h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How is it possible to choose a favourite episode of Blackadder?
Each series is so different to the others, mainly due to fantastic variation of the characters.

Season 1. How can the witchsmeller persuivant episode be beaten with Baldrick's amazing disappearing trick or how could the 'death of a scotsman' play be bettered??

Season 2 has it all, from prince Ludwig's rewenge to Flossy to Baldrick on the game!! And not forgetting the 'fine wine' brought back after captain rum's expedition!! (You have a woman's legs my lord!!!)

Season 3 has the classic 'what starts with come here and ends in ow' line and of course Baldrick's magnificent octopus about a little sausage

Season 4 with the flanders pigeon murderer and catpain blackudder, the underpants on the head with the pencils up the nose is of course classic.

So how can a single episode be chosen as a favourite above all others??

I quite agree- the variation on a central premise is unparalled & it is impossible to choose between 24 excellent episodes.

For me, each series is a distinct & freestanding organism- The Blackadder is comedy on a grand scale, with Edmund's role much less prominent (and his character much weaker than in later series), and with excellent lines given to a number of other characters.

Blackadder II revels in some excellent wit and the dominance of the latest descendant of the Blackadder line. Blackadder the Third, is similarly well writtten, with Prince George the perfect

I quite agree- the variation on a central premise is unparalled & it is impossible to choose between 24 excellent episodes.

For me, each series is a distinct & free-standing organism- The Blackadder is comedy on a grand scale, with Edmund's role much less prominent (and his character much weaker than in later series), and with excellent lines given to a number of other characters.

Blackadder II revels in some excellent wit and the dominance of the latest descendant of the Blackadder line. Blackadder the Third, is similarly well written, with the lazy, opulent & somewhat dim Prince George the perfect antithesis to the industrious & undoubtedly unfortunate Edmund.

Blackadder Goes Forth succeeds not, as with earlier series, because of the quality of it's writing (which is often repetitive) but from the poignant balance between the horrors of war & the everyday optimism of the individuals involved. George, Baldrick & Darling in particular are vividly realistic in their character & outlook.

For me, Blackadder is the most accomplished British sitcom, mixing fine comic acting, excellent writing & well developed characters into an un-matched whole.

its impossible to choose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if i had to it would be chains. hugh laurie plays a great part as geogre in 3 and 4 but ludwig is the BEST!!!!!!!
obviously that is after badrick and blackadder!!!!!!!!

Well, my favourite series is probably Blackadder the Second, mainly 'cos I love Queenie. But I guess my favourite episode is the Goodbyee, the final one of Blackadder Goes Forth. It's not so much for the humour, rather the way in which the harsh reality of going over the top is dealt with. I think everyone excelled themselves with the final few scenes, you can sense the air of nervousness. I love the way they all try to keep on joking to the end, with comment's like the one about the splinter on the ladder- "someone could have their eye out" - never mind the fact that in a few minutes they'll all be dead.

And that final scene, the way it fades from the battle and our guys falling at the hands of the German machine guns to the poppies in the battlefield today. I think it serves as a poignant reminder of the horrors and true cost of war. Gets me every time.

(PS, sorry if I brought you all down )

I think each blackadder has its own moments, which make you laugh and cry some times. I do think personlly the second series, which had that bad and wicked queenie, but a very sexy blackadder. The last series to was brilliant its own way, which had some of the best cunning plans and the saddest ending. No sick death plans or tortures like the first, or terrible regicide ( 2 or 3). but the terible loss of ww1, i do confession like Tim macI ( percy and darling) said on the best sitcomes, i cried. its also the charaters like lord and lady whiteadder , nursie, mrs miggins, the baby eating bishop of bath and wells that make it too.
its just brilliant really.

It`s quite easy to choose, I think. The first episode is THE Black Adder. But number 3 is also good. The two others I`m not that fond of, although number 4 is probably better than 2.

Prince Edmund in Black Adder the first is my favourite anti-hero, he is slimy and degrading. The duel in the second episode is a good example of his cowardly behaviour. I love his laughter and his hair cut!

