You should definitely watch the whole of series 4 rather than watching clips. It'll give the final episode way more power. It's one of the best endings to a series I think I've ever seen.
Nothing more useless that a green troop commander who is utterly convinced of their ability. Very few of them have the sense to shut up, listen and learn from the troop senior NCOs
Not just the Army mate RAF ones were pretty dim suspect IED at our station Flying Officer Thick-Twat decided to boot it sending us normal people diving for cover
British forces suffered more than 57,000 casualties-including more than 19,000 soldiers killed-on the first day of the battle alone, making it the single most disastrous day in that nation's military history.
Poor men sent to their slaughter, they must have been scared as hell this is why we have remembrance days isn't it? Damn I wish I payed more attention to those days.
@@chatteyj have you ever seen Oh What A Lovely War? The songs in it are ones the British Army sang in the trenches; Forward Joe Soap's Army goes (to the tune of OCS) ''Foward Joe Soap's Army, Marching w/o fear, With our old Commander safely in the rear, He boasts and skites from morn till night and thinks he's very brave, but the men who really did the job are dead, and in their grave. Foward Joe Soap's Army, marching w/o fear, With our old commander, safely in the rear. Amen''.
This series of the four has so many brilliant lines, and as others have mentioned, it includes some real life facts. Also, the final minutes of the last episode pretty much had every Brit who watched it in tears. Glad you two cool dudes are enjoying it so much.
@@martinidry6300 Erm the idea that to climb out of trenches and walk towards the enemy is a good one, or to keep doing it and expect different results ? Or so many men dying so that Haig can get his drinks cabinet a bit closer to Berlin, or using carrier pigeons to send messages, or people pretending to be mad to try to avoid the push ....
@@baf_mcnab3065 I reject the premise entirely of your comment. Why did we invent tanks if the leadership thought everything was fine? The generals knew the problems and tried to adapt, like General Sir Herbert Plumer, when faced with the German flexible defence system at the Hindenburg Line, he changed tactics completely, and instead of going for big gains like at the Somme, his troops started taking small chunks of the German defence network and then fortifying against German counter-attacks instead of continuing the advance in hopes for bigger gains and then losing it to German counter-attacks like had been happening. This change in tactic was so successful that German Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff admitted that if these attacks had been continued it could've forced the German Army out of its fortifications and back into a war of movement, but of course, Russia made peace and millions of German troops turned back West and the attacks had to stop.
@@Jack29245what you just waffled on about is 1 instance! For the majority if the war we used the same tactics over and over. Only changing them slighly. In one instance we charge German machine guns numerous times in a week just to test the effectiveness so we could formulate a plan to get around it. That may seem OK to you... But it was a STUPID move that cost thousands of innocent soldiers lives that could have been better served doing something else. Our tactics were atrocious and most war historians will testify to that as will most veterans of the war... That's why this season was so funny and hit so hard... Because its factual! You sir are deluded and ill informed
@@craiggibbons8228 I talked about that one instance in detail because it was the most obvious instance, one tactic that even the Germans admitted could have changed the entire nature of the war, the only reason it didn't is due to Russia leaving the war. You are the one who is ill-informed if you think the show is factual, it's comedy and satire; with that, it does a good job but is not factual. You say our tactics barely changed, I showed you the tactics changed so much that Germans struggled to counter it and their QUARTERMASTER GENERAL was genuinely worried about the implications of the new strategy for the war. The leadership understood the problems what was lacking was better options. Do you think the Entente had the luxury to just not attack while their allies were invaded? If that is your plan, we may as well have just sat back on our Islands. Instead, the Generals innovated wherever they could, again how do we get Tanks if the Generals think everything is just fine? How do we get Creeping Barrages, leapfrog tactics, better planes, better grenades? You are inserting insinuations that I never made, did I ever say the loss of life was ok? No, I didn't, I'm a Christian I hate the loss of life and sometimes think we shouldn't have fought the war at all, however, the reality is that we did and after studying the war the conclusion I come to is the Generals genuinely did the best they could with what they had available. They had to attack because not doing so would make Russias fall inevitable, of course, they fell anyway but it's not like they could know that. Do you know what the best alternative idea the British government had for the war was? It was lets go join the Italian meatgrinder and let the French hold the Western Front, the Generals protested that idea apart from a small British force that was sent to help the Italians, and guess what the Generals were right that idea would have been awful. To blindly hate the Generals for the performance of the British army is the obvious thing to do, but with an actual study of the war, I don't think anyone on Earth could have done a better job with what they had available to them with what they had to go up against.
The final episode, you have to watch the final episode. It is the epitome of how it was, how thousands and thousands of soldiers died and how these characters ended.That last episode is the best ending to a British TV program ever.
@@BigyetiTechnologies I like series 1 - but it doesn't hit for everyone and is so completely different in terms of the main character and style of humour that it might as well be a different show - if it doesn't hit then it might put off a new viewer
You should definitely watch the whole Blackadder Goes Fourth series. Funny but ridiculously close to reality. It was hugely researched by the writers. You will laugh, cry, and relate x
I promise I will happily watch you watching Black Adder. It really found its feet in series 2, and became one of the best comedies the UK has produced.
The video cuts off to soon after General Melchett mentions the flower arranging contest. After Melchett finishes, Black Adder ask him if he's ever visited planet earth. It makes it way more funnier.
