Blackadder Goes Forth
March 6th 2007 12:51
Before I sat down and watched this entire series, I only thought I enjoyed it a little. After having watched all of it, I have to admit, I love it. Almost completely.
Blackadder as a series seems to me to have matured at a surprisingly fast rate. I have watched much of the first, only a little of the middle two and all of the forth. By the time they had reached the forth, a startling transformation had happened. For the first, the jokes were not just funny, but relevant. And poignantly so.
Three men sharing life in a small bunker in a trench in perhaps one of the most pointless military exercises of the time (that being said just about every war I have read about was pretty pointless, WW II was I think, certainly not pointless, for the better part, but certainly many others didn't need to be fought.). In a book that I have read, and partially reviewed on here, I read a review of a battle written by Theodore Roosevelt, before he became President. It was concerning military doctrine and tactics and one thing he said (paraphrasing) was that the nature of war was changing to the point where it would no longer be feasible or advisable to fight in the ways they had been fighting. That current trends in the advancement of weapons of war would make the order for men to go over the top completely inexcuseable. WW I was proof of this. The funny thing was that it didn't say that to fight war is bad, but that it ought not be fought badly. That in the midst of stupidity, it is still wrong to be willfully stupid.
The characters themselves were fun to watch. Which I suppose must have been intentional. Baldric was still an amusing yet pitiable idiot. Stephen Fry played a Major with less understanding about reality than a bannana. Tim McInnerny was hilarious as Captain Darling (which in itself had some classic gags). Hugh Laurie. What to say about this man? The only thing I can recommend is to watch a couple of episodes of this and then watch a couple of the more intense episodes of House. Yes, it IS the same guy. Captain Blackadder has all the best lines. Well, ninety percent of them.
The series is full of comedy but at the end is full of emotional intensity (warning, spoiler ahead). They die, understanding completely that they are performing a duty, however pointless that will result in their deaths. Laughs, not quite tears, and alot of philosophy. Thank you Mr Ben Elton.
JZ
Blackadder as a series seems to me to have matured at a surprisingly fast rate. I have watched much of the first, only a little of the middle two and all of the forth. By the time they had reached the forth, a startling transformation had happened. For the first, the jokes were not just funny, but relevant. And poignantly so.
Three men sharing life in a small bunker in a trench in perhaps one of the most pointless military exercises of the time (that being said just about every war I have read about was pretty pointless, WW II was I think, certainly not pointless, for the better part, but certainly many others didn't need to be fought.). In a book that I have read, and partially reviewed on here, I read a review of a battle written by Theodore Roosevelt, before he became President. It was concerning military doctrine and tactics and one thing he said (paraphrasing) was that the nature of war was changing to the point where it would no longer be feasible or advisable to fight in the ways they had been fighting. That current trends in the advancement of weapons of war would make the order for men to go over the top completely inexcuseable. WW I was proof of this. The funny thing was that it didn't say that to fight war is bad, but that it ought not be fought badly. That in the midst of stupidity, it is still wrong to be willfully stupid.
The characters themselves were fun to watch. Which I suppose must have been intentional. Baldric was still an amusing yet pitiable idiot. Stephen Fry played a Major with less understanding about reality than a bannana. Tim McInnerny was hilarious as Captain Darling (which in itself had some classic gags). Hugh Laurie. What to say about this man? The only thing I can recommend is to watch a couple of episodes of this and then watch a couple of the more intense episodes of House. Yes, it IS the same guy. Captain Blackadder has all the best lines. Well, ninety percent of them.
The series is full of comedy but at the end is full of emotional intensity (warning, spoiler ahead). They die, understanding completely that they are performing a duty, however pointless that will result in their deaths. Laughs, not quite tears, and alot of philosophy. Thank you Mr Ben Elton.
JZ
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Comment by hewhocutsdown
Atrocious production quality and cheap sets, but it's not 24, it's Blackadder, and it's funny nonetheless.
