackadder goes Forth; and some specials - Blackadder's Christmas Carol, Blackadder - The Cavalier Years, Blackadder - Back and Forth, Blackadder - The Army Years.
1 was set during the fictional Reign of Richard IV, 2 was during the Elizabethan period, 3 was the Regency of George III (Prince George would become George IV), and 4 is in 1918 in the Trenches of World War One;
The Christmas Carol was a full-length special rewriting the Dickensian story with Blackadder changing from a philanthropist to an utter bastard instead.
The Cavalier Years was a Comic Relief spot in two parts of about 10 minutes, set during the English Civil War.
Back and Forth was a similar special for the millennium, with Baldrick inventing a time machine and he and Blackadder jumping through history: Dinosaurs, Robin Hood, Shakespeare, Hadrian's Wall (Roman Occupation), Napoleon (with 2 Darlings)....
The Army Years was a monologue in present day, I think for a Royal Variety Performance - a riff on how the only time Britain has been on top economically was when they Invaded France.
The core stars were: Rowan Atkinson and (sir) Tony Robinson in everything (except Army Years). Tim McInerney was main cast in 1, 2 & 4; Stephen Fry was main cast for 2 & 4; both cameo in single episodes of 3. Hugh Laurie was main cast for 3 & 4. Recurring cast included Rik Mayall, Gabrielle Glaiser, Miriam Margoyles, Jim Broadbent..... and cameos all over.
It's OK to call it "season 2," SoGal - we have adopted that terminology over here! This was indeed the point at which Blackadder found its wings and really started flying. The first season was enjoyable, but the titular character was a pathetic fop whilst Baldrick was cunning; for this second season onwards, their characters were reversed and it allowed Rowan Atkinson to be more waspish, which he turned out to be especially good at. Those two characters do indeed roll over from one season to the next, and remain as they are.
Setting it in the Elizabethan era afforded plentiful opportunity to write and play it like a Shakespearean comedy (Shakespeare lived during Elizabeth I's reign) and Miranda Richardson really hammed it up as Elizabeth I, who would certainly not have been so silly - it's all for the humour, of course, because Blackadder doesn't suffer idiots yet must tolerate her idiocy because as Queen she would have the literal power of life or death over him.
8:02 Baldrick's line is "We're not at home to Mr Cock-Up," using the British slang for "mistake" or "blooper."
You say that some of the humour might have gone past you as an American, but I saw you laughing in all the right places, so I think you're going to enjoy this as well as we Brits do!
No we haven't adopted "season" millenials repeat it as their viewing habits are dominated by US sources and monkey see monkey do. But Season is a legitimate tv seasons worth of viewing, that's why American series of 20 plus episodes are referred to as a season. British series of 6 episodes do not warrant the nomenclature.
@@terrortorn That's true enough, though one can also consider the context of sporting seasons or growing seasons - asparagus can only be grown in Britain for a couple of months, and our farmers do have a saying, consequently, that the British asparagus season is a short one - just enough for 6 episodes of a particular series, in fact. 😉
Whether we in the UK use the term or not is ultimately not a problem if an American refers to a season. It's their understanding and parlance, though SoGal is highly commendable for making the effort to learn how we say and do things.
@@MS-19 No, American tv schedules have legitimate seasons. Americans refer to their Autumn/Winter season line up and successful series are commissioned to run the full length of a tv season 20+ episodes. For instance the original Dear John written by John Sullivan was 14 episodes in total over 2 series. When the US took it up it they stretched it out to 90 episodes to make it fit their season output. They do it for virtually everything.
@@terrortorn I wonder if that's why (to take one example) Star Trek: The Animated Series had a large slate of about 16 episodes in its first season, but only 6 in its second?
@@MS-19 I think all these things also come under the influence of funding, copyright rights, writers motivations, audience retention, immediate success or lack of it and not only prescriptive broadcast schedules.
Don’t give Roger a hat; give Roger a ruff.
Not a woof, Scarlett, a ruffled collar!
She's (portraying) a real queen. Elizabeth I of England (1558 - 1603).
