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If you are reading this, then you already love Black Adder, so I'll answer my biggest question before I bought these: "What's on the DVD's?"

Each series gets it's own DVD.

The fifth is a single episode from 1999 called "Back and Forth". Unfortunately the "Making of Back and Forth" is better than the episode. Luckily the "Making" is included on the disc.

Each series has biographies for the principle characters (Rowan and others have the same biography on each disk). These are read by Tony Robinson (Baldrick).

Each series has a short history of the principle events from that series episodes, these are also read by Tony. The blurbs are short but informative and interesting.

Series Three has the Christmas Carol on it as an extra feature.

The box has a few pictures and a short text on each series. That's about it for Extra Features.

It is definitely a complete set. All the Black Adder material I've ever seen is on these disks. The episodes are crisp and clean, a good transfer.

I would have liked to see some interviews with Tony and Rowan and possibly the script from the "Lost Pilot", other than that, this is a great Box Set, definitely worth the price of admission.

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I'm a big fan of British comedy and consider Black Adder to be the greatest of them all, and that's saying something. The British have produced some great ones: Benny Hill, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Fawlty Towers, Red Dwarf, Ab Fab and those are just the most famous titles. There are numerous other great shows out there, yet Black Adder is a cut above them all. It's very witty, hilarious, and expects the viewer to have knowledge of British history.

This set includes just about everything (there are bits and pieces not on the five discs). Let's review all of them.

Black Adder I is set at the end of the 15th Century and is based on the premise that Henry Tudor was a liar, that Richard III was a good King and was succeeded by his nephew, who became Richard IV. The first series is the weakest of the lot, though it is still quite good and contains two of the entire series best shows. The first two episodes (The Foretelling and Born to be King) are funny, but do not contain the side-splitting laughs common to the series. The show really hits its stride in the third episode, The Archbishop, one of the funniest episodes of the entire series. The success continues through the fourth and fifth episodes (The Queen of Spain's Beard and Witchsmeller Pursuivant), though the show dips in the final episode a bit. Brian Blessed is terrific, though can be a bit much at times. Tim McInnerny and Tony Robinson do great jobs, as they would throughout the series.

Black Adder II is set in Elizabethan times. Many would claim it to be the funniest of the four series, and that argument can most definitely be made. I, however, think that each successive series gets better. Every episode in the second series is a winner; every single episode is a stand out. Miranda Richardson is terrific as Queenie and Stephen Fry is smashing as Melchett. I honestly can't pick any favorites the rest of the way through. The second disc also contains Black Adder: The Cavalier Years which is also excellent, though short. It was done for Comic Relief and is set in the last days of Charles I (Stephen Fry was excellent in this role).

Black Adder the Third improves upon its predecessor. Hugh Laurie takes up permanent residence in the cast (he guest starred in the final episode of series 2) and does a brilliant job better than McInnery did as the dimwitted Percy. Laurie plays the Prince of Wales, George son of the infamous Mad King George. This Black Adder is no longer a Lord or Prince of the realm like his ancestors, he is now a servant. Once again, each episode is a gem. We also see McInnerny and Fry in guest appearances (Fry shines as the Duke of Wellington in the final episode), as well as Robbie Coltrane (now of Harry Potter fame as Hagrid). This disc also features Black Adder's Christmas Carol. Though funny, it jumps around quite a bit. the twist is that it features the lone good Black Adder. Don't want to give away too much here. It's funny but not as focused as the whole series.

Black Adder Goes Forth is the final entry. It is the most crass of all the series and the darkest. I find it to be the funniest as well. There's a lot more toilet humor and Baldrick, who has gotten progressively stupider as the series has gone on, is hilarious. Tim McInnerny is back, though not as Percy but as Darling. The Darling jokes do get a bit old, but Stephen Fry as Melchett is excellent.

The fifth disc contains Black Adder Back and Forth. This suffers from the same problem as Christmas Carol, it's unfocused and not as sharp as the series shows. It does have its moments, but Black Adder functions best when it remains in one period and established the characters.