A really really sexy queenie you mean!
But yes, all four series had their own strengths. And yes, they made me cry too. Particularly that last episode, when the poppies come up.
I was talking to a teenager the other day, who is studying the first World War, and i said they could do a lot worse than watch Blackadder Goes Forth. Having said that, love the Shakespeare references in 1, and the whole Hanoverian feel of 3.
But what was the best moment of all for me?
In Potato, when Percy was hiding in the big sea chest. And spent some time teaching Baldrick what to say. And Blackadder entered, and said "where's that cretin Percy?"
And Baldrick, after much deliberation said "he's hiding in the box"
I was nearly sick with laughing.

"bird neck and bird brain - you should get along like a house on fire" does it for me!


I love the way he satirises fashion and trends, those who take themselves so so seriously in any age!

other magical moments......Prince George finding Baldrick the Bomber (cleaner), or the French Nobs and Rey-vo-looshionnarries (v silly accetn!)......or even Stephen Fry is a ludicrously camp , underpant wearing Roman Officer!

All the episodes are so great, however, i went for Sense and Senility in the end, because I love the continueing "Scottish play" joke.

"So you want me to say the scottish play?"
"yes!"
"And not Macbeth?"
"AHHHHH!"

This is a point which i regularly make to people, they are never acturly shown being killed, they are just chargeing and tripping over, it is just implied that they die. for all we know, blackadder could have gone on to live a long life, he certainly had a decndant in the year 200 (see Blackadder: Back and forth.)

Definitley. I constantly listen to blackadder on my computer, whilst playing on the computer, and the more I listen to blackadder or indeed watch the dvds (although, sadly, I currently own two blackadder dvds) my favourite series and episodes change daily.

The Blackadder: The Queen of spains beard, fantastic and of course, the wonderful Rick Mayall as Mad Gerald.

Blackadder The Second: Hugh Laurie as the evil prince Ludvege(sp?) always cracks me up, especially when confronting Lord Melchett and the thingy turnip, mentioned in beer.

Blackadder The Third: Stephen Fry as the Duke Of Wellington and Hugh Laurie as Prince George, fantastic

Blackadder Goes Fourth: Lord Melchett preapering his romantic speech for the gorgeus Georgina, Lord Flashart and Goodbyee, one of the most moving epsiodes to watch and to listen to, especially the end of the audio version, when their voice's echo over the piano and the bombs
Lizzie

so many to chose from...

lord Flasheart: nursy! am I just glad to see you or do I have a cano in my pants?! woof woof !!!


*lord Flasheart: always treat your kite like you treat your wife...
-George: what do you mean sir? do you mean, take her for the weekend to meet your mother?
*lord Flasheart: no I mean, get inside her five times a day, take her to heaven and back!

George & Melchett (singing): row row row your boat, gently down the stream, belts of, trousers down, isn't life a scream, HEEEEEEE !!!!

BRAVOOOO!!!! martinibaby

You forget about his exploits with the nurse earlier in the fourth season.

i dont know!!!!! it's so hard to choose!!! allthough i do think that the fourth series does have something that the other episodes dont have.
maby its that they have more expirience with three series under there belt? i dont know, but there are a few things, in series four that make it stick out a bit more that the others.

Private Plane:

Flashheart:Captain darling! funny name for a guy isnt it?the last person i called darling was pregnant twenty seconds later. i hear you couldnt be bothered to help old slakie here?
Darling:Oh ,well ,er it wasnt that at all- we weighed up the pros and cons,and it didnt seem to be a reasoneble use of our time and resources.
Flashheart:well this isnt a valuble use of my time and resources but im going to do it anyway.
Darling:What?
Flashheart:This
(he head-buts darling)

This is easy. It's 'Goodbyeeeee'.

It is nothing short of genius. Sure there are countless other brilliant episodes, but this one takes all the biscuits.

With Blackadder's cynicism in full flow, Baldrick's tortured poetry and question about how the war started, George's apparent unwillingness to look facts in the face (that'll see him through!)and Melchett's beautifully crafted shafting of Darling, there is a laugh a minute underscored by the poignancy of knowing that it probably all happened for real, but without the laughs.