I'm sure you have been told this already but each season is set in a completely different time period. Skip the first, but watch the others. Also, Spencer, the humour doesn't go over your head because you are not military. You don't need to be military to get the humour. It's more the cultural difference.
I know im late to the party but all 4 blackadder series are on the Britbox app, and available in USA. would also give access to a whole bunch of cracking british series
My great-grandad was a British Machine Gunner at the Somme in WW1 - I was reading his unit war diaries and in 1 night they fired 150,000 rounds from 2 Vickers machine guns The next entry in the diary was around 6 days later - "No contact with the Germans for days now" .... He survived the war, I have his war medals In WW2, he was working at a train station in England, when the Germans bombed it, apparently the blast transported him over the otherside of the station platform and through a door! He came home on the night and told my grandad "These bloody Germans, this is the 2nd world war they've tried to kill me!" He also survived WW2
With regards to thinking that Blackadder was a band, one of the plans for the fifth series was to set it in 1960’s London and the main cast being part of a rock band
Yea, watch seasons 2-4 in full episodes.... great seasons, great comedy and the ending of season 4 is one the best endings to any show, comedy or otherwise. Several years ago Blackadder was voted something like 2nd in a list of greatest British comedy's, just behind Only Fools and Horses. Which was a great achievement considering Blackadder had been re-played a lot less over the years than other comedies like Only fools and horses.
If you love the military comedy then you 100000% need to catch Bluestone 42. It's a BBC comedy from a maybe 5 years ago set in afghanistan and follows a british bomb disposal team. It's easily one of the most underrated shows of the past decade
The bit about waking towards the enemy was actually true in the Somme. The British ruling classes were generals with no clue. So sad, but this series is fantastic. You will cry at the end!
The Generals were still using 19th century techniques taught to them at Sandhurst. Military technology had advanced, but not the training. It was dreadful. My two great uncles are still missing, presumed dead from the 1st War.
Actually, considering the 7 day bombardment it would have been inconceivable for anything to survive underneath. You're also talking about the first time the really huge volunteer armies had taken the field. Huge armies with zero modern technology to command them(no radios,etc) orders needed to pretty simple to follow. Also, wwi wasn't static and the generals weren't out of touch. It was constantly evolving with new techniques and technologies to be tried and tested. Haig was a big proponent of tanks and wanted them brought on before really ready.
Over 30 years after it was first broadcast and still the average British squaddie of today can probably recite 90% of Blackadder Goes Forth. Just ask any of them: "What do we do if we tread on a mine?" 😆
Around 20 years ago, I spent some time talking a to a British Challenger tank veteran of Gulf Wars 1 & 2 at an army display. They had an 'exchange visit' with US tank crews to gain experience of each others' equipment and tactics. Their guest asked them whose picture was posted like a pin-up in their tank, saying that he knew that some US crews had a picture of the WW2 General Rommel as inspiration. "Oh, that's Baldrick from Blackadder." they explained, adding that the favourite expression amongst UK troops was "I have a cunning plan..." Their visitor also refused to admit that the Challenger was in any way superior to the Abrams, except in one area: you could brew a cup of tea in a Challenger on the move, but you had to stop in an Abrams. These things are important, after all.
Glad you discovered Blackadder, its a def classic! You have to watch the whole episodes to really appreciate it though (Catherine Tate is a clip show so can be watched out of sequence). At least seasons 2-4 which are so funny, season 1 is totally different tone and not everybodies cup of tea (although I think its really funny too).
You've got to do a full series watch of Blackadder. Anyone who is British knows this TV show and its well liked in the UK. Hugh Laurie started off in Comedy and did it for decades before he did House. He was also in a comedy tv show called Fry and Laurie where he was just as funny.
Winchester and Harrow are posh public schools like Eton, where all the officer class, prime ministers etc. went to. Hence the gag about the flower arranging competition.
Daniel's reactions to this clip were some of the best I have seen by anyone about anything. You know that thing when a parody is just a little too similar to the original subject, but the subject is ridiculous so it is even funnier? That's the vibe he was giving off. Loved it.
Blackadder is a unique comedy as it's basically the same idea, much the same cast but set in four different time periods. This one in WW1 is regarded as the best & the final scene of the last episode is just genius. American reactors may recognise Hugh Laurie prior to him being in 'House'.
Awesome comedy serious. I think you should still watch series 1 as it has its moments. You also see the descent of the Blackadder line from Prince of the Realm (Series 1) to an infantry Captain (series 4)
Melchett - 'CH' as in Cheese, not 'K' as on Ketchup - that said, love that you are enjoying British humour. One to remember, Kate is short for 'Bob'.....
I'm a pads brat. Blackadder goes forth is my favourite just because it nails it so well. I.e. British and army humour...and the idiocy of the officers.
You'd be surprised how historically accurate some of this is. The stuff about General Haig wanting the troops to walk slowly across no mans land is genuinely a plan a real general had😂
This is a myth. Those walking slowly had to do it because they were walking behind a creeping barrage of artillery shells which advanced slowly forward. In one plan I read, the barrage moved forward about 200 yards every 2 to 3 minutes. The problem was the Germans still had time to get out their deep bunkers and setup the machine guns again when the barrage lifted and the artillery barrage lasting seven days leading up to the battle hadn't destroy the barbed wire or German bunkers as expected.
