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Re-Watchin' Blackadder 2020

Started by Pink Gregory, June 19, 2020, 02:32:56 PM

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Tombola

I hope that Back and Forth will be included in this rewatch. Along with Jurassic Park III, one of my first memories of thinking "This is shit, isn't it".

Pink Gregory

I've been advised against it.  Will be taking on Christmas Carol at a seasonally appropriate time.

I actually haven't finished yet, but I know Goodbyeeee pretty well and kind of don't feel the need.

Gurke and Hare


Petey Pate

I have a bit of a soft spot for Back and Forth, cause it was my first experience of anything Blackadder (saw it with my dad at the millennium dome in 2000) and I remember being excited to see 'Mr Bean' playing a completely different character. Looking at it critically as an adult it really isn't very good, there's some ingregious product placement from Tescos and all of the better gags are essentially recycled from the TV series.


Jockice


Gurke and Hare

The list of food George's family send to him in hospital is perfect. "A potted turkey, a cow in jelly, three tinned sheep and 1200 chocolates."

The Giggling Bean

After reading this thread I was inspired to rewatch the series myself. I'm still only halfway through the original series but am quite enjoying it. I was wondering though why Robert East never appeared in any of the other series (or Brian Blessed I suppose).  Series 2 onwards had the main cast with familiar guest stars having large or small parts but I'm just wondering if it was a conscious decision not to have any of the other cast from the original series back.

That said I seem to remember the annoying messanger was one of the enormous orphans in the Christmas special.

Anyone shed any light on this?

Seedsy

Sorry to piggy back on this thread, but I'm a blackadder nut

Series 3 is my favourite, and here is why

I was 15, there was a house party happening I was allowed to go as I was going to stay with my mate after and his dad was a teacher. Soy mum let me. Went to the party didn't get off with the girl I fancied, went back to said mates house, Passed out

Woke up in the morning his dad made us a cracking breakfast and he put on blackadder 3 on his video
It was an actual awakening.
Watched the whole series. The Duke of Wellington scene, I. Still can't watch it without pissing my pants. I still send my friends "TEA!!" texts

famethrowa

Quick question for the history buffs, was "fresh horses" something noblemen usually went around yelling back in the old days?

I seem to remember the "fresh horse" gag at the dinner table didn't really go over with the studio audience either...

evilcommiedictator

Quote from: The Giggling Bean on July 26, 2020, 11:20:51 PM
After reading this thread I was inspired to rewatch the series myself. I'm still only halfway through the original series but am quite enjoying it. I was wondering though why Robert East never appeared in any of the other series (or Brian Blessed I suppose).  Series 2 onwards had the main cast with familiar guest stars having large or small parts but I'm just wondering if it was a conscious decision not to have any of the other cast from the original series back.
Let's assume it has to do with the change in production and writing, getting Ben Elton in and Channel Seven Australia stepping out? But also, apart from Flashheart, who would Brian Blessed play in the following series?

Marner and Me

Quote from: Seedsy on July 27, 2020, 12:51:21 AM
Sorry to piggy back on this thread, but I'm a blackadder nut

Series 3 is my favourite, and here is why

I was 15, there was a house party happening I was allowed to go as I was going to stay with my mate after and his dad was a teacher. Soy mum let me. Went to the party didn't get off with the girl I fancied, went back to said mates house, Passed out

Woke up in the morning his dad made us a cracking breakfast and he put on blackadder 3 on his video
It was an actual awakening.
Watched the whole series. The Duke of Wellington scene, I. Still can't watch it without pissing my pants. I still send my friends "TEA!!" texts
Martin now

Shit, wrong sit com,

Autopsy Turvey

Quote from: evilcommiedictator on July 27, 2020, 05:06:38 AM
Let's assume it has to do with the change in production and writing, getting Ben Elton in and Channel Seven Australia stepping out? But also, apart from Flashheart, who would Brian Blessed play in the following series?