Season 2 (or Blackadder II) was when they settled into a pattern for the next two seasons too:
Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder (Prince Edmund in the First, Lord Blackadder in the Second, the Honourable in the Third - ie upper-middle class, and Middle Class "Mr" Captain Blackadder in the Forth)
(sir) Tony Robinson as S.Baldrick - a dogsbody, peasant, working class.
Tim McInerney as Percy in the Second and Captain Kevin Darling in the Forth.
Hugh Laurie (aka Dr. House) as Prince George in the Third and Lt. George St.John-Montague-Smythe in the Forth.
And Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett in the Second, Lord Wellington cameo in the Third and General Melchett in the Forth.
Miranda Richardson is Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, ie. Virginia.... played for a petulant child.....
Rik Mayall is Lord Flashart (woof).... he took over every scene.
The Humour is more cerebral and intellectual wordplay... along with the recurrent "Cunning Plan".
There are 7 different Blackadder's.
4 series and 3 specials.
Hello SoGal and Roger. The actor who plays Baldrick is Tony Robinson. He also was in a series called Time Team that did serious historical investigation at archeological sites. See also Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, that almost paved the way for Horrible Histories. Perhaps Roger could copy Baldrick's hat? Or instead wear a ruff.
I did wonder if you would get this style of comedy, since we British are in general a pretty disrespectful bunch, especially to those who are seen as from a different class, which is behind a lot of UK comedy. The characters in this do follow the names, almost as representing their class in each period. There is a bit of this in Dad's Army.
There is a sketch you should see with John Cleese and the Two Ronnie's that is based on this. Baldrick is like the working class character. To go on would be spoilers, but as in this "I know my place".
When I first did comments, from seeing you start the channel, I was not sure if I would strike the right note. If we like something in UK we tend to make fun of it in a way that can seem insulting to people who expect the British to be a cultured and reverential people, but as I said in a previous comment, you have seen Sharpe now and since that Private Hook in Zulu. You are more getting it than not. Happy viewing.
The sets are typical budget tv sets of the time. When a door slams, all the walls shake. The Blackadder and Baldrick characters/actors are in every series, other actors are in other series but play different characters.
"Mister B. I have a Cunning Plan..."
Yes, the characters carry on through the series including Baldrick.
'Queenie' is a caricature of the very real Elizabeth I who was one of the most famous British monarchs in history; her reign basically laid the foundation for Great Britain becoming an empire by building the strongest navy and trade fleet of that era.
Thomas Sorensen. And films about her are more-or-less banned. Too patriotic. Upsets the immigrants.
and dying . That helped push the United Kingdom towards fruition with King James of Scotland coming to the throne of England
@@michaelprobert4014. Yes the Stuarts. The worst dynasty in post medieval times.
When I was at University, I showed this to my American friends who didn't laugh once whilst we all roared. However, after we watched Seinfeld, which I didn't get at all and yet my American friends thought was hilarious.
Seinfeld never made me laugh either. Big Bang Theory did👍
i can laugh all the way through Top Gear and have not even a tickle watching Seinfield or SNL and many other like it. Frasier and Big bang are good
Thinking on, when you've finished Blackadder and Dad's Army, you might want to check out Goodnight Sweetheart. It's a sitcom about a man who time travels back to wartime.
No.
Each series is set in true historical times, but they have taken enormous liberties with the real characters of the people named. Baldric 'travels' forward with Blackadder for all the four series. They work like a theatre company, many of the actors turning up in the other series in different parts - certainly Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and the chap who plays Sir Percy (sorry forgotten his name for the moment).
The Queen 'Queenie' (played by the excellent Miranda Richardson) is a parody of Queen Elizabeth I who reigned from 1558 to 1603 and was very much a real queen. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and most famous for the Spanish Armada and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
Yes that is Rowan Atkinson in the title role, plus Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett and Tim Mcinnerny (101 Dalmations and Notting Hill) as Lord Percy.
As the series progress, Baldrick becomes more and more dim. In the first series, Baldrick was the smart one and Blackadder the thicko.