Throughout the whole series, Rowan Atkinson is superb. He is the greatest comedic actor in Britain at the moment and hysterical to watch. Each Black Adder is a bit different, beginning with the whimpering Edmund Blackadder in series one to the very sharp and intelligent Edmund of the last series. Edmund gets sharper as the series gets on -and the character get more bitter as well.

These DVDs also have some helpers for those not familiar with the history of the time periods depicted. I would, however, advise those unfamiliar with the periods to do some research into the history of the time so they can get a better understanding of many of the jokes.

All in all, a great package of one of the greatest comedies every produced. Hours of enjoyment can be found here with plenty of replay value.

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If you are a Blackadder fan, chances are the you have seen all of these episodes countles times. The amazing thing is that, like Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, these episodes are always fun to watch over and over again. Rowan Atkinson is at his best, while support from Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, and Miranda Richardson make this series on of the best to ever come out of the UK.

But this review isn't about the episodes themselves, it is about this particular DVD set, so here goes:

The layout of the DVD set is nice and neat (the casing is cardboard, more durable casings would have been nice). It folds out into 5 sections, each containing a DVD with their respective series. Series 1-4 are included, as well as the 1999 special "Back and Forth", which is a reunion of sorts, about Blackadder and Baldrick building a time machine. Not the best Blackadder outing, but a laught riot nonetheless. Each DVD has special features, including all the specials including "Blackadder's Christmas Carol" and the rare sketch "The Cavalier Years". Other extras include cast bios and historical footnotes (read by Tony Robinson), karaoke singalong, trailers, and other neat stuff. The interactive menus make getting to your desired episide easy.

The only complaint I have is the lack of cast interviews, outtakes from the series itself, and behind-the-scenes specials. The only such things are on "Back and Forth" and a Richard Curtis interview. But all that aside, this is the jewel of my DVD collection, and will provide many ours of entertainment in the future.

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This DVD series contains the complete collection of Black Adder TV episodes, made by the BBC. Black Adder aired as four individual series of six episodes each: The Black Adder, Black Adder II, Black Adder the Third and Black Adder Goes Forth.

Black Adder stars Rowan Atkinson, an absolute comic genius who is also the star of Mr. Bean. The screenplays were written by Richard Curtis (Mr. Bean, Not the nine o'clock news) and Ben Elton possibly one of the funniest modern writers.

In the first series, Rowan Atkinson plays a weak chinned, effeminate heir to Richard, Duke of York. Set in medieval England, we are introduced to two of the most often recurring characters in Black Adders live(s) Percy and Baldrick. Lord Percy is an eager to please, high strung dolt. Baldrick, an filthy peasant that is under qualified to be the village idiot, acts as Black Adder's golfer. Although funny, the first series may miss an American audience with some of it's historical references.

In the second series, Black Adder's next descendant is no longer heir to the throne but remains one of Queen's dearest friends. Set in Elizabethan England, we get to follow Black Adder as he plots to carouse, fornicate and steal his way to pleasure. Even funnier than the first series, Black Adder gets far more clever. We are also introduced to two additional, recurring characters Melchett and Flash. Melchett is a pompous, over bearing palace sycophant and Flash is fast moving ladies man with more than just a sword hanging between his legs.

Black Adder's fortunes have considerably fallen by the Third Series, where he is now serving a butler to the Price Regent of England, the stupidest man in the land. Again, the clever Black Adder schemes to raise himself at the expense of everyone around him. Other great English comedic actors Hue Laurie, Robbie Coltrane and Tim McInnery all make appearances.

In the fourth and final series, Black Adder finds himself caught on the front lines of World War I. Trying to eke out a comfortable existence without being sent out on a suicidal charge against the Kaiser, Black Adder's fourth series is somewhat reminiscent of Mash. Without all the nice doctor's off course. This series has the "crudest" humour of all.

Black Adder is undoubtedly one of the funniest English comedy series ever made and well worth owning.

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OH YEAH! That's basically how I felt after going through all five DVD's in this absolutely brilliant collection! I was ecstatic(!) in the end!

