This is such a great episode. "Mr. William Pitt the even younger, are you disappointed? " "Yes, I'm horrified. I smeared my opponent, bribed the press to be on my side, and threatened to torture the electorate if we lost. I fail to see what more a decent politician could have done. "
after the end of this clip: 'Any criminal convictions, Baldrick?' ' No, Mr Blackadder' 'Come on Baldrick, you're applying to an MP, a criminal record is almost a requirement'
this and Faulty Towers are endlessly watchable. Whilst the script is undoubtedly important, it's the delivery that really ensures these shows will never age. Pure gold and our finest shows
I like how Rowen takes the time to put actual emotions into BlackAdder's reactions. Even though he's a sadistic, scheming, sarcastic bastard by nature, he's still genuinely troubled by the realization that he's holding a dead man.
@@brainflash1 he isn't troubled by that at all. This is a masterpiece of black humour in exquisitely bad taste. It is delivered and timed to perfection by very intelligent actors. You would not get this today.
@@brainflash1 most of the scene takes place in the company of a dead man they have not even taken the trouble to remove. This is part of the comedy. Blackadder is concerned at the disruption to his plans.
@@jezalb2710 not much chance today as it doesn't have a climate change intersectional relevance .You would not expect student who have studied modern history to know this type of detail or indeed anything at all
@@ninjasruleyeah it is obviously very old for a chicken, which is funny, but the language does bring with it, extra humour. "Late 40s" is how you would describe a middle aged human so it is naturally humourous when used for a hen. Also, as Blackadder shouldn't normally be familiar with the animal population of this random district, he can only have found out that same information when he researched it in the last day or two. So it's funny, the thought of Blackadder either being told that exact information about the hen, or seeing the hen and coming to that conclusion himself.
That look is equal to the stare Blackadder gives Amy in the Amy and Amiability episode immediately after she babbles that her wee nose is so tiny 'that I sometimes think the pixies gave it to me'. Blackadder just holds this completely blank yet withering stare for about four seconds, then resumes reading the Prince's letter, completely ignoring her. Absolutely priceless humour.
Go ahead. A long, withering stare is often the best way to deal with idiots you can't actually escape from. It's not like they can complain that you looked at them, is it? "Sir looked at me funny!" "What were you doing at the time?" "Clucking like.. ahem...like a chic....ken...." *Withering stare* "Uh... Point taken.."
@@beeman2075 Apparently it has something to do with the fact that Rowan stutters. So when he went and trained, he was able to train his facial expressions to create comedy out of that instead of speaking.
"What we need is an utter unknown yet someone over whom we have complete power. A man with no mind, with no ideas of his own. One might almost say a man with no brain." - Mike Ashley's managerial appointment system.
I think that you guys might actually be agreeing, just using different words. Technically Mr. Bean and Dr. House aren't portrayed by a single actor (nor are they the characters played here), but the two actors here are those who play those parts.
David Steel saying that last line was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. Years later, and clueless Swinson was still believing it...and she was even more amusing (and much more moronic) than David Steel.
"Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government" was a line from a speech David Steel gave to his party conference in 1981. "Go back to your kitchen sink, you see" is a pun on that.
""Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government" was a famous quote back then by a liberal leader at the end of a conference speech ... they of course then lost :)
The third series was really such an improvement over the second one (which should be given its due credit for being infinitely superior to the first series).
the election results: 'and for Mr Baldrick: 1234 votes.... Mr Blackadder, you are on record as the only voter, why so many votes?' 'The number of votes i gave reflect my faith in Mr Baldrick'
As I'm British; no, it isn't at all. We were watching Rowan and Hugh in lots of stuff way before Bean and House, back in the 80s. I think I first saw Rowan in 'Not The Nine O'clock News' in the early 80s. And Hugh in 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' with Stephen Fry in the late 80s. I also remember Hugh and Stephen in the 'Jeeves and Wooster' series in the early 90s.
"Baldrick, go back to your kitchen sink and prepare for government", (Blackadder 1987). "Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government" (David Steel, Leader of the Liberal Party to delegates of the Liberal Assembly, 1981)
A rubber button is a rubbery implement of round or other shape with holes, cleverly designed to be attached to a dress or something in a way that there is a hole of corresponding shape and size in another part of that dress, so that the dress could be buttoned with the said rubber button. A rubber baton however is something completely different.
It's a reference to a line in a speech David Steel (a UK politician) gave when the SDP-Liberal Alliance (a UK political party) had high poll ratings in the early 80s. "Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government." He was a tad overconfident.
@@katherinedavis3282 A-ha! Thanks for the reference. Being American I never would have heard of that one. But I can imagine that, at the time, it was a well-known reference in the UK.