And even more so in the future, as in Blackadder's Christmas Carol.
All the characters are descended from the original characters in the first series of Blackadder, the series follows the trials and tribulations of the characters desendents, with the first Blackadder being Prince Edmund, supposedly the youngest son of Richard III, in series 2 Queenie is based loosely on Elizabeth I.
In episode one ( series1) he is the youngest son of the fictitious Richard IV, played by Brian Blessed. He does for Richard III, played by Peter Cook, at the battle of Bosworth. ' first battle since puberty, and I can't find the field! '. When Henry VII turns up at the end of the final episode, he gives instructions that the whole sorry mess of a reign should be written out of history, giving Richard Curtis room to write his interpretation of the times.
@@andrewclayton4181 I stand corrected you're quite right but its been a long time since I saw the series
I met baldrick( Tony Robinson) in my local bar.. He was filming the time team.... Nice guy,.. Black adder is kinda sarcastic humour.. Glad you enjoyed it..
Watch out for the wickedly funny Miriam Margolees as Lady Whiteadder and her classic line, "Cold is god's way of telling us to burn more Catholics." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Baldrick is in all the seasons, Percy is in the first season, and the fourth as Cpt. Darling. Lord Melchet (Stephen Fry) also appears as the Duke of Wellington in Blackadder 3, and as General Melchet in 4. Hugh Laurie (House) is the Prince Regent in Season 3 and as Lt. George in Season 4.
Missing the 1st season means you miss Blackadder's fall from grace from the 2nd son of a king to that of a captain in the army via being a lord and a valet to the Prince Regent in between.
"Life without you would be like a broken pencil. Pointless."
Baldrick is played by Tony Robinson, he was given a Knighthood by Her Majesty The Queen.
Blackadder and Baldrick are in all the series, Melchet turns up again in the fourth series and Percy becomes Captain Darling in the fourth. Hugh Laurie joins the cast in the third and fourth series as king George and Lieutenant George.
Yes most still call a British series a series, as there can be multiple series in a season. but we do refer to USA-ians shows by their season.
You'll find that the core of the cast travel through various time periods.
The middle ages season 1
The Elizabethen period. Queen Elizabeth 1st. (Season 2)
Season 3
The regency period
King George the 3rd
Season 4
France 1917 ww1 .
There were a couple of one off specials too. King Charles I and a Dickensian Christmas Carol episode.
@@andrewclayton4181 I'm sure they were good but I didn't rate them.
The Queen is Elizabeth1 or Elizabeth Tudor Queen of England played by Miranda Richardson
"Were not at home to Mr Cock Up" means they don't do mistakes
The series of BlackAdder all the main characters carry on through all the four series. Basically it's how the dynasty of BlackAdde'rs and Baldrick's are through the ages
QE1 in American terms was a "bad ass" monarch. Speech "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field."
A cock-up is British parlance for a mistake or huge error. Like dropping a clanger or dropping a bollock.
We had this series on DVD as a boxed set when I was a kid and we would watch and re-watch it- the whole family over and over!
Man, I miss those times! One of the few things we enjoyed together. :'(
I must've watched each of these episodes like 50 times. My favorite was the episode with the baby murdering bishop. 😀
I'd love to have seen everyone's faces when miranda first performed Elizabeth in front of the cast.
Me too, they didn't write the crazy, she just decided to play it that way.
@@alpine_newt I know, I've seen the documentary about it
@@alpine_newt Yeah dude he knows, he's seen the documentary and everything
@@IDidntSetAHandle let me guess! You're the 3rd of your generation. Richard, also know as DICK!
DICK! Geddit?!?! Sounds a bit like "Butthurt over UA-cam comment-ick"!!!
They satirise the Queen (Elizabeth Tudor) by making her immature and fickle natured, when history tells us that she was quite the opposite. The style of the comedy is typical of Ben Elton, one of the writers, it is satirical rather than sarcastic.
To be fair Blackadder himself is extremely sarcastic, a type of humour British writers and actors excel at.