@@albrussell7184 Is that so? I remember being told in school something to the effect of Haig wanted them to stay in formation and in contact with their officers because a lot of the troops were inexperienced and he thought it would be chaotic if they charged forward at enemy lines. Been a while since I did any research into WW1 though so I may be wrong (or this could refer to one microcosm of a particular plan rather than the whole thing) 👍🏻
@@tjolza7493 Haig wasn't the idiot everyone makes him out to be. He was quick to look at new ideas such as the tank & saw it's potential. Blackadder in a way has helped build this idea. As a comedy it's great, but I wouldn't take it as a history lesson.
@@generaladvance5812 you might be right, I remember in school we had a big debate over whether he was a hero or a failure, so there certainly are arguments for both sides, the amount of casulties at the Somme obviously doesnt work in his favour
@@tjolza7493 You are thinking of rawlinson who pushed for the pals regiments to advance at walking pace rather than jogging due to not trusting their lack of training to maintain a cohesive front. Bare in mind, the distance between your trench and the enemys is not a sprinting distance, it'd be stop start if jogging or the troops would be exhausted before they started fighting in the trenches. Haig was overall commander who was against an attack at the somme from the start since it served no reach strategic objective. He wanted another push at ypres but the somme is where the french and british lines met and so was best for a joint push. Verdun forced a severe alteration to the attack since the french could no longer stick 40 or so divisions into it and the purpose shifted to being a mainly british operation intent on relieving pressure of verdun rather than 'the big push' it started out as when the plans were first being written.
The received wisdom about WWI is that the troops were slaughtered due to officers not knowing what to do but repeat the same thing again and again. Like almost all of history, it's more complicated than that. Many things were tried, simply attacking at night brought great successes and far fewer deaths, when the highest ranks still believed that officers behind the lines still had to see the marker flags being carried by forward to know where their troops were. Many new technologies such as tanks and aircraft were being used in combined-arms operations linked by radio by the last year, and this had been possible two years before. Things like the enemy making a fast, narrow-front attack with troops trained to exactly that (the sturmtruppen) and that some of the Generals had to accept that adopting and improving upon the enemy's proven successes would bring victory, and it did, but then later after the war, the officers who knew how to do all this went home and the lessons were forgotten. The same thing happened at sea; navies went out looking for the enemy, while civilian ships were lost to submarines (as predicted but not learnt), then escorting convoys and attacking enemy civilian shipping brought Germany to the brink of starvation. From the point of view of ordinary soldiers, these advances meant very little, as few lived to see both time periods. But it was the historians who talked about 'lions led by donkeys', and that position was still taught as fact, when there is much more to learn.
You should absolutely watch the full episodes, you get the full experience that way and the build up through the episodes and seasons. Season one isn't very good, start with season two and work forward, you will love it. Season three is my personal favourite. Look forward to seeing these reactions, seriously you will love Blackadder. 👍😁😎
I agree as sold Blackadder fan in the UK since the beginning and know it word-for-word, you definatly watch the fourth series through. the last episode Goodbyeee was voted the most watched ending in British TV history - the only time the jokes stop and the reality of WW1 kicks in, you will understand when you get there - enjoy. My favourite episode is Private Plane with the unique talent of Rik Mayal as FLT Lieutenant Lord Flashheart, whom you may have encountered already.
The final one of this series is probably the poignant, powerful and emotional ending of any series, it's simplicity is genius. I would avoid series 1 its awful, but 2, 3 and this series are brilliant
@@TreVader1378 Agreed. It's different but far from awful, the series definitely improves from series 1 to series 2 to series 3 and finally 4 is the crowning glory but they are all brilliant.
You've probably watched it, or had it suggested to you already, as this view of Black Adder is over 1yr old now, but the last episode of this series (Blackadder Goes Forth Plan F: Goodbyeee) is well worth watching, as are the resr of the series. However this episode will make you laugh and cry, especially the ending (it will leave you emotionally drained, in all probability). They had a hard time recording it due to various reasons, lighting, staging etc, but it's proved to be one of the most watched episodes on TV, of any programme.
The Court-Martial in Corp. Punishment is priceless (Melchett '' The Crown versus Capt. Edmund Blackadder.... The FLANDERS PIGEON MUDERER!!! ..... Clerk, hand me the Black Cap, 'll be needing that''). One of the great things about Blackadder Goes Forth is really how heartbreakingly poignant it is. There's a really great BBC series ''War Walks'' hosted by Prof Richard Holmes (a historian, Colonel in the then TA- now Army Reserve- and teacher at Sandhurst; he was also once head of Army Reserve and Cadet Forces and ADC to the Queen) where when he covered the Somme he quoted Blackadder's line that ''Field Marshall Haig was about to make another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches nearer Berlin''.
The very last episode of blackadder goes forth was the last thing I saw on TV before flying out for the first Gulf war. Thankfully, British generals have improved slightly since ww1.
Blackadder Goes Forth. DO NOT. DO NOT. DO NOT. Watch the final episode Untill you've watched IN FULL all previous episodes. Emotional, Poignant, Funny, Sad, Brilliant. Will never be beaten.
Rik Mayall is at his absolute best in pretty much everything he has been in. I just watched a Jonathan Creek ep with him in it and he pretty much stole the show.
I think that the best way to view Blackadder is to watch whole episodes (in sequence!) with live chat so that you can pause to ask questions, and then you can really GET the jokes! It's frustrating to see you struggle with the 'clever' language or miss the jokes that chat would explain to you. (Perhaps then you can edit to 30% highlights for RUclips?) After all we want your best reactions more than we want to see the shows again?!
