Oh god, my ancient brain. I could argue that a great number of nobs might be pricks, but you're entirely correct, of course. To be fair, Blackadder contains references to a number of nob's knobs, but in this case, it's Baldrick's, so its a knob with knobs on. Going to have to edit that now to cover the shame of my nob, as a sort of fig leaf.
It is not your reminiscence bump! This was a great time for BBC programming and a great example of how niche programmes could become mainstream rather than just remain cult classics. My favourite was always Blackadder Goes Forth because of my age, I think and because of the propensity for First World War poetry to be studied in secondary school which gave it added relevance, but it was Blackadder II that got us all watching to start with.
That’s an excellent point about Goes Forth: the Tudors and World Wars, the things every British school child knows all too well. Which makes III and interesting choice too.
In Ben Elton’s book he’s vociferously enthusiastic about old style studio sitcoms, which were a mainstay of that period of TV. Not least because studios were cheap if you owned television centre. And they’re sorely missed, too. Too much overproduced ‘dramedy’ and not enough jokes.
An excellent appreciation! I’m with you on all counts. I saw III first (great), then II (the best), then I and IV (meh). My favorite episode from all four series is probably the one where Robbie Coltrane plays Samuel Johnson.
Thank you! I’m quite fond of IV but III is perhaps the most interesting conceptually. Everyone in Britain gets taught the Tudors and the World Wars, but how many know about Pitt (the even younger) and the idiosyncrasies of the eighteenth century parliamentary system. And yet they make yet another cracking sitcom out of it. You’re right about Coltrane, too. Although given Johnson’s opinion of the Scots, he may not have agreed.
I listened to Blackadder II before I ever saw it. For some reason my father decided to buy the audio tape version though so that we can listen to it in the car on a long trip through France that summer. Despite missing any visual context my 11 year old self still thought it was some of the funniest stuff I'd ever heard. To this day, I still haven't seen what the turnip that looks like a thingy actually looks like, and it doesn't matter at all really
Thank you! And you’re right about the plotting, everything has that machine-tooled precision of great farce, so that as well as the individual jokes, you can feel the episodes growing increasingly hysterical as they go. If nothing else, seeing the sheer craft being lavished on a half hour comedy is a joy in itself
And of course, the fabulous Rik Mayall as Lord Flashheart. Woof!
Nice beard, bridesmaid! Gives me something to hang on to!
It's knob, not nob, isn't it. Nob is a version of nabob, meaning wealthy powerful person. Knob of course is a penis.
Oh god, my ancient brain. I could argue that a great number of nobs might be pricks, but you're entirely correct, of course. To be fair, Blackadder contains references to a number of nob's knobs, but in this case, it's Baldrick's, so its a knob with knobs on. Going to have to edit that now to cover the shame of my nob, as a sort of fig leaf.
It is not your reminiscence bump! This was a great time for BBC programming and a great example of how niche programmes could become mainstream rather than just remain cult classics. My favourite was always Blackadder Goes Forth because of my age, I think and because of the propensity for First World War poetry to be studied in secondary school which gave it added relevance, but it was Blackadder II that got us all watching to start with.
That’s an excellent point about Goes Forth: the Tudors and World Wars, the things every British school child knows all too well. Which makes III and interesting choice too.
In Ben Elton’s book he’s vociferously enthusiastic about old style studio sitcoms, which were a mainstay of that period of TV. Not least because studios were cheap if you owned television centre. And they’re sorely missed, too. Too much overproduced ‘dramedy’ and not enough jokes.
An excellent appreciation! I’m with you on all counts. I saw III first (great), then II (the best), then I and IV (meh). My favorite episode from all four series is probably the one where Robbie Coltrane plays Samuel Johnson.
Thank you! I’m quite fond of IV but III is perhaps the most interesting conceptually. Everyone in Britain gets taught the Tudors and the World Wars, but how many know about Pitt (the even younger) and the idiosyncrasies of the eighteenth century parliamentary system. And yet they make yet another cracking sitcom out of it. You’re right about Coltrane, too. Although given Johnson’s opinion of the Scots, he may not have agreed.
“Much may be made of a Scotsman if he be caught young!”
“The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!”
Just learned that there’s a four-part The Rest Is History series on SJ—I listened to the first one—v good.
Ha! So many good ones. What a book.
I listened to Blackadder II before I ever saw it. For some reason my father decided to buy the audio tape version though so that we can listen to it in the car on a long trip through France that summer. Despite missing any visual context my 11 year old self still thought it was some of the funniest stuff I'd ever heard. To this day, I still haven't seen what the turnip that looks like a thingy actually looks like, and it doesn't matter at all really
Thank you! And you’re right about the plotting, everything has that machine-tooled precision of great farce, so that as well as the individual jokes, you can feel the episodes growing increasingly hysterical as they go. If nothing else, seeing the sheer craft being lavished on a half hour comedy is a joy in itself