Let's face facts: you're looking at this product because you are searching for the COMPLETE(!) collection (with a capital C!). You want ALL that has been made in the Black Adder saga! Well, don't worry! With this DVD box set, you DO get it all and a lot more! As soon as I browsed through this brilliant box set, it became the most treasured item in my DVD collection.

Obviously, all four six-episode series are in here, there's the 1999 comeback episode: "Back and Forth", the little 15-minute episode "The Cavalier Years" and arguably the best episode of all time: "Black Adder's Christmas Carol". It is all there, spread out over the five DVDs!

What's more, the extra material is BRILLIANT! There's a "Who's Who" on all the actors for EACH of the series(!) and also for the "Back and Forth". The best thing, however: there's a "Historical footnotes" feature for each of these five DVDs as well, explaining everything relevant about England's history, from Queen Elizabeth I to The Naughty Hellfire Club. All of it is BEAUTIFUL speeched by Tony Robinson (who plays Baldrick), the only actor to appear in each and every episode of Black Adder apart from Rowan Atkinson himself.

Other features include an interview with writer Richard Curtis, a sing along feature and a "Making of Back and Forth" documentary, with many hilarious bits in it.

The only minus: no subtitles. Since BBC put so much effort into this brilliant box, they could've gone all the way. Be that as it may, it hardly matters, since the dialogue in Black Adder is always well spoken and clear, and this still does in no way deter me from giving this product the five stars. Black Adder fans, who now want to have him on DVD: this is the one to get!

Cheap Black Adder V - Back and Forth (1993)

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Don't be teased: BACK AND FORTH isn't a fifth series of BLACK ADDER. It might be CALLED "BLACK ADDER V", but it's no such animal. It's a special, one-off film, much in the tradition of BLACK ADDER'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Like that predecessor, it takes the basic BLACK ADDER elements and uses them to its own purposes.

If this were truly the fifth series of BLACK ADDER, we'd expect to see the familiar cast of characters put in a single time period for a few episodes of mirth in the context of that time. Instead, perhaps inspired by Rowan Atkinson's own trip in the TARDIS, this is BLACK ADDER meets DOCTOR WHO.

The comedy, here, comes from sending Blackadder and Baldrick on a search for historical artifacts in a faulty time machine. As might be expected, they can't quite work the controls, so they go through the titular "back and forth" movements through time, meeting up with familiar faces from the series' (and Britain's) past.

It's great fun--much, much better than A CHRISTMAS CAROL at making multiple time zones work. Heeding the rampant criticism of A CHRISTMAS CAROL's "future" scene, writers Curtis and Elton have Blackadder only barely venturing into the future, here. Happily, they place Blackadder firmly in the past, with a wider range of actual historical (or at least legendary) figures than ever before. Blackadder's sharp criticism of historical greats like Shakespeare, Wellington, and Robin Hood will leave you laughing. But the best part is perhaps the ending, which holds unique satisfaction for long-time BLACK ADDER fans

Still, it's not a five-star effort. Just as in BLACK ADDER'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, the need to visit all these time zones means that the characters along the way don't get the attention they deserve. Writers Curtis and Elton are guilty here of taking the easy historical joke from each time period and then running like hell. It's not a HUGE sin, because the jokes are very, very good--but there's nevertheless a sense that Curtis and Elton would've done better by simply choosing one epoch and staying there.

Also, I think that while this filmed production has higher production values than its siblings, it's not necessarily the better for it. In particular, I would've traded all the sumptuous location shots for a studio audience. As a television series, BLACK ADDER had a very syncopated, rhythmic prose; as a film, it's missing the punctuation of a studio audience's laughter. It's not just that it's minimally less enjoyable to watch without the laughter, it also affects the actors somewhat. In some scenes, the actors just slightly lack the timing and the energy they've had on other BLACK ADDER projects.

Laying these two objections to one side, however, you really should get this film. While I think some of its humor is vastly improved by having seen the television series--and even better enhanced by knowing some British history ---converts to the cult of The Black Adder could certainly do worse than to start here.

