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A review by tristansreadingmania
Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty, 1485-1917 by John Lloyd, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Rowan Atkinson
4.0
"A man may fight for many things: his country, his principles, his friends, the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock, and a sack of French porn."
-- Edmund Blackadder
Blackadder is this jingle in my head that is stuck on repeat. It can't NOT keep popping up now and then, playfully intruding on my life on a regular basis. Infinitely quotable, highly rewatchable, it is a British comedy series I pretty much know by heart by now. I'd even go as far as proclaiming my sense of humour in early childhood initially was solely derived from Blackadder's peculiar brand of witticisms and sarcastic insults. For that reason alone, to me it towers above all its peers -Fawlty Towers, Bottom, The Office , among others- with ease.
With the highest level of anxiety since Adolf found out his personal chef was of half-Jewish descent after having nibbled on an off-ish smelling Bratwurst, I decided to delve into the scripts of the original run, which comprises four historical periods. Would it hold up in written form, or fall flat like the scripts for say, Fawlty Towers did? The suspense was killing me.
Disclaimer: for once, I found the use of the normally irritating GIF format justified
I'm delighted to report it doesn't. In fact, it even manages to add to it. Odin be praised! Apart from the deadpan, often hilarious descriptions of actions and reactions from the viewpoint of an omniscient observer, there is also extra materal included ( aptly titled "The Other Bits" ): short overviews of how the Blackadder clan fared in the space between the various historical periods covered, a humorous piece on Medieval torture techniques, the lovable troglodyte Baldrick's family tree (nothing to boast about, naturally) etc..
I'll hold on to this volume until the day I die. In case of a catastrophic electrical grid failure, I'll still have my Blackadder to peruse with glee.
P.S. Also, is there a more poignant ending to a comedy show in existence than the anti-war episode "Goodbyee"? Just as strong and impactful in written form.
-- Edmund Blackadder
Blackadder is this jingle in my head that is stuck on repeat. It can't NOT keep popping up now and then, playfully intruding on my life on a regular basis. Infinitely quotable, highly rewatchable, it is a British comedy series I pretty much know by heart by now. I'd even go as far as proclaiming my sense of humour in early childhood initially was solely derived from Blackadder's peculiar brand of witticisms and sarcastic insults. For that reason alone, to me it towers above all its peers -Fawlty Towers, Bottom, The Office , among others- with ease.
With the highest level of anxiety since Adolf found out his personal chef was of half-Jewish descent after having nibbled on an off-ish smelling Bratwurst, I decided to delve into the scripts of the original run, which comprises four historical periods. Would it hold up in written form, or fall flat like the scripts for say, Fawlty Towers did? The suspense was killing me.
Disclaimer: for once, I found the use of the normally irritating GIF format justified
I'm delighted to report it doesn't. In fact, it even manages to add to it. Odin be praised! Apart from the deadpan, often hilarious descriptions of actions and reactions from the viewpoint of an omniscient observer, there is also extra materal included ( aptly titled "The Other Bits" ): short overviews of how the Blackadder clan fared in the space between the various historical periods covered, a humorous piece on Medieval torture techniques, the lovable troglodyte Baldrick's family tree (nothing to boast about, naturally) etc..
I'll hold on to this volume until the day I die. In case of a catastrophic electrical grid failure, I'll still have my Blackadder to peruse with glee.
P.S. Also, is there a more poignant ending to a comedy show in existence than the anti-war episode "Goodbyee"? Just as strong and impactful in written form.