A Cunning Plan

I've been watching DVDs of Blackadder. The BBC broadcast four series of six episodes each back it the 1980s, following the adventures of various incarnations of Edmund Blackadder. The first series is set in the 1400s, and by the last they're up to WWI.

Blackadder keeps getting smarter but less powerful, while his aid Baldrick keeps getting stupider and dirtier. More important, the show keeps getting funnier. In fact, I wouldn't even recommend the first series.

The big change was between the first and second series. The first is big, shot on location, fancy costumes, oversized performances. They seem to want to be the opposite of something like Fawlty Towers, just to show their independence. The BBC canceled the show, but brought it back with a smaller budget, which meant a few sets and a live audience. The second season is also where the Blackadder repertory company is truly set up. It also switches the basic concept, since the first series has a rather stupid and ineffectual Edmund with a rather clever Baldrick. It also get jokier, which may have gone against star Rowan Atkinson's original conception, but saves the show.

So I highly recommend the show, but if you don't have a lot of time, just get the final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, and keep going backwards until you don't like it any more.