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Being a longtime fan of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder, I snapped up this DVD as soon as it was released. Considering the vast amounts of extras most DVD's have, I generally avoid buying ones that aren't loaded with hours of viewing material. However, seeing that the box said the program was 55 minutes long, and knowing it would NEVER show up on TV, I figured what the hell.....

The actual content itself is about 31 minutes long, with an 18 minute long "Baldrick's Diary" (Which is really a making-of featurette), some witty "Who's who in Blackadder" Bios narrated by Actor Tony Robinson, and 5 minutes of Historical tidbits touching on spots visited by Blackadder & Baldrick during the "Film", also narrated by Robinson. There's also some trailers for other BBC DVD's.

The Film itself is more like an episode of the series writ somewhat larger; A modern-day Blackadder and his manservent Baldrick use a home-made time machine to visit various spots in history. The usual suspects return, including Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Miranda Richardson. There were a few chuckles, but no real laughs until the end-credits song. Hardly worth the price, especially since the description on the box seems to imply that the actual movie is an hour long, not that EVERTHING on the disc equals an hour. Blackadder completists will certainly buy it, and enjoy it, but it should have had either more content or a lower price point....

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To be blunt, this is not nearly the best installment of the "Black Adder". Having said that, it was genuinely good fun and yet another fine display of the delightfully irreverent take on Britain's history that made "Black Adder" one of the greatest comedies to grace American TV.

This special episode (allegedly the final one) was made in conjunction with the much-hyped 1999/2000 New Year's celebrations at Britain's Millennium Dome. The plot follows the latest descendant of the Black Adder clan in an attempt to win a bet involving (among other things) a fake time-machine and a pair of antique underwear. Much to everyone's surprise (especially Black Adder's), the time machine actually works and Black Adder and his ever-present servant Baldrick find themselves shooting back and forth through time. As they attempt to find their way home, the pair lands in periods ranging from the Dinosaur age to the Napoleonic Wars and even the court of Queen Elizabeth.

The latter destination is especially significant, because it was also the site of much of the series' finest hours, "Black Adder II." Unfortunately, despite the presence of Miranda Richardson and Stephen Fry reprising their roles from the original series, this is actually the weakest part of the show. It feels forced as if the actors were straining to recreate what they once did intuitively. The program is on much better footing in other eras, such as an encounter with Robin Hood (played by occasional "Black Adder" guest Rik Mayall), where the actors seem to be having fun with the new situations.

Fun really is the key word here. Except for the brief attempt in the Elizabethan segment to turn back the clock to an earlier incarnation of the program, everyone seems to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. And while it doesn't quite hit the (incredibly) high mark of earlier installments, by no means does it disgrace the series good name. In addition, for those who've never seen "Black Adder" before, it serves as a nice introduction to the remarkable flexibility of the series.

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While a total stranger to the Black Adder corpus can appreciate it, a lot of this lovely little poison valentine's fun comes from being familiar with the setup and the characters so that one can ALMOST predict the next line or situation... and then being delighted when the writers and cast give it some twist you hadn't predicted.

I must agree with another reviewer that the return to the court of Elizabeth I really doesn't work; it does indeed seem forced as if the actors no longer inhabit the characters, but rather are pretending to be their younger selves inhabiting the characters. (Does that make sense?)

On the other hand, one of the funniest sequences in the production is in the Elizabethean time frame but without any of the series regulars save Blackadder himself, meeting up with Shakespeare, getting his autograph and then... Well, it's Very Funny. Even funnier if you thought Branagh's uncut "Hamlet" was a touch long.

The Waterloo sequence is lovely, with a neat little "Wizard of Oz" reference.

And, of course, the ending(s) -particularly the end ending,a it were -an absolute delight for the Black Adder fan, with, of course, an appropriate version of the theme song vocal for the end credits.

The "extras" on the disc, though a bit sparse, are appreciated, including a short "making of" documentary piece, with the writer director and actors all expressing themselves with wonderful clarity, and also including a couple of bits that were (mostly for the better, i think, funny as they are) edited out of the episode.