I highly recommend two Canadian comedies; Corner Gas, and Little Mosque On The Prarie.
Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
Oh funny, funny, funny!!
(I'm trying to remember quotes but am having a slow brain day...)
Rowan Atkinson was just brilliant!
Hope you're well my friend.
Dusk
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Pity we'll never see a 5th since Rowan Atkinson is stuck with Mr. Bean (intelligent comedy has ceased suddenly), Hugh Laurie is playing 'House' (damn him and his fake American accent), and that last guy, I forgot his real name, 'baldrick' is doing documentaries for the BBC now...
Sometimes I just laugh waiting for the punchline,
Best line exchange in a TV show ever:
Lieutenant George: [Picking up a short wooden baton] Bravo sir, wouldn't want to face a machine gun without this.
Captain Darling: [Distant artillery sounds die down] Listen, our guns have stopped.
Lieutenant George: You don't think...
Private Baldrick: Maybe the war is over. Maybe it's peace!
Lieutenant George: Oh hurrah! The big nobs have got around the table and yanked the iron out of the fire!
Captain Darling: Thank God! We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Lieutenant George, Private Baldrick, Captain Darling: Hip hip, hurrah!
Captain Blackadder: I'm afraid... not. The guns have stopped because we're about to attack. Not even our generals are mad enough to shell their own men. They think it far more sporting to let the Germans do it.
Yeah, great show...
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
dude, look at the writers. This will tell you why. In two words, Ben Elton.
Might have to look those two up.....
JZ
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
one of my favourite lines, except the ones already quoted by Ahmed....
I was educated at the school of life experience, graduated from the university of hard knocks and even have three gold stars from the kindergarten of getting the living sh*t kicked out of you."
Or when he is interrogating Captain Darling.
"I'm as british as the Queen."
"So, your father's german, you're half german and you married a german?"
And Dusk, I am doing fantastic. Always thankful for your concern.
JZ
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
yes, Ben Elton is brilliant.
He once said that he wouldn't mind if he never performed but would be intensely sorrowful if he could never write again.
Check out his books, if you have the time.
JZ
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
I dont get it, he played an imbecile in the tv show yet hosted documentaries and wrote books afterwards.
Yeah, looks like he did have a cunning plan after all...
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Forget I said anything...
Comment by AnthonyB
So how does everyone watch Black Adder ? I haven't seen that show on TV for years !! Personally, I'm a Sopranos, Family Guy and to a lesser extent, American Dad fan. TV isn't really my thing, but I'm gonna watch it, I'm gonna make it count. Neighbours is by far my favourite program. Whaddya reckon Josh? How about a post on the proverbial rollercoaster that is soap opera ?
Sorry I couldn't be more useful on this topic. But now I know.. Tony Robinson is Baldric.
- Anthony
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
The reason I don't post about alot of tv shows Anthony is because I don't really watch them. House and Heroes are what I watch regularly (even then I watch them online so I can see them before anyone else!) so I don't think I would be the ideal person to write about Home and Away or Neighbours (I have never actually watched a whole episode of either).
Hey dude, good to have you here.
JZ
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
Rowan Atkinson joked about a fifth series called Star Adder. Personally though I don't think that there is much for them to cover. Part of the hilarity of Blackadder was that it was a satire of the time. The jokes in BAGF were very much aimed at that period and they are funnier with increased understanding.
But hey, we can dream.....
JZ
Comment by Ahmed
techy.Bytes
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Qwerk
Cinema Three
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
but also they could maybe do something with Staradder...... They could parody us as we are now. The great thing is that it wouldn't take much effort.
JZ
Comment by AnthonyB
Glad to hear some brotherly love goin' on. I've never had siblings, so there's a kind of nostalgia there when I hear about people and their brothers / sisters. I'll have to check out the Adder and see what's up and why so many like it.
Cheers JZ. You write a damn good blog. !
- Anthony
Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
...the TV show too...
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
His line of "FRYING MAN!" is hysterical.
JZ