Officers, especially the highest ranking ones, literally "play" with the lives of thousants, especially in those days, where generals were sitting, far away from the front, in french chateaus(castles) while their troops were living in dire circumstances in muddy trenches... The best officers are the ones who lead while at the front...
I agree and can't argue enough for watching all of season 4 of this series to fully enjoy and appreciate the ending. Go for it! ;) Ps. Dr. House/Hugh Laurie started out doing comedy as a duo with Stephen fry who is general melchett in this. They met at Cambridge university and did a lot on TV together before each doing their own thing.
Blackadder is a great show. If you can watch the full episodes, I highly recommend it. My favourite scene is the last scene of the last episode when they go over the top. The only part that isn't funny. It is so well done
The funny thing is, it’s not even an exaggeration in World War I, a lot of generals and officers were made officers and generals just because they came from Noble blood, but it didn’t mean they had any idea of a modern battle tactics or strategy so they tried using cavalry charges with Lances against German machine gun Nests and lots of horses and soldiers were mowed down, trying to do a cavalry charge against machine guns, so the tried and true battle tactics had to completely be changed and updated to fight this new type of warfare
i can easily think of at least 13 comedy great shows that you seriously need to check out in the future. they are: only fools and horses, allo allo, faulty towers, live at the apollo, bottom, one foot in the grave, two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, miranda, the good life, gimmie gimmie gimmie, porridge, some mothers do 'ave 'em, the young ones. and that is just to name a few of the classics that i have watched growing up in the UK.
4:56. Winchester and Harrow are English Public Schools, meaning incredibly expensive private boarding schools that only posh boys, or at least boys whose parents are rich and want their kids to become posh, go to. Doofusses like General Melchett. They have special sports games they only play with other Public schools rather than being part of the normal regional school sports leagues that state schools and less posh private schools take part in. Whether that involves flower arranging and sore bottoms, only they can tell you (and their therapists and lawyers many years later when the abuse law suits start coming out).
You should definitely watch the whole of series 4 rather than watching clips. It'll give the final episode way more power. It's one of the best endings to a series I think I've ever seen.
Yep
That final ending is probably the best memorial to those that fought in ww1... schools even show it now
Don't tell the everyone dies
Omg best ending ever. We all cried buckets
Ending to Blackadder is one of the best ever. Gets me everytime I watch it.
Serving in the British army for some years , an officer with a map is still the most dangerous thing a british soldier has to deal with !
Very true !
LOL I remember an office getting us lost, then going forward and getting lost. Office with a map is on the same level as a jolly jack with a gun.
Nothing more useless that a green troop commander who is utterly convinced of their ability. Very few of them have the sense to shut up, listen and learn from the troop senior NCOs
Not just the Army mate RAF ones were pretty dim suspect IED at our station Flying Officer Thick-Twat decided to boot it sending us normal people diving for cover
Ah yes, that familiar comedy trope of the baby Rupert who thinks he's a world-class orienteering champion.
British forces suffered more than 57,000 casualties-including more than 19,000 soldiers killed-on the first day of the battle alone, making it the single most disastrous day in that nation's military history.
To put that into perspective, Britains Standing army Is about 82,000 today
Poor men sent to their slaughter, they must have been scared as hell this is why we have remembrance days isn't it? Damn I wish I payed more attention to those days.
@@chatteyj have you ever seen Oh What A Lovely War? The songs in it are ones the British Army sang in the trenches; Forward Joe Soap's Army goes (to the tune of OCS) ''Foward Joe Soap's Army, Marching w/o fear, With our old Commander safely in the rear, He boasts and skites from morn till night and thinks he's very brave, but the men who really did the job are dead, and in their grave. Foward Joe Soap's Army, marching w/o fear, With our old commander, safely in the rear. Amen''.
@@chatteyj They foolishly believed the great lie they were told: Dulce et decorum est prop patria mori.
@@SpeccyMan It has been a while, but I recognise Wilfred Owen when I see it
the final scene of blackadder 4 is one of the most moving moments of tv
Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Rowan Atkinson...what a scene
This series of the four has so many brilliant lines, and as others have mentioned, it includes some real life facts. Also, the final minutes of the last episode pretty much had every Brit who watched it in tears. Glad you two cool dudes are enjoying it so much.
What real life facts?
@@martinidry6300 Erm the idea that to climb out of trenches and walk towards the enemy is a good one, or to keep doing it and expect different results ? Or so many men dying so that Haig can get his drinks cabinet a bit closer to Berlin, or using carrier pigeons to send messages, or people pretending to be mad to try to avoid the push ....
@@baf_mcnab3065 I reject the premise entirely of your comment. Why did we invent tanks if the leadership thought everything was fine? The generals knew the problems and tried to adapt, like General Sir Herbert Plumer, when faced with the German flexible defence system at the Hindenburg Line, he changed tactics completely, and instead of going for big gains like at the Somme, his troops started taking small chunks of the German defence network and then fortifying against German counter-attacks instead of continuing the advance in hopes for bigger gains and then losing it to German counter-attacks like had been happening. This change in tactic was so successful that German Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff admitted that if these attacks had been continued it could've forced the German Army out of its fortifications and back into a war of movement, but of course, Russia made peace and millions of German troops turned back West and the attacks had to stop.
@@Jack29245what you just waffled on about is 1 instance!
For the majority if the war we used the same tactics over and over. Only changing them slighly.