ALso under the "Special Features" menu are cast biographies, recited, in character, by "Baldrick". Unfortunately (and i don't know if it's a defect in the disc, itself, or in my APEX DVD player with the hacked firmware, or a combination), after the first few bios have played, the last few syllables or words of each bio were cut off as it skipped to the next.

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This little film was never meant to be part of the series, but I think parts of it work quite nicely. Granted, you have to be familiar with the series to get any of! I think Tony Robinson comes off quite well as Baldrick in this one and he's the main reason I watch it!

My only regret is that the film was obviously shot in widescreen (or at least Super35), based on the deleted scenes contained in the documentary. Why didn't they bother to present it that way on this DVD???

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Finally, it's all here in one place. There are even a few seconds of cut dialogue added in. If you've memorized the VHS version, you'll find a phrase added here and there that wasn't there before. For example, when Baldrick saves Blackadder the 3rd by untying him on the "grassy knoll." Blackadder sputters "BBaldrick... Baldrick! Thank you for introducing me to a genuinely new experience." Only the last "Baldrick!" made it into the VHS version.

There are interviews with almost everyone you might care to listen to. But I've noticed that people have a tendency to mumble both in commentaries and in interviews. This is especially annoying in the commentaries where, if you turn it up to hear the murmuring of comments, then the feature audio is too loud when it fades in at times. Hey, audio guys, there is a knobby thing labled "levels" somewhere on your hardware or software mixer. Please use it next time.

I'd only seen the Baldrick Diaries once before and it was great to have it along side of the Cavalier Years, Blackadder Christmas Carol, and Back and Forth. And since my VHSs have succumbed to age, repeated play and the occasional film-eating player, this came just in time.

I was also touched that the Blackadder staff all felt as deeply about the Fourth series as I did. I've never been able to watch the last episode of Blackadder the Fourth unless I was ready for an emotional time of it. If you haven't seen it, I'll give you a hint. This is historical comedy and the Fourth series is set in WWI, and at the end, a battlefield turns into a sea of poppies. Watch it and try not to choke up. Rarely does a comedy offer genuine deep feeling as well as tomfoolery.

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Rowan Atkinson was funny as Mr. Bean, but he was downright hilarious as the Black Adder. He had such a talent for playing the sharp-tongued rogue I'll never figure out why he decided to start doing comedy in which he hardly spoke. The premise of this British comedy series is that the central character, "The Black Adder", shows up at different points in history in various incarnations distorting historical events and poking fun at various British historical figures and situations along the way.

Lots of people don't like Black Adder I, in which the title character, Edmund, is the younger son of a brutish man consumed with thoughts of war who actually becomes king of England through Edmund's own bungling he arrives late for the Battle of Bosworth Field and winds up chopping off the head of Richard III, thus saving the life of Henry Tudor. Throughout this first season he plays the buffoon, often having the expression of a deer caught in the headlights. This is the only season in which the Black Adder takes on the persona of a weak effeminate person. Especially funny is Edmund's mother who is a proper noble woman sitting around doing embroidery and indifferently waiting for the next marauding army to pass through.

The second season takes place early during the reign of Elizabeth I, with the Black Adder confident, handsome, and even a favorite at court. A young Amanda Richardson plays the role of Elizabeth I, who comes across as Betty Boop, just not as intelligent. Although more cunning in this season, Black Adder still comes up the loser in just about every episode. My favorite is "Bells", in which Blackadder finds his new servant, Bob, curiously pleasant company. Afraid for his reputation at court, Blackadder searches for a "cure" which of course involves leeches, until Bob conveniently reveals that she is in fact a girl called Kate. Their wedding is disrupted by the profane Lord Flashheart, who, although he is the best man, winds up stealing the bride.

The third season takes place in the eighteenth century during the reign of George III, and will be a favorite of all fans of "House, M.D." due to the presence of a young Hugh Laurie. Here, Black Adder plays the manservant of the Prince Regent, George, played by Hugh Laurie. George is the dim-witted target of Black Adder's many schemes to enrich himself by taking advantage of his cushy position in George's household, and this often means having to save the Prince Regent's pension and position in the kingdom, which is largely controlled by Parliament.

