New Blackadder series?

Post by **Kaylee** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:49 pm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 90,00.html

Assuming it works and isn't like that God-awful predictable Millennium edition it might be alright.

Except for the feeling I have that setting it directly after BA Goes Fourth and having him survive the War will utterly ruin one of the greatest ends to a television series (comedy or otherwise) yet committed to celluloid.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 8:57 pm

I love BA (well 2 and 4) and I agree the end of the 4th is very powerfull considerig its a comedy. hope they dont screw it up.

Aaron Hong · Post by **Aaron Hong** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:11 am

Couldn't they just put another Blackadder in World War II? With Mel Smith as Winston Churchill.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:03 am

Heh. Yes, that's be fun! Though I don't see why the Millenium special was bad. The time-change when England was under France's rule was hilarious....

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:12 am

Karl Lynch wrote:
Except for the feeling I have that setting it directly after BA Goes Fourth and having him survive the War will utterly ruin one of the greatest ends to a television series (comedy or otherwise) yet committed to celluloid.

Indeed. I can honestly say that was the moment in my childhood I realised what people sacrafic in a war. We were round a family friends and I had tears running down my face.

As for a new series. They should pick other periods of history. The format worked as it presented the same situation in avrious periods of time. This ment a fresh array of jokes could be used even though there were underlining similarties in the characters.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:50 am

Sounds awful to me. I can see any way it could popssibly be done that wouldn't reduce the impact of 4s ending.

I mean, they say they want to send a strong anti-war message? doesn't the fact that all the characters we grew attached to got massacred do that already?

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:05 pm

BB Shockwave wrote:Though I don't see why the Millenium special was bad. The time-change when England was under France's rule was hilarious....

Except that they all should have been speaking French...

One of the basic principles of Blackadder is that the guy is getting screwed over by history. Events around him are controlling things and he has to react to them.

Back and Forth, conversely, had Blackadder changing history. He was the one asserting control and history was reacting to him. The entire premise of the series was reversed, ergo making it tat.

It also made bugger all sense, as technically he should have run into himself in the second "visits" throughout the episode. And there's no way that going back and telling somebody they're great changes the fact that you dropped your time machine on them and killed them.

It defies logic. And was only vaguely amusing.

No more Blackadder! It's bad enough that they pissed over the ending to Only Fools & Horses...

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:21 pm

"Back and Forth" was ok, it wasn't great, but it wasn't dire... as long as you don't take it too seriously!

As for "coming back from the dead" he's done it before... they all died at the end of Series 2 as well don't forget!

I shall wait to see what becomes of this, at the moment, rumours are rumours, they've floated around before and if it doesn't happen this time, they'll start to float around again in a year or so...

Who's return was being rumoured for what, 8 years before it came back this year...

Post by **Best First** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:26 pm

i think they should let it lie - they made a good decision to stop. leave it as it is.

stopping Who was however a crap decision.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:27 pm

Legion wrote:As for "coming back from the dead" he's done it before... they all died at the end of Series 2 as well don't forget!

And series 1.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:42 pm

Brendocon wrote:
Legion wrote:As for "coming back from the dead" he's done it before... they all died at the end of Series 2 as well don't forget!
And series 1.

bah, i try not to remember series 1...

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:44 pm

I liked series 1.

Well, parts of it.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:25 pm

Blackadder always dies tho, doesnt he just play another in the family line?

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:29 pm

Legion wrote:"Back and Forth" was ok, it wasn't great, but it wasn't dire... as long as you don't take it too seriously!

As for "coming back from the dead" he's done it before... they all died at the end of Series 2 as well don't forget!

But comedy deaths aside, the end of serie 4 gave us not only a "they all die ending" but it did it in a fashion "Look at what we learn from history" sort ending. I myself realised the impact of the first war watching Blackadder, previously it was just boring stats being inflicted on me. It gave such a human ending.

It doesn't help that the talent behind the old Blackadder have all deterioated in quality to various degrees since the end of Blackadder.

I'm sure Atkinson and Robinson could do a great job again but as far as the writers go curtis is to sentimental for a Blackadder now and I can't remember the last time Elton was funny that didn't include rehashed material. In fact I can't remember the last time Elton was really funny.....

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:31 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Blackadder always dies tho, doesnt he just play another in the family line?

yeah. All of them do. Though I like the long running fact he goes from almost King to 'lower and lower' down the social classes through out.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:52 pm

Jetfire wrote:
Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Blackadder always dies tho, doesnt he just play another in the family line?
yeah. All of them do. Though I like the long running fact he goes from almost King to 'lower and lower' down the social classes through out.

Apart from the third series, where he finishes off as Prince Regent and in charge of the entire country.

And it's really subjective as to which is higher socially - a butler or a soldier. At least a soldier only has his own laundry to do...

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:13 pm

He had Baldrick for that. but as a soilder he was Captain black adder, and in them days he would have come from the upper classes to be an officer.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:16 pm

So, in terms of our social hierarchy, a captain is higher than a butler, regardless of whether the butler actually does his job or not.

Ergo, Jets is talking rubbish. Again.

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:25 pm

Brendocon wrote:So, in terms of our social hierarchy, a captain is higher than a butler, regardless of whether the butler actually does his job or not.

Ergo, Jets is talking rubbish. Again.

Nah, I'm just pointing out the general posistion of earch series to the power in the country. 1 ends with him being (almost) king. 2 has him directly close to the Queen, 3 serving a prince and 4 taking orders to effectively kill himself.

I think he didn't go down social classes but more and more were placed above him.

I don't talk rubbish.....

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:53 pm

According to the Blackadder companion book (which is very funny and fills us in on other Blackadders throughout history), Captain Blackadder joined the British army when the Empire was at the height of its powers, simply so he could enjoy shooting foreigners and sleeping with their women.

And then war broke out. Bugger.

HoistKeeper 2.0 · Post by **HoistKeeper 2.0** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:34 am

I love blackadder but i feel they should let it rest, staying out on an all time is is the best exit ever for a comedy.

I thought the special wasn't dire but very average however. I do agree if it was done mainly by Curtis and no Elton (Agree with Elton comments) they another period of time would be more suitable.

However, the end of series four was so powerful and so final it would almost be atravesty to try and bring it back. Let it be great forever, bailing out will brillance, grace and dignity.

Preds Banned Arse · Post by **Preds Banned Arse** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 11:53 am

I thought the Millenium Special was really funny.

The victory ending-song was hilarious.

Post by **Denyer** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 12:56 pm

Death's Head wrote:Captain Blackadder joined the British army when the Empire was at the height of its powers

Yup. Vicious fruit and all that. In fact, there's a real likelihood he was swiftly promoted due to casualties...

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:55 pm

Brendocon wrote:
Jetfire wrote:
Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Blackadder always dies tho, doesnt he just play another in the family line?
yeah. All of them do. Though I like the long running fact he goes from almost King to 'lower and lower' down the social classes through out.
Apart from the third series, where he finishes off as Prince Regent and in charge of the entire country.

And it's really subjective as to which is higher socially - a butler or a soldier. At least a soldier only has his own laundry to do...

The ending of the third series was hilarious... Monty Python played with George the Third's madness, too, but this one was better...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 5:30 pm

When would they set a new series, anyway?

Can't set it pre-first series, as he named himself The Black Adder in that.

Can't really have it in-between the existing series as it would muck up the sequence.

And can't really have it in modern-day times, as it would just be 'another one of those contemporary sitcoms'-type.

And there's no need to mention how unfitting it would be to set it futuristic.

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