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Amazon.co.uk Review
Although now regarded as the opening salvo of a classic series, the original Blackadder series was not considered a great success, either among critics or many viewers, so a major rethink took place when it was recommissioned. On the writing front, future-Four Weddings And A Funeral scribe Richard Curtis was joined by Ben Elton, while the expensive War of the Roses-era sets were replaced by cosier Elizabethan ones. The most important change, however, was with Rowan Atkinson's eponymous character who, in the first series, had been a fairly weak-willed idiot but now emerged as the familiar Machiavellian fiend which would cement Atkinson's place in the pantheon of great British sitcom actors. Moreover, even if so many of the script's lines have been subsequently ripped off by lesser hands that it can't help but occasionally sound dated, the central performances of Atkinson, Tony Robinson (Baldrick), Tim McInnery (Lord Percy), Stephen Fry (Lord Melchett) and, of course, Miranda Richardson as the childishly psychotic Queen Elizabeth ("I love it when you get cross. Sometimes I think about having you executed just to see the expression on your face") remain note perfect. Yet the real pleasure for viewers may be in rediscovering the raft of excellent guest star performances--not least Tom "Doctor Who" Baker's berserk turn as a literally legless old sea dog given to guzzling his own urine long before the drinking water has run out. --Clark Collis
Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 9
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital English
Dolby Digital
Graphic Features
Scene Selection
English
DVD 9
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital English
Dolby Digital
Graphic Features
Scene Selection
English
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They don't make them like this anymore...,
By Wellington (Yorkshire, Great Britain) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Blackadder 2 - The Entire Second Series [1986] [DVD] (DVD)
Hilarious. That is the first word that springs to mind when I think of Blackadder. This really is a classic, modern comedies don't come close. In this series, Blackadder is cunning, shrewd and witty as a complete juxtaposition with the original Blackadder, and this works to stunning effect.
Perhaps the greatest thing about Blackadder is that you can watch it again, and again and find things you didn't see the first time and still laugh at most of the jokes. This really is British comedy at it's best.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There is only one Blackadder,
By A Customer
This review is from: Blackadder 2 - The Entire Second Series [1986] [DVD] (DVD)
After the poor first series Blackadder 2 is one of the comedy classic of the eighties. Fantastic performances from all the cast. Fantastic one liners and brilliant storylines. Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson are born to work together. Its hard to find anything wrong with this perfectly crafted series. I bow down to writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton who are very talented people. Only to say this is not the best Blackadder (yes it does get better)
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the bunch,
By
This review is from: Blackadder 2 - The Entire Second Series [1986] [DVD] (DVD)
I think this one's the funniest. I know each series has its fans, even the first one, but this was such a change of tack compared to the first series that it really set the formula for series 3 and series 4.In the first series, Edmund was slimy, weedy, stupid and unpopular. Baldrick was the clever one, who saved him on more than one occasion. The series cost a fortune to make - every episode had outdoor shots on castle ramparts, in monastery grounds, in woods and on hills. Then Ben Elton joined the team, and this series was filmed entirely in either Blackadder's front room, Queenie's chambers or in the Tower of London dungeons. And Edmund went from being supremely stupid to the sly, cunning genius he has been ever since. True, he retained his loathing for everybody that he had in the first series, and he still is only ever looking out for himself, but he is an entirely different person compared to the Duke of Edinburgh. And, because he's now clever, Baldrick has become very very stupid. Percy, of course, is pretty much the same as he was in the first series, just more so. Whether Edmund is getting married to his manservant, executing the Queen's enemies in the Tower jail, travelling around the world with a legless sailor, selling his house to pay off his debts, having a piss-up and a puritan meal simultaneously or trying to escape from a German kidnapper, his exploits are hilarious. All the supporting cast are superb as well. As I mentioned above, Baldrick has become the lovable idiot that he still is, Percy reminds me of an Elizabethan "Gareth from The Office", Queenie is so girlish but with a wonderful mean streak, Melchett is the odious arse-licker to the queen that Edmund aspires to, Nursie is nearly as stupid as Baldrick, but cute with it. Series 3 and 4 are still very good, but for me this is the best.
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