The fourth season takes place during World War I, with Edmund Blackadder as a captain in the British army whose company is trapped in one of the trenches that gave everyone in Europe such a distaste for warfare between the two world wars. Blackadder's aim in this season is to stay alive by staying in that trench until the war ends. His stunts include shooting a carrier pigeon when it arrives with orders to advance, and joining the Royal Flying Corp "the twenty minuters". Unfortunately, the name comes from how long they are expected to live once in the air, not how much time they work each day, as Blackadder had originally thought.

This show has several interesting plot devices. First, most of the main characters show up in different periods of time with the same name but different roles. Hugh Laurie is always "George", Tony Robinson is always "Baldrick", Stephen Fry is always "Melchett", and Tim McInnerny is always "Percy". Since each season was shot in alternate years (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) the cast must have been having a terrific time in order for them to be regathered after such long intervals in order to make filming this series possible. Secondly, everyone in the cast, including the Black Adder, always dies in the final episode of each season. It is somewhat like the South Park stunt of Kenny being killed at the end of every show only to reappear in the next episode as though nothing had happened.

Do note that there are only six episodes per season. If you liked "Red Dwarf" or "Fawlty Towers", you'll probably like this series too.

As for extra features, disc five contains the specials. The Cavalier Years has Stephen Fry as King Charles and Warren Clarke as Oliver Cromwell. There is also Blackadder's Christmas Carol and Back and Forth. Christmas Carol is pretty funny, but I've never cared for Back and Forth.

Disc six contains the documentary Blackadder Rides Again, a 90-minute special with the behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage from the fourth season included. There's also a look back at the costumes used in Costumes Revisited, along with extended interviews and audio commentaries with the key actors. As for the audio commentaries, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny and producer John Lloyd have all contributed to these.

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This collection has all of the episodes of the Black Adder series, with Rowan Atkinson at his best. The price of this collection is lower than that of other Black Adder collections, but the video is superior and this has EVERYTHING the Black Adder fan will appreciate.

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Here is a run down on each series:

THE BLACKADDER

It's a long time since I saw the first series of Blackadder, which I remembered as being somewhat dull compared to subsequent ones. On re-watching, however, it proved to be funnier than I expected. The best episode is probably 'The Queen of Spain's Beard', which deals with Blackadder's attempts to get out of marrying an extremely ugly Spanish princess. Worth mentioning is Brain Blessed, who is hilarious as the fictional King Richard IV.

'The Blackadder' has surprisingly high production values and special effects compared to later series. Another key difference is Blackadder himself, who is far less intelligent than his descendants. Baldrick, on the other hand, is more intelligent...indeed he is almost normal! One of the best things about watching the series' sequentially is seeing the lead character's cunning and sarcasm develop, just as his social status goes down from Prince to Captain.

While still the least effective of Blackadder's various incarnations, this opening series is definitely worth watching, and if you are new to Blackadder you should probably watch it first, as it sets the scene for much of what follows.

BLACKADDER II

In this second series Edmund Blackadder really came into his own as a character. Instead of the rather snivelling Edmund of the first series, we are presented with the amoral, selfish and cynical (but brilliantly witty) Blackadder we all know and love. Baldrick, who was almost intelligent in the first series, now reveals himself as a turnip-obsessed dimwit who would become even stupider as time went on.

The most memorable thing about 'Blackadder 2', however, is Miranda Richardson, who is unforgettable as the psychotic Queen ("Oh Edmund, I love it when you get angry...sometimes I think about having you executed, just to see the look on your face..."). Patsy Byrne is great as the Queen's old nurse ("A sad old woman with an udder fixation," as Edmund calls her), and Stephen Fry is on top form as Lord Melchitt, a man as Machiavellian and calculating as Blackadder, but with less self esteem.

There are some great cameos, too, notably from Tom 'Dr. Who' Baker as a demented sea captain, and Rik Mayall as the womanising Lord Flashheart (he would reprise this role to even greater effect in the fourth series).