Redbeard Rum, Mossop and/or Keanrick, Earl Haig?

evilcommiedictator

Quote from: Autopsy Turvey on July 27, 2020, 05:01:17 PM
Redbeard Rum, Mossop and/or Keanrick, Earl Haig?
...yep lol

Mind you, would you prefer Elspet Gray instead of Miranda Richardson? Robert East playing Stephen Fry's General Melchett? A couple of cameos would have been nice though, let Robert East play one of the fops helping the scarlet pimpernell perhaps?

Gurke and Hare

Wouldn't they have just written other roles for them if they'd wanted to bring them back? I always assumed that they wrote those roles specifically to give Miranda Richardson a return in III and IV, rather than writing them and then just happening to cast her.

Quote from: evilcommiedictator on July 27, 2020, 05:06:38 AM
apart from Flashheart, who would Brian Blessed play in the following series?

As mentioned before, Redbeard Rum is a good shout (although Tom Baker is utterly perfect in that role).  I reckon Blessed would have made a good Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Cold Meat Platter

Although, again, Fry is perfect I reckon Blessed could have had a good stab at Melchett or an equivalent.

paruses

I think Blessed would have given us a worse Melchett. Fry had the right amount of fawning and conniving.

Blessed asking how much you charge for a good hard shag in his best advert voice.

Cold Meat Platter

He could have bellowed "Darling" well I think. But again, Fry was General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC KCB.

Quote from: The Giggling Bean on July 26, 2020, 11:20:51 PM
After reading this thread I was inspired to rewatch the series myself. I'm still only halfway through the original series but am quite enjoying it. I was wondering though why Robert East never appeared in any of the other series (or Brian Blessed I suppose).  Series 2 onwards had the main cast with familiar guest stars having large or small parts but I'm just wondering if it was a conscious decision not to have any of the other cast from the original series back.

That said I seem to remember the annoying messanger was one of the enormous orphans in the Christmas special.

He was. I've a feeling that the chap who played the messenger, David Nunn, also popped up in some variety show around then, playing Graham Moffat's character in a Will Hay tribute sketch with the main trio all appearing. Unless it was just a lookalike.

If they'd ever done a series set in Henry VIII's time, Blessed would have been obvious casting for him...

Quote from: famethrowa on July 27, 2020, 04:09:39 AM
Quick question for the history buffs, was "fresh horses" something noblemen usually went around yelling back in the old days?

I seem to remember the "fresh horse" gag at the dinner table didn't really go over with the studio audience either...

I think the idea was basically that Blessed's character was so hefty and had a huge appetite that he thought nothing of eating a whole horse, or several of them. Don't think it was meant as a historical reference. Might have been inspired by the "I could eat a horse" expression.

Catalogue Trousers

Yeah, but the 'fresh horses' thing is used in several contexts by Richard. There's the one where he's served a horse for dinner, as you say, but there's at least one other instance ('The Queen Of Spain's Beard'?), where he's discussing foreign war with one of his lieutenants and gives the yell of 'Chiswick! Fresh horses!', upon which what look a lot like large toy horses (presumably representing cavalry divisions or something) are carried in.

Yeah, I think though that it's still just a running gag - feels also like a bit of an attempt at a catchphrase - based on the same sort of thing, ie his greed and perhaps rapacity as well.

Autopsy Turvey

Quote from: Gurke and Hare on July 29, 2020, 12:48:46 PM
Wouldn't they have just written other roles for them if they'd wanted to bring them back? I always assumed that they wrote those roles specifically to give Miranda Richardson a return in III and IV, rather than writing them and then just happening to cast her.

I assume they had the hospital story in mind, which needed a nurse, and were aware that Miranda would be good for it, rather than that they wrote a hospital story just so they could have Miranda in it as a nurse. Also I don't know if they could be sure when they were writing it that any one actor would definitely be available when the filming schedule was finally pinned down.


Bob is different, they obviously wanted to echo the Bob plot from BII so shoehorned her in.