In one instance we charge German machine guns numerous times in a week just to test the effectiveness so we could formulate a plan to get around it.
That may seem OK to you... But it was a STUPID move that cost thousands of innocent soldiers lives that could have been better served doing something else.
Our tactics were atrocious and most war historians will testify to that as will most veterans of the war...
That's why this season was so funny and hit so hard... Because its factual!
You sir are deluded and ill informed
@@craiggibbons8228 I talked about that one instance in detail because it was the most obvious instance, one tactic that even the Germans admitted could have changed the entire nature of the war, the only reason it didn't is due to Russia leaving the war. You are the one who is ill-informed if you think the show is factual, it's comedy and satire; with that, it does a good job but is not factual. You say our tactics barely changed, I showed you the tactics changed so much that Germans struggled to counter it and their QUARTERMASTER GENERAL was genuinely worried about the implications of the new strategy for the war.
The leadership understood the problems what was lacking was better options. Do you think the Entente had the luxury to just not attack while their allies were invaded? If that is your plan, we may as well have just sat back on our Islands. Instead, the Generals innovated wherever they could, again how do we get Tanks if the Generals think everything is just fine? How do we get Creeping Barrages, leapfrog tactics, better planes, better grenades?
You are inserting insinuations that I never made, did I ever say the loss of life was ok? No, I didn't, I'm a Christian I hate the loss of life and sometimes think we shouldn't have fought the war at all, however, the reality is that we did and after studying the war the conclusion I come to is the Generals genuinely did the best they could with what they had available. They had to attack because not doing so would make Russias fall inevitable, of course, they fell anyway but it's not like they could know that.
Do you know what the best alternative idea the British government had for the war was? It was lets go join the Italian meatgrinder and let the French hold the Western Front, the Generals protested that idea apart from a small British force that was sent to help the Italians, and guess what the Generals were right that idea would have been awful.
To blindly hate the Generals for the performance of the British army is the obvious thing to do, but with an actual study of the war, I don't think anyone on Earth could have done a better job with what they had available to them with what they had to go up against.
The final episode, you have to watch the final episode. It is the epitome of how it was, how thousands and thousands of soldiers died and how these characters ended.That last episode is the best ending to a British TV program ever.
Just shows the ridiculous futility of it all, done fantastically well in this brilliantly written comedy. Totally nailed it. 👍🏻
If you ever do watch Blackadder, it's basically mandatory that if you're INTRODUCING someone to Blackadder, you skip season 1.
agreed - it has its place but is completely different and not remotely representative of what the later series are like.
I think series 1 still stands up. The episode where he's supposed to be married off to the Spanish Infanta is very good.
@@BigyetiTechnologies Absolutely, not bashing on season 1 at all, I just think seasons 2-4 are truly British comedy masterpieces
I'd say skip it all.
@@BigyetiTechnologies I like series 1 - but it doesn't hit for everyone and is so completely different in terms of the main character and style of humour that it might as well be a different show - if it doesn't hit then it might put off a new viewer
You should definitely watch the whole Blackadder Goes Fourth series. Funny but ridiculously close to reality. It was hugely researched by the writers. You will laugh, cry, and relate x
Definitely go through with your DVD plan. Watch series 1 if you want but I would start with series 2. Thanks for uploading guys.
The Winchester flower-arranging team were tight that year yo
One of the best TV comedies ever.
I promise I will happily watch you watching Black Adder. It really found its feet in series 2, and became one of the best comedies the UK has produced.
The video cuts off to soon after General Melchett mentions the flower arranging contest. After Melchett finishes, Black Adder ask him if he's ever visited planet earth.
It makes it way more funnier.
I'm sure you have been told this already but each season is set in a completely different time period. Skip the first, but watch the others. Also, Spencer, the humour doesn't go over your head because you are not military. You don't need to be military to get the humour. It's more the cultural difference.
Don’t skip the first series!
Brian Blessed though.
Yeah, watch it all. Series 3 my favourite. Sense & Senility is genius. Beer for Series 2.
I know im late to the party but all 4 blackadder series are on the Britbox app, and available in USA. would also give access to a whole bunch of cracking british series
My great-grandad was a British Machine Gunner at the Somme in WW1 - I was reading his unit war diaries and in 1 night they fired 150,000 rounds from 2 Vickers machine guns
The next entry in the diary was around 6 days later - "No contact with the Germans for days now" ....
He survived the war, I have his war medals
In WW2, he was working at a train station in England, when the Germans bombed it, apparently the blast transported him over the otherside of the station platform and through a door!
He came home on the night and told my grandad "These bloody Germans, this is the 2nd world war they've tried to kill me!"
He also survived WW2
With regards to thinking that Blackadder was a band, one of the plans for the fifth series was to set it in 1960’s London and the main cast being part of a rock band
Yea, watch seasons 2-4 in full episodes.... great seasons, great comedy and the ending of season 4 is one the best endings to any show, comedy or otherwise. Several years ago Blackadder was voted something like 2nd in a list of greatest British comedy's, just behind Only Fools and Horses. Which was a great achievement considering Blackadder had been re-played a lot less over the years than other comedies like Only fools and horses.
If you love the military comedy then you 100000% need to catch Bluestone 42. It's a BBC comedy from a maybe 5 years ago set in afghanistan and follows a british bomb disposal team. It's easily one of the most underrated shows of the past decade
Bluestone 42 is very good.