Miranda Richardson is playing Queen Elizabeth I. But the writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton wrote the character as a kind of spoiled teenage girl used to getting her own way!!
Its generally held that Blackadder and Baldrick are decendents in each of the series. Percy was in the first series as well but not in the third or fourth.
Tim McInnery is in the 4th, but as Capt. Darling, not a Percy.
You might recognise Miranda Richardson as Queenie( Eliz the 1st). talented actor in many films etc including Sleepy hollow.
@wafefite. I had suggested the film in SoGal comments before, because it shows the British had German soldiers too in AWI, but feared the headless horseman might put Sarah off.
Miranda Richardson's "Elizabeth I" is hilarious genius 😀
8:05 “… because we’re not at home to Mr. Cockup.”
Cockup means mistake; Blackadder doesn’t want to make any.
Hi SoGal ... the theme music was composed by Howard Goodall (you're already familiar with him from your music series) ... Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder ... Sir Tony Robinson who plays Baldrick has presented many history programmes including Time Team, Worst Jobs in History & in 2005 he joined James Cameron on his final dive to the Titanic.
I have met him twice and he was a miserable git on both occasions. the first time was with the Time Team digging at a German AA batterie here in Jersey. the second time was doing another history programme where he filmed at Elizabeth Castle.
Howard Goodall also wrote the music for Red Dwarf, which is one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. I recommended it to SoGal in a comment on another video as I know she is a Star Trek fan.
Glad you are using the word ‘series’ for UK TV series. Whenever l hear the word ‘season’ l think of sporting fixtures. Thanks 🙏
It's a tiny set to save money. BBC Budget.
You are single handedly worth more than the BBC licence fee.
Miranda Richardson is a treasure and as the real Elizabeth the first, brilliant. Ploppy implies faeces (baby talk).
Blackadder is pure comedy green.
There are 2 stand alones too. Those are good. Blackadder goes Back and Forth and Xmas Carol.
Tony Robinson presented Time Time if you like archaeology.
Baldrick says "We are not a home to Mr. Cock-up" which means we do not make mistakes. For example if in one of your puppet shows you stumble over your script then you have cocked-up the script.
You are so correct in that Blackadder references British culture heavily, so it would be harder for an American to perhaps follow. What I would say, however, is that whilst it is very obviously a comedy, some of the history is not totally inaccurate and I think that if you are able to watch it you will gain a decent understanding of various periods of British history. For example, This series of Blackadder is set during the reign of Elizabeth I, one of England's greatest Queens, and I would recommend you watch the movies about her life as there are a few excellent ones. I think that if you watch, say, "Elizabeth" with Cate Blanchett and/or the sequel "Elizabeth: The Golden Years" you will probably be able to follow them and enjoy them better having watched Blackadder Series 2.
It's a shame about the Copyright, but it's a very good show, worth watching the entire lot just for your own entertainment.
The Queen is physically Based on Elizabeth I, but mentally exaggerated and silly for the show. With some realities thrown in (Elizabeth I had problems looking for a partner, she was not keen on royalty and typical rich men, she was known for her desire to marry a intelligent but down to earth man and not someone who will just satisfy the basic needs of a monarch like the culture so far had been, she was also very open about it, normally something reserved for the close. This theme they "kind of" keep in the show).
Other than that, don't look too much into the culture as a none Briton, the themes are designed to be loose and not overly relatable and certainly not educational or historical. To make a point, the Queens right hand person in this series looks like Queen Victoria... They are just setting a general theme.
If you know your classic portraits of Elizabeth I, Miranda Richardson is very good at being an Elizabeth portrait :)
The Queen is Elizabeth 1st who reigned from 1558 to 1603. The US 🇺🇸 state of Virginia was named after her as she was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married or had children.
5:55 "is this a real queen that she is portraying" Americans - daaaaaa
@Ryan Lenihan. All part of Roger's cunning plan?
