Blackadder is a historical and at times hysterical 1980s British sitcom, focusing on the exploits of different members (all played by Rowan Atkinson) of the Blackadder lineage throughout history. “The Ultimate Edition” is the third DVD release of the entire series. The episodes look very good after having been remastered, and the set contains almost every related item a Blackadder fan could want.
Created and written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the first series, The Black Adder, is set in an alternate 1485 where Henry Tudor didn’t win the War of the Roses. Instead, Richard IV (Brian Blessed) is named king after his son Edmund Plantagenet (Atkinson), unbeknownst to most, kills Richard III (Peter Cook) on the battlefield, mistaking him for a horse thief. Because Richard IV thinks so little of him, even forgetting his name, Edmund schemes to gain favor with but then eventually plots to overthrow his father. Edmund takes the name “Black Adder” and is assisted, though their results reveal it’s not always the correct word, by Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny) and Baldrick (Tony Robinson). History is set right in the final episode of “The Black Adder” and Tudor takes the throne.
Blackadder II moves ahead to the Elizabethan era and finds Lord Blackadder, the great-grandson of Prince Edmund of the previous series, as a courtier of the Queen (Miranda Richardson). While the traits of scheming have been passed down, Lord Blackadder is smarter than his ancestor. He is also joined by his own Lord Percy Percy and Baldrick.
Atkinson gave up writing chores and Ben Elton became Curtis’ writing partner for the remainder of the program’s run. Stephen Fry joined the cast as Lord Melchett and his comedy partner Hugh Laurie played two different roles. This series ends with the main characters suffering a similar fate as the previous series.
Blackadder the Third continues the slide in status for the Blackadder line as the Regency era reveals the Edmund Blackadder of this age to be a butler to the dim-witted George, Price of Wales (Laurie). There is another Baldrick; this time serving as Blackadder’s dogsbody. McInnerny, Fry, and Richardson return in small roles.
Blackadder Goes Forth takes place in 1917 during WWI with Captain Blackadder trying to escape the trenches with his life. Private S. Baldrick and Lieutenant George (Laurie) are his sidekicks, and Fry and McInnerny return as series cast members playing General Melchett and his assistant Captain Darling, respectively. The series finale, while offering a similar fate to previous characters, is much more poignant. This is likely in part because the other series had fun sending up the time periods while Goes Forth is also a satire about war.
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