The bit about waking towards the enemy was actually true in the Somme. The British ruling classes were generals with no clue. So sad, but this series is fantastic. You will cry at the end!
Absolutely heart breaking end
Like the old quote... "Lions led by Donkeys"
The Generals were still using 19th century techniques taught to them at Sandhurst. Military technology had advanced, but not the training. It was dreadful. My two great uncles are still missing, presumed dead from the 1st War.
Actually, considering the 7 day bombardment it would have been inconceivable for anything to survive underneath. You're also talking about the first time the really huge volunteer armies had taken the field. Huge armies with zero modern technology to command them(no radios,etc) orders needed to pretty simple to follow. Also, wwi wasn't static and the generals weren't out of touch. It was constantly evolving with new techniques and technologies to be tried and tested. Haig was a big proponent of tanks and wanted them brought on before really ready.
@@Trebor74 Inconceivable but wrong sadly.
Definitely watch all of season 4. It’s a constant laugh fest. No boring episodes. Only 6 of them, absolute quality.
"What happens if I tread on a mine , sir ?"
"Well, normal procedure is to leap 200 feet into the air & scatter yourself over a wide area"
Great parody of the "lions led by donkeys" situation of WW1. You must react to the final ending of this series, very poignant.
The ending if this series was very painful to watch....speaks very highly of how this show was writing and acted 💔💔
Over 30 years after it was first broadcast and still the average British squaddie of today can probably recite 90% of Blackadder Goes Forth.
Just ask any of them: "What do we do if we tread on a mine?" 😆
General procedure, lieutenant, is to jump two hundred feet into the air and scatter yourself over a wide area.
Around 20 years ago, I spent some time talking a to a British Challenger tank veteran of Gulf Wars 1 & 2 at an army display. They had an 'exchange visit' with US tank crews to gain experience of each others' equipment and tactics. Their guest asked them whose picture was posted like a pin-up in their tank, saying that he knew that some US crews had a picture of the WW2 General Rommel as inspiration. "Oh, that's Baldrick from Blackadder." they explained, adding that the favourite expression amongst UK troops was "I have a cunning plan..."
Their visitor also refused to admit that the Challenger was in any way superior to the Abrams, except in one area: you could brew a cup of tea in a Challenger on the move, but you had to stop in an Abrams. These things are important, after all.
I actually got asked that one in an instructional setting as an ex-Para transferred over to logistics in the Aust Army, I recited it word for word.
The SAS even nicknamed Operation Barras in Sierra Leone, Operation Certain Death, after the painting in no man's land episode.
I still use that clip when training :)
Glad you discovered Blackadder, its a def classic! You have to watch the whole episodes to really appreciate it though (Catherine Tate is a clip show so can be watched out of sequence). At least seasons 2-4 which are so funny, season 1 is totally different tone and not everybodies cup of tea (although I think its really funny too).
You've got to do a full series watch of Blackadder. Anyone who is British knows this TV show and its well liked in the UK. Hugh Laurie started off in Comedy and did it for decades before he did House. He was also in a comedy tv show called Fry and Laurie where he was just as funny.
Winchester and Harrow are posh public schools like Eton, where all the officer class, prime ministers etc. went to. Hence the gag about the flower arranging competition.
All of the Blackadders are brilliant. Hours of reaction videos ahoy!
Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder), did a series in the mid 90s called "The Thin Blue Line". Absolutely hilarious. Might be great to react to. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Daniel's reactions to this clip were some of the best I have seen by anyone about anything. You know that thing when a parody is just a little too similar to the original subject, but the subject is ridiculous so it is even funnier? That's the vibe he was giving off. Loved it.
Blackadder is a unique comedy as it's basically the same idea, much the same cast but set in four different time periods. This one in WW1 is regarded as the best & the final scene of the last episode is just genius. American reactors may recognise Hugh Laurie prior to him being in 'House'.
Awesome comedy serious. I think you should still watch series 1 as it has its moments. You also see the descent of the Blackadder line from Prince of the Realm (Series 1) to an infantry Captain (series 4)
Series 4 is brilliant. Series 2 with miranda Richardson was so so good
Melchett - 'CH' as in Cheese, not 'K' as on Ketchup - that said, love that you are enjoying British humour. One to remember, Kate is short for 'Bob'.....
These series, stories and characters build over time, generation after generation. You need to see them in context to really get the full humour.
I'm a pads brat. Blackadder goes forth is my favourite just because it nails it so well. I.e. British and army humour...and the idiocy of the officers.
You'd be surprised how historically accurate some of this is. The stuff about General Haig wanting the troops to walk slowly across no mans land is genuinely a plan a real general had😂
This is a myth. Those walking slowly had to do it because they were walking behind a creeping barrage of artillery shells which advanced slowly forward. In one plan I read, the barrage moved forward about 200 yards every 2 to 3 minutes. The problem was the Germans still had time to get out their deep bunkers and setup the machine guns again when the barrage lifted and the artillery barrage lasting seven days leading up to the battle hadn't destroy the barbed wire or German bunkers as expected.
@@albrussell7184 Is that so? I remember being told in school something to the effect of Haig wanted them to stay in formation and in contact with their officers because a lot of the troops were inexperienced and he thought it would be chaotic if they charged forward at enemy lines. Been a while since I did any research into WW1 though so I may be wrong (or this could refer to one microcosm of a particular plan rather than the whole thing) 👍🏻
@@tjolza7493 Haig wasn't the idiot everyone makes him out to be. He was quick to look at new ideas such as the tank & saw it's potential. Blackadder in a way has helped build this idea. As a comedy it's great, but I wouldn't take it as a history lesson.