This has just popped up in my feed. What timing - it could easily have been the discussion before putting Truss forward as PM. And it’s probably the same conversation that is taking place right now amongst the Johnson supporters.
“Population, three rather mangy cows, a dachshund named Colin, and a small hen in its late forties.” Still makes me laugh to this day.
and a small hen its late forties*
So, no people at all then. Apart from Colin XD
@@WayneKelso89 Colin is a dog sir
@@WayneKelso89 . . .Colin is a dog, sir.
😂😂😂
The way that Rowan Atkinson says “a small hen…in its late forties” never ceases to make me smile
That ridiculous line, said with his masterful deadpan, is incredibly hilarious. 🤣
This line was overwritten. Not funny at all.
@@zapkvr
That is your opinion and your opinion is wrong
@@mrman2415, your opinion is incorrect in itself. Also, I never laughed. so zapkvr was right.
@@mrman2415, actually, what zapkyr typed was a fact. What you typed was unwarranted and wrong.
-we must move at once!
-in which direction?
A great Laurie line that just zips by. I love it.
"We must move quickly if the order is to survive," said Mace Windu and promplty departed through the window.
This is such a great episode. "Mr. William Pitt the even younger, are you disappointed? " "Yes, I'm horrified. I smeared my opponent, bribed the press to be on my side, and threatened to torture the electorate if we lost. I fail to see what more a decent politician could have done. "
Not far off the loony labour of today!
@@nigelkthomas9501 Except that Labour still tortures the electorate even if it wins!
Indeed it pretty much sums up democracy. It's a complete farce.
"Quite."
Indeed. I look forward to the Tory tactics in the next General Election😀
'The money is in my desk'
- 'No sir, it's in my wallet'
Yep. Just watched it!
No time to lose eh?
- Good valet. As a princely gift you may have a pair of my silk socks.
- Already wearing them the whole week.
after the end of this clip: 'Any criminal convictions, Baldrick?' ' No, Mr Blackadder' 'Come on Baldrick, you're applying to an MP, a criminal record is almost a requirement'
I'll just put down fraud and sexual deviancy.
that aged very well!
The difference is that MP's commit all sorts of crimes and don't get prosecuted, hence no criminal record
Things haven't changed much in qualifications to become a Mp.
this and Faulty Towers are endlessly watchable. Whilst the script is undoubtedly important, it's the delivery that really ensures these shows will never age. Pure gold and our finest shows
fawlty *
@@demonmonsterdave oh yeah what a prat. Maybe Basil's nature is so ingrained
Superb editing, too. Timing - a Blackadder master stroke- the actors have it plus the perfect editing. Amazing & hilarious.
Hugh Laurie is hysterical, but Rowan's face is priceless! 😄😄
The writing is sublime.
I like how Rowen takes the time to put actual emotions into BlackAdder's reactions. Even though he's a sadistic, scheming, sarcastic bastard by nature, he's still genuinely troubled by the realization that he's holding a dead man.
@@brainflash1 he isn't troubled by that at all. This is a masterpiece of black humour in exquisitely bad taste. It is delivered and timed to perfection by very intelligent actors.
You would not get this today.
@@Marvin-dg8vj He is.
@@brainflash1 most of the scene takes place in the company of a dead man they have not even taken the trouble to remove. This is part of the comedy. Blackadder is concerned at the disruption to his plans.
We're getting a Dachshund soon, it might be tricky convincing my wife, but Colin it is... 🤣
Good luck to that and well played.
It's when you find yourself calling Colin to come in that it gets tricky. But great name, and congratulations. 😁
I hear the expenses for dog biscuits, for Dachshunds are endless 😁
@@rachorachev8905 Nah, he shall have hobnobs like the rest of us... 😋🤣
How very dare you... But I know what you mean, I won't convey you comment, I'll stick to begging... 🤪
Not only are they hilarious, they also offer a lesson in British history.
If only folks knew what rotten boroughs were.
@@jezalb2710 not much chance today as it doesn't have a climate change intersectional relevance .You would not expect student who have studied modern history to know this type of detail or indeed anything at all
@@Marvin-dg8vj weird. I was taught about that at Uni.
@@jezalb2710 you must be an outlier.I didn't think British history of that era was taught anymore.
@@Marvin-dg8vj this issue of: rotten boroughs was taught at a Polish Uni. When I studied history.
Got to be the best season of the show. Hugh Laurie as Prince Regent is dynamite
The best part of the wallet joke is that he already had the money before the other guy even died, so he was going to be taking the money anyways.
Their facial expressions are pure GENIUS.
