Have
you ever browsed the DVD selection at Costco recently? In addition to recent US releases, they
feature quite a few obscure British shows.
I’ve yet to see this one there, but it certainly belongs. I can’t say I recall seeing this on UK TV, as
the last time I was there was in 1985, which would have allowed me to see
(should I have been inclined to do so) season 1. This was a British comedy series from 1983 to
1989, featuring Rowan Atkinson as the title role. All four seasons are only six episodes long,
30 minutes each. The DVD has no
subtitles. I can’t recall WHY I rented these from
Netflix, but for some reason I did.
Season
1 (1983). Richard III era, England
1485. Adder plays a dimwit, Edmund, who
accidentally kills Richard III, which puts Edmund’s father Richard IV (Brian
Blessed) on the throne. Harry, Prince of
Wales (Robert East) is Richard IV’s more favored (and more intelligent) older
son. Lots of medieval humor and some
Shakespeare references.
Season
2 (1986). Queen Elizabeth I. Miranda Richardson plays the Queen, and
Stephen Fry her courtier. She summons BA
several times solely to the sake of her amusement when he arrives promptly only
to find no particular meaning or purpose behind the summons. This time around he’s a Tudor courtier, and
now of normal intelligence and so begins his acidic insulting wit. Baldrick is his servant.
Season
3 (1987). Napoleonic Era. Hugh Laurie is here, as the Prince Regent
(George IV) – the typical clueless upper class twit, though not insane like his
father. BA is his butler, and Baldrick
his turnip-obsessed servant. Nigel Planer
has a brief role as the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Pitt the Younger is here as Prime Minister – they make him seem like a
college student who became PM. Quite a few Napoleon references plus an entire
episode on the French Revolution.
Season
4 (1989). World War I. Ah, here is my favorite. “Edmund Black Adder” is an English officer
(captain) unhappily serving in the trenches with Private Baldrick and a (yet
again) dimwitted officer Lt. George (Laurie).
Fry is here as the Lord Kichener type General Melchett – the kind who
blithely orders men to their deaths in unimaginative offensives. McInnerny returns as Melchett’s ADC, Captain
Darling, a name which causes much confusion.
The general idea is that the war is a colossal mistake but everyone is
too stupid to stop it.
House
& Hugh Laurie fans rejoice: he has
minor roles in season 2 (last two episodes) but is a main character on all 12
episodes of 3 & 4, although playing a dimwit on all of them.
The
Young Ones. If you liked this show,
Rik, Nigel and Vivyan have roles here.
Not big ones, mind you, but you can certainly recognize them. Rik Mayall is back – as a flamboyant RFC (WWI
version of RAF) pilot, while Ade Edmonson is the Red Baron.
Supporting
Actors.
Baldrick
(Tony Robinson). In season 1 he’s
fairly smart, but in the subsequent series he devolves into being stupid, but
in a humorous way – and perpetually the butt of BA’s jokes and contempt. Or he has a “marvelous plan” that’s either
bewilderingly stupid or impossible to effectively execute.
Tim
McInnerny typically takes irregular supporting roles. S1 & S2 saw him as a regular, but only
one episode in S3. His best was Captain
Darling in Season 4. Apparently he was
trying to avoid being yet another Baldrick.
Miranda
Richardson stars as Queen Elizabeth (S2), a would-be bride to Prince George
(season 3) (and another mystery role!) and returns in Season 4 as a nurse who
helps the injured Lt. George write letters and offers physical affection to Captain
Blackadder.
Stephen
Fry mainly acts as Queen Elizabeth’s chamberlain (S2) and General Melchett
(S4).
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