For some reason Blackadder Back and Forth is on YouTube in watchable quality, and has been there since 2014.
Ah, Slackbladder!
I like S1, but for different reasons than I like S2-4. Unlike other posters here, though, I think S3 is the weakest of those three - S2 is the best. But they are all brilliant.
Now, who’s for a celebratory slap up binge at Mrs Miggin’s Pie Shop?
I would agree that out of seasons 2-4, 3 is the weakest.
Here’s an online poll (with possible bias/leading question for the first series):
The whole lot is available on Britbox but that’s in the UK. Not sure if US Britbox has it or not…
I ALMOST gave up on Blackadder because the first series just didn’t grab me and I figured it was another one of those “great in its time but not really enjoyable now (in 2005…yikes)” things. Luckily I persevered and absolutely fell in love with 2-4.
My standing advice for the first series of Blackadder is the same as for the first 2-3 Discworld books: if you’re already sold and committed to the series somehow, go ahead and start there. Otherwise, skip ahead.
Blackadder taught me that “Kate” is short for “Bob.”
I’ve only seen glimpses of the first season, and I found it off-putting, so I never watched it. I might have gone ahead and watched for completeness after reading some comments here, but I hate the Mr. Bean character. So, if it’s like six episodes of Mr. Bean in the Dark Ages, I’ll pass.
A kindergarten girl defeats Mr. Bean with the Gone Swimming, Clothes Stolen trope.
it isn’t at all like Mr. Bean. it is very different from the other seasons, the second being my favorite by far.
Looks like I’m the only one around here that likes Season 3.
Most people have said that they like 2, 3, and 4 just fine.
To be honest, I think the quality of 2,3 and 4 is very even. No real drop-off or dip but Queenie is a stand-out so she perhaps elevates 2 over the others slightly. All great though.
Count me as one of the folks who loves season 1. I love all the Shakespeare references, love the “Witchsmeller Pursuivant” episode, love Brian Blessed, love the Russian Black codpiece. I don’t care if Edmund is a snivelling, weaselly little turd in this season. He’s still funny.
And, of course, Peter Cook kicked butt in that first episode.
As mentioned before, Season 1 is my favourite. I’ve never quite been a fan of the fart jokes which dominated most of season 2+3. I found the Queenie and Nursie characters to be stupid, and more a bad version of traditional UK Carry On stereotypes, which had been long overplayed. Indeed, it was Ben Elton’s writing talents, when he was on the wane which was part of 2 and 3, and I much preferred the humour of Rowan Atkinson, who was the cowriter with Curtis on the first season.
Having been a brit and a big fan of the alternative comedy scene bred out of The Young Ones and The Comic Strip Presents, it made me feel as if it was using out of date and unfashionable humour, and, if anything, have found seasons 2 and 3 have dated more. The first season is much more like The Comic Strip Presents: a genre parody, the next two much more like the appalling genre Parody of Elton’s: The big blue line.
I’m sure if you approach it as a non brit, you’ve not got the same viewpoint of being there as they were broadcast… However, seasons 2 + 3 are one of the few products of the 80s alternative comedy scene I’d not want to watch again. Along with the post Young Ones sitcom: Happy Families, but that was because it was in effect a 6 episode long rejected Comic Strip script… Elton never really reached the heights of his Young Ones promise after that…
Each one has a different kind of humor.
- Buffoonery
- Witty Repartee
- Sarcasm
- Black humor.
I’m a Brit and I loved them at the time, and I love them now. I mean, I’m not going to tell you that your opinion is wrong (although it’s not mine), but it’s not just non-Brits who prefer the later seasons.
The trend seems to be liking Season 2 better than 3 & 4, even if they like 2-4 “evenly.” I, OTOH, while liking Season 2, find Queenie and Nursie very hard to take in other than minutely small doses. That kicks the season down a notch. My highly biased ranking would be 3, 4, Back & Forth, Specials, 2. Then Season 1 on a separate page.
I love The Thin Blue Line.
Ditto. Fun series. Very under-rated.