Probably the funniest episode is 'Beer', when Blackadder's fanatical puritan relatives the Whiteadders come round for tea, but Blackadder forgets he had also arranged a debauched drinking session for the same night. He then has to keep the two events running concurrently without the Whiteadders suspecting what is going on, which leads to hilarity as he tries to come up with explanations for the drunken roars emerging from the next room.

Another great episode is 'Head', where Blackadder is made Lord High Executioner, but then changes the execution schedule to give himself half a week off. This leads to the premature execution of a nobleman, whose wife then gains permission from the Queen to visit him. Blackadder and his companions must try and impersonate the dead man, somehow keeping up the pretence that he is alive.

Other good episodes include 'Chains', where Blackadder and Melchitt are taken hostage by a crazed German, and 'Money' where Blackadder is pursued by the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells to collect a debt he owes to the Black Monks.

BLACKADDER III

In this series Blackadder has declined in status since the Elizabethan days of series two and is now a mere butler to the Prince Regent (during the French Revolution/Napoleonic era). 'Blackadder 3' is worth watching just for Hugh Laurie's hilarious performance as the air-headed Prince George (he would also appear as the equally air-headed Lieutenant George in series four).

Perhaps the funniest episode is 'Duel and Duality', in which the Prince and Blackadder swap roles, and the highly aggressive Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry) proceeds to beat the Prince senseless for talking back to his betters. Those who like sadistic slapstick comedy in the British tradition will find this is up there with Basil Fawlty's treatment of Manuel in 'Fawlty Towers'.

Another standout episode is 'Ink and Incapability' where Robbie Coltrane guest stars as Samuel Johnson (who anachronistically is also friends with Byron, Shelley and Coleridge). When Baldrick admits he threw the only copy of Johnson's 'Dictionary' on the fire, Blackadder must rewrite the whole thing from scratch.

'Dish and Dishonesty' is another really funny one, concerning Blackadder's attempts to influence the outcome of a British election, in order to defeat Pitt the Younger (and his brother Pitt the Even Younger). Unfortunately Baldrick spends all the bribe money on a gigantic turnip.

'Blackadder 3' is one of the best Blackadder seasons, and is almost on a par with the superlative fourth series. Hours of laughter guaranteed.

BLACKADDER GOES FORTH

This is the last and greatest series of a brilliant British comedy. Set in the trenches of World War One, it features everything that made the first three seasons so great, but refines things to a new level of hilarity.

Nearly all the regular actors from earlier seasons crop up. Besides the obvious Blackadder (now a Captain), and Baldrick (a private) Melchett reappears as a General, and Tim McInnery who played Percy in the second series crops up as the obnoxious Captain Darling. Hugh Laurie reprises his role as the dimwitted George (now a Lieutenant) and is even funnier than in series three. Miranda Richardson plays a nurse, and even Rik Mayall makes a hilarious comeback as conceited fighter ace Lord Flashheart (with Adrian Edmundson playing his rival the Red Baron).

All the episodes are good, with standouts being 'Corporal Punishment', where Blackadder is court-martialled for shooting General Melchett's favourite pidgeon; 'Major Star', where George is convinced to go drag as the 'leading lady' in a variety show, which presents problems when the General develops a crush on him/her; and Private Plane, where the aforementioned Rik Mayall appears as the outrageous Lord Flashheart.

The final episode 'Goodbyeee' goes beyond comedy in its ending, giving a poignant reminder of the utter waste of World War One, a fratricidal conflict that should never have happened. Blackadder's character has developed to the point that, even though he is a selfish prick, we feel genuinely sorry for him when he is ordered 'over the top' by the bureaucrats in charge of the war.

'Blackadder Goes Forth' is the perfect ending to a classic comedy, which far from making fun of British and European history, actually pays tribute to it, and in a most entertaining way.

BLACKADDER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

'Blackadder's Christmas Carol' is a one off special, and not really up there with the four series proper. It does have an interesting premise, though. Ebenezer Blackadder undergoes a reverse transformation to that of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Dickens story 'A Christmas Carol'. Blackadder, the nicest man in England, is so nice that everyone takes advantage of him. Then he is visited by the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane), who shows him what lies in store for his descendents if they continue to be nice. As a result, Blackadder becomes a sarcastic rogue like his ancestors. Unfortunately for him, this leads to the loss of a peerage and a large sum of money. So maybe the 'moral' is: don't be too nice, but don't be too bad either!