@@generaladvance5812 you might be right, I remember in school we had a big debate over whether he was a hero or a failure, so there certainly are arguments for both sides, the amount of casulties at the Somme obviously doesnt work in his favour
@@tjolza7493 You are thinking of rawlinson who pushed for the pals regiments to advance at walking pace rather than jogging due to not trusting their lack of training to maintain a cohesive front.
Bare in mind, the distance between your trench and the enemys is not a sprinting distance, it'd be stop start if jogging or the troops would be exhausted before they started fighting in the trenches.
Haig was overall commander who was against an attack at the somme from the start since it served no reach strategic objective. He wanted another push at ypres but the somme is where the french and british lines met and so was best for a joint push. Verdun forced a severe alteration to the attack since the french could no longer stick 40 or so divisions into it and the purpose shifted to being a mainly british operation intent on relieving pressure of verdun rather than 'the big push' it started out as when the plans were first being written.
The soldiers marching in the opening credits were serving soldiers of the 3rd Battalion Royal Anglian regiment.
Yes the Generals were behind the lines. This is superb satire by the best British comedians. Full shows definitely.
The received wisdom about WWI is that the troops were slaughtered due to officers not knowing what to do but repeat the same thing again and again.
Like almost all of history, it's more complicated than that.
Many things were tried, simply attacking at night brought great successes and far fewer deaths, when the highest ranks still believed that officers behind the lines still had to see the marker flags being carried by forward to know where their troops were.
Many new technologies such as tanks and aircraft were being used in combined-arms operations linked by radio by the last year, and this had been possible two years before.
Things like the enemy making a fast, narrow-front attack with troops trained to exactly that (the sturmtruppen) and that some of the Generals had to accept that adopting and improving upon the enemy's proven successes would bring victory, and it did, but then later after the war, the officers who knew how to do all this went home and the lessons were forgotten.
The same thing happened at sea; navies went out looking for the enemy, while civilian ships were lost to submarines (as predicted but not learnt), then escorting convoys and attacking enemy civilian shipping brought Germany to the brink of starvation.
From the point of view of ordinary soldiers, these advances meant very little, as few lived to see both time periods.
But it was the historians who talked about 'lions led by donkeys', and that position was still taught as fact, when there is much more to learn.
I'm glad to see that Slack Bladder is appreciated overseas.
Steven Fry was only in his 20s when he filmed this, yet he was perfect as the middle aged Lunatic!
He was 32.
Blackadders constant pissed off look on his face makes it even funnier. 😂
Yes, definitely watch the whole series. 😊
Watch the series in order guys - brilliant stuff!!
Gen. Melchett is my favorite character on Blackadder. He always have me in tears LOL
Yes please do watch the whole thing
You should absolutely watch the full episodes, you get the full experience that way and the build up through the episodes and seasons. Season one isn't very good, start with season two and work forward, you will love it. Season three is my personal favourite. Look forward to seeing these reactions, seriously you will love Blackadder. 👍😁😎
the ending to the last series is VERY powerful
You need to watch the parts with Flasheart
During this war (First World War) it was often said that the British army was Lions lead by Donkeys, and this clip conveys this sentiment.
One of the best comedies ever.
Interesting fact Tony Robinson who plays Baldrick was in a film with John Wayne called brannigan in the 1970s
Yeah for sure watched all off them in stichys all the way through, when I see the end the last one, it chocked me Wright up,
Pretty accurate description of the war tens of Thousands of expendables ordered to charge into death constantly
When blackadder is asked to go out into no mans land to paint the movements of the germans always makes me laugh 😆
I agree as sold Blackadder fan in the UK since the beginning and know it word-for-word, you definatly watch the fourth series through. the last episode Goodbyeee was voted the most watched ending in British TV history - the only time the jokes stop and the reality of WW1 kicks in, you will understand when you get there - enjoy. My favourite episode is Private Plane with the unique talent of Rik Mayal as FLT Lieutenant Lord Flashheart, whom you may have encountered already.
The ordinary British soldiers had a saying: "Lions led by Donkey's"
Run into my fist I can’t be bothered to punch you is still my favourite line from anything ever
I think you should definitely watch the whole series of "Blackadder". Which is so, so funny. But don't watch the last episode without tissues. 💯
Yep Blackadder goes forth each episode - better than clips, and I'll enjoy watching you watching it as I can re-watch that ANY DAY of the week!
Blackadder II counting beans
Blackadder III re-writing the dictionary
We've reacted to the full episodes of both these on our Patreon
You should watch the firing squad scene "we aim to please"
Yes to the whole series... one at a time... its only six episodes :)
they cram soo much into each program
Watch whole episodes please. You'll be glad that you did.
Definitely watch the whole of blackadder goes forth. Absolutely brilliant 👏 🇬🇧
''Reeks if air conditioning''. What a line.
How did we Brits ever have such an EMPIRE!!!!!!
You need to react to Blackadder second series by far the best
Just wait till you hear Baldrics cunning plan.
Definitely do the whole series best comedy ever
The final one of this series is probably the poignant, powerful and emotional ending of any series, it's simplicity is genius. I would avoid series 1 its awful, but 2, 3 and this series are brilliant
Series one is anything but awful, it's as good as the rest.
