THIS should have been a review of the excellent DVD set  BLACKADDER THE COMPLETE COLLECTOR'S SET. Unfortunately, the reviews database does not include any Blackadder video products.

But this should not stop you, dear friend. I have a cunning plan to familiarize you with this quintessentially British series.

There are actually four seasons of Blackadder, each set in a different era, but each populated by the same folks: Edmund Blackadder, who starts out cowardly and ends up cunning and scheming, His loyal servant Baldrick, who starts out dumb and ends up slightly less intelligent than that,  Melchet, a pompous foil for Blackadder's  tricks, and George, a silly fool, whose position  above Blackadder  on the social scale is cause for more tricks. And sarcasm, because this engine runs entirely on sarcasm. But we can't forget Darling, or Percy, or whatever name Tim McInnerney gets as the consistent victim of Blackadder's schemes.

You know these people. The Blackadder series ran on the BBC for a number of years (starting in 1983)  and has been shown on A&E in the US.  But the struggling actors who got their start, more or less, on Blackadder have gone on to do great things: Stephen Fry is everywhere, especially in movies, such as Gosford Park, Le Divorce, IQ, and a couple of the Harry Potter films. With his cohort Hugh Laurie, he was half of the popular Jeeves and Wooster series.   The two of them, among others, were in Peter's Friends and Mr.Laurie has actually made it to American TV as Dr. Gregory House.  Rowan Atkinson, the Black Adder himself,  may be best known as Johnny English, though he has had roles in numerous other films. And, yes, He also had another small series callled Mr. Bean.The writers, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton contributed largely to Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually,  Nottting Hill, Maybe Baby, and much more.

But here is where they learned to do it. The four seasons of BLACKADDER, set in the 15th, 16th, 18th and early 20th centuries, along with the end-of-the millenium special BLACKADDER BACK AND FORTH ( featuring the pre-scandal Kate Moss) will provid you with approximately 860 minutes of witty comebacks, tortured similes and not-so-cunning plans, along with the kind of special features we have come to expect from DVDs.  If you know the Black Adder, you know whereof I speak. If you don't, you need to change things quickly.

The early season includes guest stars Peter Cook and Brian Blessed. Miranda Richardson and Patsy Byrne turn up as well.  Watching the entire Oeuvre in a weekend, you will see how much the actors have aged over time (well, it has been five centuries), but mostly you will see what you have been missing and you will be very very very glad to own this DVD set.

I hope this review/guide has been useful to you.  If so, please vote yes on helpfulness and see some of my other guides, on topics from roadside car repairs to how to deal with the arrest of a friend.

Wishing you many good lucks,

WT