I want the videos! All I could find was the Blackadder Christmas ::sniff:: Are there any recommended sites for BA on the web? All I’ve ever seen is snips and I know I’d be a fan for life if I could see the original series.
“Caroline of Brunswick has the worst personality in Germany—and you can imagine the competition!”
LOVE that show, have almost all of them on tape EXCEPT the Xmas show. Poor Rowan Atkinson never found anything worthy of him again. Miranda Richardson has utterly ruined Queen Elizabeth for me (“I was awoken by the most terrific banging from Lord Melchert!”).
“They do say, Mrs. Miggins, that verbal insults hurt more than physical pain, but they are wrong as you will discover when I stick this toasting fork into your head.”
Ben Elton and Richard Curtis are brilliant writers, who know their English history. Some of my fave moments (slight paraphrasing unavoidable):
Sean the Irish Bastard: “Let’s kill those meek bastards now!” (after being told that the meek would inherit the earth)
“That’s one of the King’s carrier pigeons.”
“That pigeon couldn’t carry the King. He hasn’t got a tray or anything.”
“The correct procedure when stepping on a mine, Lieutenant, is to leap 200 feet into the air and scatter yourself over a wide area.”
“You must fight her in the old highland manner: bare-breasted and each carrying an eight-pound baby.” (McAdder)
“Present the book, sir, or by God, in my passion, I’ll kill everyone by giving them syphillis!”
“Look–there’s a man being indecently assaulted by nine foreign sailors, and he’s still got a smile on his face!”
“You have spilt the blood of many of my finest–and blondest–friends.”
“I wish to entwine you again in my broad thighs,” (the Spanish Infanta)
“Shot on an unconvincing grassy knoll.”
“Any bird who wants to chain herself to my railings and suffer-a-jet movement gets my vote!” (who else but Lord Flashheart?) This line is the all-time best complex pun on semi-obscure British womens’ history.
Have you noticed that in Blackadder II, the balladeer’s song over the closing credits is different for each episode, with lyrics suited to that epsiode?
Rodd Hill: re changing BA II lyrics: Yes! And they’re all hysterically funny! Also funny is Lord Blackadder trying to find the balladeer in the bushes to kick the crap out of him each time – and the balladeer always turning up someplace different!
My husband’s favorite series is BA II, but I like the original series, especially the first one with Peter Cook as Richard III. I love the references to Richard III and to MacBeth. Brian Blessed is a hoot, too.
(I probably don’t have these verbatim, but they’re still worth sharing. Is there a Guinness record for longest punchlines?)
Driver Parkhurst: I want to see how a war is fought, so badly.
Capt. Blackadder: Well, you’ve come to the right place, Bob. A war hasn’t been fought this badly since Olaf the Hairy, high chief of all the Vikings, ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside.
–
Gen. Melchett: I want to see if any of the men in your outfit have any artistic talent.
Capt. Blackadder: That won’t be necessary, sir. I happen to know that the men in my outfit have the combined artistic talent of a family of colorblind hedgehogs. In a bag.
Gen. Melchett: Well, that’s a pity. Because we were looking for someone to send to Paris to paint inspiring pictures for the men.
Capt. Blackadder: Perhaps you’ve enjoyed, as I have, sir, the new painting “Bag Interior”, by the Colorblind Hedgehog Workshop.
Jois , IMO Blackadder Goes forth( WWI ) then Blackadder II (Elizabethan) then Blackadder III (Georgian) . There all fantastic but thats the way I’d buy them if I couldn’t buy them *all .
We have ALL of the BlackAdders on tape. Including the Christmas episode.
Nyahhh!
Mrs. Cal is reading over my shoulder, laughing hysterically and complaining that no one has put down her favorite quote (implied in the OP). I semi-quote:
“I found a turnip that’s shaped like a thingy, which is amusing because Baldrick has a thingy shaped like a turnip.”
My favorite is:
BA: “Ohh, I want to bed down with a dozen concubnes.”
Baldrick:" Wouldn’t that be all prickly?"
Flash had some of the best lines. The one that sticks with me is:
“She’s got a tongue like an electric eel, and she likes the taste of a man’s tonsils!”
The fact that he’s referring to the queen makes it so much better. I really must get back to my goal of buying all of these. They were on PBS forever, but now they’re gone. Damn them.
Oh, and from the Christmas Carol:
“Baldrick, go get me a turkey so large you’d think it’s mother had been rogered by an omnibus.”