I just love the way Rowan Atkinson dead eyes Hugh Laurie after the chicken impression LOL
Still my favourite show 35 years later.
Edmund's mental speed-chess is awesome to behold. Literally comes up with that plan as he talks.
I love how he specifies that the small hen is in its late 40’s.
English isnt my strong suit, whats the meaning of this joke? That a chicken only actually lives a few years?
@@ninjasrule Basically, yes. It forces you to imagine a sort of ageing chicken in an armchair.
@@ninjasruleyeah it is obviously very old for a chicken, which is funny, but the language does bring with it, extra humour. "Late 40s" is how you would describe a middle aged human so it is naturally humourous when used for a hen. Also, as Blackadder shouldn't normally be familiar with the animal population of this random district, he can only have found out that same information when he researched it in the last day or two. So it's funny, the thought of Blackadder either being told that exact information about the hen, or seeing the hen and coming to that conclusion himself.
And a small Hen, in its late 40s.......
Genius!
Yep. Just watched it!
This is how I always picture Hugh Laurie. Not as House. But as Prince George lol
Out of all the best characters in all the Blackadders,Hugh Laurie as the prince regent is just superb. Hilarious. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Rowan has the best poker face ever.
Hope so, Im always told I look like him
...hen food, dog biscuits.... the expenses are endless.
Yep. Just watched it!
"So what was the chicken impression in aid of?" My sides XD
Yep. Just watched it!
@Synergy Speaks Sir Talbot Buxomley (or however it's spelled).
that impression, his face, and then this line XD
I read this as he said it
Best line in the entire Blackadder universe
That look at 0:36. I work in a school and I would give my right arm to be able to reply to particularly stupid behaviour with that.
My fav part of this scene......that look explains everything brilliant hahahaha
That look is equal to the stare Blackadder gives Amy in the Amy and Amiability episode immediately after she babbles that her wee nose is so tiny 'that I sometimes think the pixies gave it to me'. Blackadder just holds this completely blank yet withering stare for about four seconds, then resumes reading the Prince's letter, completely ignoring her. Absolutely priceless humour.
Go ahead. A long, withering stare is often the best way to deal with idiots you can't actually escape from. It's not like they can complain that you looked at them, is it?
"Sir looked at me funny!"
"What were you doing at the time?"
"Clucking like.. ahem...like a chic....ken...."
*Withering stare*
"Uh... Point taken.."
@@beeman2075 Apparently it has something to do with the fact that Rowan stutters. So when he went and trained, he was able to train his facial expressions to create comedy out of that instead of speaking.
"What we need is an utter unknown yet someone over whom we have complete power. A man with no mind, with no ideas of his own. One might almost say a man with no brain." - Mike Ashley's managerial appointment system.
By my understanding Baldrick might be an intellectual compared to most of the people used to represent real rotten boroughs.
Most of Biden's Cabinet Members...
Sounds like the election for the Senate seat for Georgia right now.
Pretty much describes most recent politicians of every stripe, surely?
That is about what Sir Arnold and Sir Humphrey wanted when they set their sights on Jim Hacker.
It is hard to believe that this is Mr. Bean and Dr. House.
That's because it isn't
@@georgewing5514 - Um, they are Rowan Atkinson and Huge Laurie, who played Mr. Bean and Gregory House respectively.
I think that you guys might actually be agreeing, just using different words. Technically Mr. Bean and Dr. House aren't portrayed by a single actor (nor are they the characters played here), but the two actors here are those who play those parts.
Is that because this clip is actually funny?
thats why they call it acting
the election scene is my favourite bit in all of blackadder. "... and good evening colin"
I watched season 3 of Blackadder again and again at my grandma's place in my childhood. Great memories.
In my entire childhood this scene was one of the few things i ever heard my dad laugh at.
He really looked like he was Gona punch him after that chicken impression 😂
Hugh Laurie plays with Rowan Atkinson so perfectly. When one makes a great joke, the other knows how to perfectly underscore it.
'Pitt the Younger, Pitt the infant and Pitt the gleam in the milkman's eye'
please stop with the butchering of a great script
The line is: "Pitt the toddler? Pitt the embryo? Pitt the glint in the milkman's eye?"
Yes where is that tiny PM? He should be included.
I love that all this scheming goes on while Sir Talbot’s corpse is still slumped over in the chair
I laugh like mad every time I hear Laurie clucking away like a chicken. Every time it's like the first. just $#$$ing hilairous.
The look of Blackadder after Prince George finishes his chicken impression is genius.
The greatest Blackadder Era. This episode and Ink and Incapability the best two episodes..
