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| Blackadder: Complete Collection - BBC Series 1-4 & The Specials | 
 enlarge | Directors: Martin Shardlow, Mandie Fletcher, Richard Boden
Actors: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Tim Mcinnerny, Brian Blessed, Stephen Fry
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £59.99
Buy New: £19.50
You Save: £40.49 (67%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from £19.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  (35 reviews)
Sales Rank: 133
Format: Box Set, Pal, Special Edition
Languages: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: DVD
Number Of Items: 6
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.7 x 1.5
EAN: 5014503174620
ASIN: B000ASALUQ
Release Date: October 3, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the best comedy series ever to emerge from England, Black Adder traces the deeply cynical and self-serving lineage of various Edmund Blackadders from the muck of the Middle Ages to the frontline of World War I. In his pre-Mr Bean triumph, British comic actor Rowan Atkinson played all five versions of Edmund, beginning with the villainous and cowardly Duke of Edinburgh, whose scheming mind and awful haircut seem to stand him in good stead to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury -- a deadly occupation if ever there was one. Among tales of royal dethronings, Black Death, witch-smellers (who root out spell-makers with their noses), and ghosts, Edmund is a perennial survivor who never quite gets ahead in multiple episodes. Jump to the Elizabethan era and Atkinson picks up the saga as Lord Edmund, who is perpetually courting favour from mad Queen Bess (Miranda Richardson) and is always walking a tightrope from which he can either gain the world or lose his head. Subjected to bizarre services for her majesty (at one point, Edmund is asked to do for potatoes what Sir Walter Raleigh did for tobacco), Edmund -- like his ancestor -- can never quite fulfill his larger ambitions. The next incarnation we encounter is in late-18th-century Regency England. This time, Blackadder is a mere butler to the idiotic Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie in a brilliantly buffoonish performance) and is caught in various misadventures with Samuel Johnson, Shakespearean actors, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and William Pitt the younger. With a brief stop in Victorian London for a Christmas special, the series concludes with several episodes set during the Great War. The new Edmund is a career army officer, but a scoundrel all the same. Shirking his duties whenever possible and taking advantage of any opportunity for undeserved reward, this final, deeply sour, and very funny Blackadder negotiates survival among a cadre of fools and dimwits. No small mention can be made of Atkinson's supporting cast, easily among the finest comic performers of their generation: besides Laurie and Richardson, Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson, and Tim McInnerny. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
 Simply excellent. June 20, 2008
I'll keep this short- this is a boxset of every Blackadder episode ever released, including the specials, entirely (to my knowledge) unedited and uncut. What Blackadder fan could ask for more?
I've read some reviews criticising the sound and picture quality of the DVDs. Sure, it's hardly High Definition, and even through 1080p upscaling the picture isn't great... but neither was the picture of the original broadcasts. Personally, I don't find it a big problem.
The box has some nice artwork with classic Blackadder quotes, the DVDs are arranged in order by series and personally I would say the packaging is generally flawless.
You may be expecting bonus material for the price you are paying- don't get your hopes up. Apart from some hastily added "making-of" scenes on the final disc, bonus material is unheard of. It's a shame- most of the actors are still alive and in their right mind today- some audio commentaries wouldn't have gone amiss.
That said, I couldn't ask for a better boxset. If you are any self-respecting Blackadder fan, you will need this gem.
EDIT: On another note, it is really very interesting to watch how the series has progressed over time. Series One doesn't have Mr Blackadder- it has Mr Bean. Watching Rowan Atkinson slowly change into the cynical, sarcastic, sour-faced witty individual he forms into in the last series, is worth the 37.99 alone! Series One, although not a quarter as funny as Series Two and onwards, is intriguing to watch, as Blackadder is still finding his feet!
You don't just have a comedy golden nugget in this box, but a piece of British history too!
The best of all comedies May 28, 2008
When I think of my favourite comedies of all time Blackadder, alongside Red Dwarf come top.
What makes Blackadder one of the great is its variety of different comedy which is mixed well. Perhaps most famous for its sarcastic wit, of which is does like no other show, it also uses other humour to good extend and thus has something for everyone.
All the characters are well written and acted meticulously. Each actor brings his or her own special quality to the show, yet it can never be said any upstage the other, they compliment each other.
This will have you laughing long and hard and something you will want to go back to time after time.
A must for anybodies collection.
Get the best of all comedies for a great price.
Wonderful stuff May 28, 2008
This is one of the finest TV shows ever, with lines as funny as watching Celine Dion being tarred and feathered by music lovers and acted better than Olivier. Buy this.
A very stylish boxset. March 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a 6-disc boxset of all four series of Blackadder with subtitles, two feature-length specials ("Blackadder's Christmas Carol" (with subtitles) and "Back and Forth" (without subtitles)), a 15 or so minute mini-feature having Blackadder in the time of Cromwell ("The Cavalier Years"), and a 30 minute making of documentary about Back and Forth (but does cover the series of Blackadder as well - analyzing the characters etc) "Baldrick's Video Diary". And all of this comes in a very stylish, specially designed limited edition box... 4cm thick (so very shelf-friendly) and made to look like an 'olde worlde' book.
And I just wanted to also say... for anyone who has been dreading or putting off seeing series one because of bad reviews - it's not bad it's just different. It's not got Ben Elton's style but it does still have the essence of Blackadder - the sarcasm and cynicism of Edmund, the not-so-cunning plans of Baldrick, and the total idiocy of Percy. The only real difference is that Baldrick's a bit cleverer (worth seeing it for that IMO) and Blackadder's a bit Mr Bean-ish (with a squeaky voice and goofy look), but the character hierarchy is still the same. It also has a lot of before-they-were-famous appearances, such as Angus Deayton and Jim Broadbent (DCI Roy Slater, Del Boy's arch enemy in Only Fools and Horses). It does take some getting used to but it really is just as hilarious as the others at times.
Overall, if you love Blackadder this is the set to get.
Still incredibly funny all these years on December 13, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Blackadder has stood the test of time remarkably well. This may be down to the fact that it was never set in modern times so doesn't look any more dated than it did at the time. Series One is still a little patchy in places, but charming nonetheless. Where it really kicks in is the unforgettable series 2. Episode One is still as funny now as it was then. Just hearing Rowan Atkinson say "Bob" has me reeling with laughter. All six episodes are absolutely priceless, and the supporting cast are all fantastic. Season 3 keeps up the momentum with classic performances from Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and then there's the brilliant ending to the fourth season set in the war trenches. With the specials on here too this is a great box set. And very very funny.
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