@@TreVader1378 we will have to agree to disagree on this,
@@TreVader1378 I agree. But it is very different, so it's not surprising that a lot of people who enjoy the later series aren't fans of the first.
@@TreVader1378 Agreed. It's different but far from awful, the series definitely improves from series 1 to series 2 to series 3 and finally 4 is the crowning glory but they are all brilliant.
You've probably watched it, or had it suggested to you already, as this view of Black Adder is over 1yr old now, but the last episode of this series (Blackadder Goes Forth Plan F: Goodbyeee) is well worth watching, as are the resr of the series. However this episode will make you laugh and cry, especially the ending (it will leave you emotionally drained, in all probability).
They had a hard time recording it due to various reasons, lighting, staging etc, but it's proved to be one of the most watched episodes on TV, of any programme.
The Court-Martial in Corp. Punishment is priceless (Melchett '' The Crown versus Capt. Edmund Blackadder.... The FLANDERS PIGEON MUDERER!!! ..... Clerk, hand me the Black Cap, 'll be needing that''). One of the great things about Blackadder Goes Forth is really how heartbreakingly poignant it is. There's a really great BBC series ''War Walks'' hosted by Prof Richard Holmes (a historian, Colonel in the then TA- now Army Reserve- and teacher at Sandhurst; he was also once head of Army Reserve and Cadet Forces and ADC to the Queen) where when he covered the Somme he quoted Blackadder's line that ''Field Marshall Haig was about to make another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches nearer Berlin''.
Watch the entire black adder goes forth it’s not long and it’s fantastic
I love this show, even though I'm not in the military, even thought I am not an english speaker originally, but this just gets me
blackadder goes forth is a must watch absolute classic
Lads whether you do the patreon or not you absolutely should watch blackadder especially the WW1 series, its just hilarious
Yes!!! full episodes here
The very last episode of blackadder goes forth was the last thing I saw on TV before flying out for the first Gulf war.
Thankfully, British generals have improved slightly since ww1.
Blackadder Goes Forth.
DO NOT. DO NOT. DO NOT. Watch the final episode Untill you've watched IN FULL all previous episodes.
Emotional, Poignant, Funny, Sad, Brilliant.
Will never be beaten.
BBC I player now has all Blackadder series on it from 1 to 4 and a few specials
Blackadder Goes Forth is not only one of the funniest shows ever made it's also one of the most moving.
Watch the flasheart clips from that series. Rik Mayall at his absolute best
Rik Mayall is at his absolute best in pretty much everything he has been in. I just watched a Jonathan Creek ep with him in it and he pretty much stole the show.
The first series and the Tudor period were my favourites.
You really should watch Blackadder from the first series to the last to appreciate it fully.
I think that the best way to view Blackadder is to watch whole episodes (in sequence!) with live chat so that you can pause to ask questions, and then you can really GET the jokes! It's frustrating to see you struggle with the 'clever' language or miss the jokes that chat would explain to you. (Perhaps then you can edit to 30% highlights for RUclips?) After all we want your best reactions more than we want to see the shows again?!
I second that.
👏👏👏
You must watch the last episode. Unbelievably moving
Officers, especially the highest ranking ones, literally "play" with the lives of thousants, especially in those days, where generals were sitting, far away from the front, in french chateaus(castles) while their troops were living in dire circumstances in muddy trenches...
The best officers are the ones who lead while at the front...
Merry Xmas from Scotland 🏴!!! Where’s Bob Mortimer????? 👍👍👍
Watch full episodes for sure.
I agree and can't argue enough for watching all of season 4 of this series to fully enjoy and appreciate the ending. Go for it! ;) Ps. Dr. House/Hugh Laurie started out doing comedy as a duo with Stephen fry who is general melchett in this. They met at Cambridge university and did a lot on TV together before each doing their own thing.
Blackadder goes forth was really something else, the end was very memorable 👌
Blackadder is a great show. If you can watch the full episodes, I highly recommend it. My favourite scene is the last scene of the last episode when they go over the top. The only part that isn't funny. It is so well done
The funny thing is, it’s not even an exaggeration in World War I, a lot of generals and officers were made officers and generals just because they came from Noble blood, but it didn’t mean they had any idea of a modern battle tactics or strategy so they tried using cavalry charges with Lances against German machine gun Nests and lots of horses and soldiers were mowed down, trying to do a cavalry charge against machine guns, so the tried and true battle tactics had to completely be changed and updated to fight this new type of warfare
i can easily think of at least 13 comedy great shows that you seriously need to check out in the future. they are: only fools and horses, allo allo, faulty towers, live at the apollo, bottom, one foot in the grave, two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, miranda, the good life, gimmie gimmie gimmie, porridge, some mothers do 'ave 'em, the young ones. and that is just to name a few of the classics that i have watched growing up in the UK.
4:56. Winchester and Harrow are English Public Schools, meaning incredibly expensive private boarding schools that only posh boys, or at least boys whose parents are rich and want their kids to become posh, go to. Doofusses like General Melchett. They have special sports games they only play with other Public schools rather than being part of the normal regional school sports leagues that state schools and less posh private schools take part in. Whether that involves flower arranging and sore bottoms, only they can tell you (and their therapists and lawyers many years later when the abuse law suits start coming out).
Flower arranging and sore bottoms makes me think of the taking the temperature with a Daffodil in a carry on film. If so, I hope no roses were used.
Blackadder, only fools and horses and vicar of dibley are the best of British humour