QUEEN elizabeth was Queen at the time of Spanish Armada, the King of Spain did not recognise Elisabeth ,a Woman and a Prodistant . so he declared himself king with the Popes blessing. I don't remember the early Queen Elixzabeth having a small crown But Queen Victoria certainly did.
King Phillip of Spain had been married to Mary, Elizabeth's older half sister, so he had been king while Mary was alive. He was denied executive power though, and barred from ruling past Mary's demise. Couldn't give the throne away by default, but they did 150 years later when William III carried on after Mary II died.
Miranda Richardson played the real Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I was a rule of England (b. 1533 - r. 1558 d. 1603). Her father was Henry VIII.
Queenie is a parody of Queen Elizabeth I.
She was the daughter of King Henry VIII (who created the Church of England).
Elizabeth was 25 when she became Queen, so I think the show is set very early in her reign, this is why she acts like a spoiled teenager.
Hiya So Gal, Queen Elizabeth 1st was the daughter of Henry the eighth and Anne Boleyn (Henry's 2nd wife), Elizabeth rained for 45 years 1558 to 1603, the American state of Virginia was named after her because Elizabeth was a virgin, but historians have found out that she wasn't a virgin, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Just found your channel today. Started with the 2 part Operation Black Buck videos which I found endearing that you're interested in that sort of subject. Now you're watching Blackadder, possibly my favourite comedy series. 😃
Ha. When he does the deep voice he sounds exactly like Uncle Frank from Hellraiser 🤣😂🤣.
Well done Sarah on getting it through at all!! :)
Black Adder is quite funny but for me, the most poignant moment is from the final episode of the WW1 series.
One of my favorite comedy episodes altogether
really glad that you liked it (sort of) .this is the best series i thiink especially the episode with Tom Baker (Doctor Who) in it.
Baldrick says..Not home to Mr cock up...which is slang for failing miserably ..great show and yes Rowan Atkinson is always Blackadder in all seasons in fact most of the cast return playing different characters except for Baldrick whos is also in each series and is played by Sir Tony Robinson who makes great history documentaries btw
It's said that, after the poor reception of Series 1, John Lloyd (the producer) promised the BBC that Series 2 would be the cheapest comedy it would have to fund. That's why there are a limited number of small sets.
It has left some influence on the language as well....
'I ... have a cunning plan' said in with the same accent is frequently used when somebody has an idea , often said tongue in cheek.
Also, you are not going to be really ready for the end of the very last episode.
I agree with your comment on the last episode final scene. I won't give spoilers but the director asked for a second take and the cast refused.
The Queen was Queen Elizabeth I, Daughter of King Henry "Chop off their heads" VIII sister of Queen "Burn the Protestants" Mary I
Except Elizabeth I had a horror of ordering people’s heads to be cut off. She ordered the beheading of 6 or 7 people (total) in her 45 year reign. Her mother, her step mother and her young cousin were all beheaded. She thought she was going to be beheaded in her sister’s reign. I think that affected her, and she had to be pressured into executing the Duke of Norfolk and Mary Queen of Scots.
I think it was for the 10 year anniversary of the show, the BBC did an hour long documentary about the four series, they interview all the characters, showed clips, spilled the beans ( some beans!) on inside stories. It was very entertaining and informative. No use rooting it out until you have seen the series first, but might be a long term goal to put it up on patron.
Difficult to know what Roger should have, as fashion styles have changed down the centuries. Unless you change it for each series. What about a narrow scroll like they put under coats of arms with Blackadder written on it?
Queen Lizzy in Blackadder is a blast. :D Tony Robinson's Baldrick and Rowan Atkinson are just awesome. Interestingly enough - in Season 1 Blackadder actually is the idiot, while Baldrick actually has at least some street smarts. That was reverted from season 2 on - and while season one is just as funny Rowan Atkinson simply does the cynical asshole so good...
By the way - if you're into funny insults you can't do much better than Blackadder and Red Dwarf - another UK comedy show, this one's set in space.