THE CAVALIER YEARS

This is a 15 minute sketch filmed for charity, and is comparable in quality to series two and three. Amusingly, Stephen Fry plays King Charles I as a send-up of the modern day Prince Charles.

BLACKADDER: BACK AND FORTH

As the title implies, this special (sometimes referred to as 'Blackadder 5') involves a great deal of time travel, as a contemporary Edmund tries to impress his friends by building a time machine and bringing back historical artifacts, but also causes a few unfortunate changes to history in the process. It features most of the Blackadder regulars like Tim McInnery, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson. Rik Mayall also reprises his Lord Flashheart role, this time as Robin Hood. Amusing in parts, but not as good as classic Blackadder.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Black Adder (Remastered Ultimate Edition) (2009)

This review is in reference to Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition

Most people here are probably already aficionados of the show. I love it for its intelligence, clever lines, and history (as well as the puns and bad jokes), and the fact that it shares aspects in common with a really good play.

I agonized for months over whether to "duplicate" my purchase of the previous boxed set with this one. When it went on sale again, I finally took a chance and bought it and in my case am quite glad I did! I already knew I loved the material, and I read the general opinion that the remastering was good but not necessarily good enough to buy the set. It turns out to be a pretty high quality box set, both in "build quality" (if you will) and content.

The set comes in a comparatively solid outer box (pictured on the product page), into which the disc set slides like a book. The discs themselves are in a "booklet" of thin but sturdy plastic disc holders (which securely hold the discs but the discs are not too difficult to get out) and "bound" in a nice cardboard cover with an etching-like picture covering Edmund through series I to IV. The outer cover folds out into "Baldrick's Family Tree" which contains "Primeval Soup," "Worms," "Viagra," and the like, and a lot of "Baldricks." The discs also look nice and are clearly labeled with their contents. After having purchased some quality shows with really flimsy disc packaging, this was a nice surprise.

But the real treat is the new content. These are the extras labeled on the respective discs; and most of the discs have extras.

Disc One: The Black Adder [ no extras listed ]

Disc Two: Blackadder II, Audio Commentaries on Bells, Money, and Chains

...(Bells: Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, and John Lloyd)

...(Money: Tony Robinson and Tim McInerny)

...(Chains: Stephen Fry)

Disc Three: Blackadder the Third, Audio Commentaries on Ink & Incapability, Amy & Amiability, Duel & Duality

...(Ink & Incapability: Rowan Atkinson and John Lloyd)

...(Amy & Amiability: Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, and John Lloyd)

...(Duel & Duality: Stephen Fry)

Disc Four: Blackadder Goes Forth, Audio Commentaries on Major Star and Goodbyeee

...(Major Star: Tony Robinson and Tim McInerny)

...(Goodbyeee: Rowan Atkinson and John Lloyd)

Disc Five:

...Blackadder's Christmas Carol

...Blackadder The Cavalier Years

...Blackadder Back and Forth

...Baldrick's Video Diary

Disc Six

...Blackadder Rides Again

...Exclusive Extended Interviews & Costumes Revisited

EDIT:

I am working my way through the set; and I have to say I am very glad to have it. It might be just because I have old equipment, but the remasters look a lot better than the previous edition on my setup. I love having the book format instead of the fold-out; it's easier to find the disc I am interested in and get it out. I love the commentaries so far (have just listened to series 2 and commentaries). For some reason they didn't do any commentaries on series 1, which I found a big disappointment. As it wasn't one of my favourite series, I was really interested in what they thought about it, and what it was like making it. I enjoyed the commentaries for series 2, although for some reason when they mixed "Money" with Tony Robinson and Tim McInerny, they mixed the episode full-volume and you couldn't hear them half of the time, so that was disappointing. I still love the set and am quite glad I got it.