# Blackadder **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409 "2019-11-14T13:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/61 "2019-11-21T15:50:59Z")
Over the past few years, I’ve watched the four series of _Blackadder_ (in 3-1-2-4, or maybe 3-2-1-4, order). I was mildly entertained by them all but did not love them or find them as funny as some people apparently do. I may, or may not, be on the same page as **Smid** ; I’m an American who loves _The Young Ones_ but isn’t really familiar with the other British comedy he referenced. But I thought _Blackadder_’s humor, throughout the four series, tended toward the broad, stale, and obvious. And the shows felt like maybe the kind of thing that was written for, and would have worked better on, the stage rather than the screen. (And I can’t rule out that, when I watched the shows, I was doing so in the wrong mood or with the wrong expectations. If I rewatched them, I might or might not appreciate them more.) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/62 "2019-11-21T15:52:26Z")
3 was my favorite, but I think that’s probably because that was the first one I was exposed to. 2-4 are all great, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/63 "2019-11-21T16:37:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Over the past few years, I’ve watched the four series of _Blackadder_ (in 3-1-2-4, or maybe 3-2-1-4, order). I was mildly entertained by them all but did not love them or find them as funny as some people apparently do. I may, or may not, be on the same page as **Smid** ; I’m an American who loves _The Young Ones_ but isn’t really familiar with the other British comedy he referenced. But I thought _Blackadder_’s humor, throughout the four series, tended toward the broad, stale, and obvious. And the shows felt like maybe the kind of thing that was written for, and would have worked better on, the stage rather than the screen. (And I can’t rule out that, when I watched the shows, I was doing so in the wrong mood or with the wrong expectations. If I rewatched them, I might or might not appreciate them more.) You may REALLY need this. [Comic Strip Presents](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comic-Strip-Presents-Complete-Collection/dp/B000QRI4BY), though someone is taking the piss with the £99 price, cost about £20 when I bought it. The Comic Strip were Mayall, Edmonson, French and Saunders and a few others and parodied widely across a bunch of genres in single one off episodes of about an hour, including one based on Rick/Vivian/Eddie/Richie characters from Young Ones/ Dangerous Brothers/ Flithy Rich and Catflap/Bottom. That one was called “Mr Jolly Lives Next Door”. But they parodied the Enid Blyton books, Spaggetti Westerns and all sorts of others. This series predated the Young Ones and ran for years afterwards, I don’t think it ever involved Ben Elton though… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/64 "2019-11-21T17:58:06Z")
My favorite is Season Four. Generally speaking, I like all four series, but I like it less as time goes on because several of the characters just got too stupid (Baldrick, Queenie, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/65 "2019-11-21T18:48:08Z")
Although it’s been years since I’ve seen them, I’m pretty sure I enjoyed all the series. The second one was the best; but all had their highlights, even the Christmas special. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/66 "2019-11-22T13:29:55Z")
The “they want to see us nail up the dog” is often missing from repeats of Blackadder’s Christmas Carol ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/67 "2020-02-22T01:15:09Z")
“15 years in France teaches a man to _hate_” is one of the best lines of Series One. ---
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409/68 "2020-02-22T02:04:29Z")
4,1,2,3. That is my rank. I find 4th just ideally realistically absurd to like it the most. Second place goes to BRIAN BLESSED!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackadder/843409.md?page=3)