I love this episode in particularly in s.2. McInnerny plays stupid so well & I love the phrase ‘gloater’ so much
You should watch the first series. Admittedly its more raw and less polished than the other s but sets the trend. The very last episode of all is worth waiting for
The two constant charecters are BLACKADDER and BALDRICK throughout all the series that advance in time.
Miranda Richardson stole the show in the second Blackadder series. The late, great, Rik Mayall as Lord Flasheart was always hilarious.
I'm guessing someone probably recommended "Bottom"?
"The League Of Gentlemen" is weirdly compelling and mocks my local area.
For exceptional writing, nothing beats "Spaced". Takes a couple of episodes to set up the gags but everything thereafter is sublime comedy.
There ARE a lot of cultural references in Blackadder but if you watch several of the shows you'll soon get into it. And I agree the views in some comments below, that Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister are brilliant. You will love the word play and duels between the main three characters.
The royal chamber is probably small for budgetary reasons rather than comedic ones. One of the stipulations for the show being recommissioned was that the budget must be slashed. A small cast, 2-3 cameras, 2-3 small studio sets, rather than the extravagances of the first season which was closer to something like Game of Thrones in terms of production than your traditional British sitcom. You'll see when you get to it.
Tony Robinson is Baldrick and there throughout the series. Rowan Atkinson yes. Mulched is Stephen Fry.
It is Rowan Atkinson and Queen Elizabeth 1 was a real Tudor monarch .
Rowan Atkinson has such a rubber face, especially with Bean...
Rowan Atkinson’s entry into mainstream TV started with the comedy series “It’s Not the Nine O’ Clock News”. He’s one of those great actors who is able to completely morph into different characters, may be that’s partly why you didn’t recognise him?
Rowan.
@george barnes didn’t spot that 🙄 ... amended thank you.
The the Queen is probably one of our favourite characters in this series, good luck this is great but very British
Love Blackadder. The world at war was part of my history school education, sadly it's no longer part of education.
Queen Elizabeth 1st. A woman of tremendous power with the mind of an 8 year old child.
It is funnier if you know about British history BUT it is still very funny when you know nothing about it
Holy crap, your patreon has Sharpe and Horrible Histories in it, and is going to have Blackadder too?! I’m going to have to check it out aren’t I? 🙂
Elizabeth I was the longest reigning monarch of the Tudor period, her dad being Henry VIII and her mum Ann Boleyn, the shortest monarch was Lady Jane Grey, who ruled for 9 days, as Elizabeth sister, Mary, aka bloody Mary won a battle, this is due to Elizabeth and Mary youngest brother Edward V.
Jane Grey was even shorter at the end ;)
Blackadder is a refinement of Cambridge Footlights humor. Word play and absurdity, mockery of the established order while being anodyne rather than provocative or actually revolutionary. By giving san outlet for our anger in the form of laughter prevents revolution, rebellion, radicalism or any change at all.
exceptions to that rule:
the character of Queenie. she's not likeable, she's detestable, terrifying the embodiment of arbitrary power and quite mad. Contrast this with the image of Queen Elizabeth II. Miranda Richardson played her soo originally, that "the boys"" (Atkinson and the wriers just had to let her do her thing, and write for that character thheafter, a feminist backstage coup)
The payoff to all the empathing that we do with Edmund and hiis motley crew is at the vvery end of Bllackadder goes Forthh. The most potent anti-war statent in ouur cuullture.
Fun fact. In Scotland, the current Queen is Elizabeth I. The English don't see it that way, but who cares. Check out "Scottish National Party walk out of Commons in protests. As to this, I grew up on Rowan, Fry, Hugh watching PBS. Want some real English fun - because - even though I'm a Scottish-American, Young Ones will blow your mind.
Congratulations on getting through to near the end of world at war. Quite a marathon. I won’t spoil it by telling you who wins.
Hey it was skip series 1 not episode 1 of series 2. But I'm sure you've watched them all now
Don't worry about getting into it, half of the English struggle with their own history!
I think Queen Elizabeth 1st is the queen that fought the Spanish armada.
"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman,but I have the heart and stomach of a king,and a king of England too."
Woohoo haven't see blackadder in years