Ah the episode where Baldric was christened with the name "Sodoff". Mr. S. Baldric
The sardonic, withering output of Rowen Atkinson is classic to British comedy....who else could have played Blackadder?
What the brilliant actors these are!
And to this day we still don't know what a robber button is.
Love the reference to David Steele’s infamous speech ... !
Go back to your constituencies (or kitchen sink, you see) and prepare for government!
You get the impression that the selection criteria are much the same now as they were then.
Just getting into that & it finished.
Now I have to did the box set out & watch the lot again.
👍
This scene actually represents the pain of reality ever so well.
A dachshund named Colin..... LOL
Black Adder the 3rd is the funniest thing ever committed to tape!!!
👍🏻
First two series were average, second two series absolutely brilliant, priceless gems even today. Thank you all so much 😂😂😂
1:37 Blackadder goes full Sir Humphrey Appleby
David Steel saying that last line was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. Years later, and clueless Swinson was still believing it...and she was even more amusing (and much more moronic) than David Steel.
I came here only to hear "Swamp insurance"
Just here "All Star" in the background and an ogre yelling "WHAT ARE YA DOIN IN MAH SWAMP!"
"Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government" was a line from a speech David Steel gave to his party conference in 1981. "Go back to your kitchen sink, you see" is a pun on that.
""Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government" was a famous quote back then by a liberal leader at the end of a conference speech ... they of course then lost :)
Boris Johnson would be the best MP in this scenario.
How the fuck Rowan Atkinson manages not to laugh at Hugh's chicken impersonation is beyond me.
"But he's an absolute arse-head!"
The third series was really such an improvement over the second one (which should be given its due credit for being infinitely superior to the first series).
I feel like every season of Blackadder is better than the previous one
So glad we have a real life Prince George now
Fortunately, it won't make a smidge of difference if he turns out as dimwitted as this one...
the election results: 'and for Mr Baldrick: 1234 votes.... Mr Blackadder, you are on record as the only voter, why so many votes?' 'The number of votes i gave reflect my faith in Mr Baldrick'
wow, you really misquoted that bit!
The glare Edmund gives the Prince never fails to get a laugh out of me.
A Rotten Candidate -- Every Tory who ever stands for MP in the UK.
Modern-day ones or even historical?
@@dimamatat5548Both. Nobody with a working conscience ever stood as a Tory party candidate.
"One might almost say: a Man with No Brain!"
"You called me, Sir?"
- Baldrick
Hard to believe that's House M.D, isn't it?
Amazing actor when you think of it.
Equally hard to believe that's Mr. Bean!
Both men are stellar performers.
As I'm British; no, it isn't at all. We were watching Rowan and Hugh in lots of stuff way before Bean and House, back in the 80s. I think I first saw Rowan in 'Not The Nine O'clock News' in the early 80s. And Hugh in 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' with Stephen Fry in the late 80s. I also remember Hugh and Stephen in the 'Jeeves and Wooster' series in the early 90s.
Rowan Atkinson was a GENIUS AS BLACKADDER
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
That doing chicken impression..😂
Other scene, when Pitt is waiting for election result, Prince George hold Collin in his arms, like his own baby 😅
My favourite Blackadder series by far.
Fun fact: Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house.
george is harry and blackadder is meghan...a fool and his controller
"Baldrick, go back to your kitchen sink and prepare for government", (Blackadder 1987). "Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government" (David Steel, Leader of the Liberal Party to delegates of the Liberal Assembly, 1981)
A tidbit... The chicken impression was completely improv on Laurie's side... Which makes it funnier
2:19 This is roughly how Jim Hacker became PM
Dr House MD & Mr Bean in a play
the greatest sitcom of all time - black adder 3 !!
I fear the line "go back to your kitchen sink you see ..." is wasted on most. If you know you know.
"I want you to go back to your kitchen sink, you see, and prepare for government" - who else spotted that sneaky reference?
"go back to your constituencies and prepare for government" - David Steel 1981 😄
Bear in mind Hugh Laurie played this arse and House M.D. . THAT is range.
"So, what is a Robber Button?"
Yep. Just watched it!
@@dunruden9720 yep, me too. Would you like another quote?
No.
Fun fact : Window tax was actually a thing
"Window Tax" was what was used to force Irish people to live in windowless hovels
Yes.
So, what is a rubber button?
ROTTEN burrow.
@@Euroviking86 Rotton borough.
Yep. Just watched it!
@@dunruden9720 Congratulations
A rubber button is a rubbery implement of round or other shape with holes, cleverly designed to be attached to a dress or something in a way that there is a hole of corresponding shape and size in another part of that dress, so that the dress could be buttoned with the said rubber button. A rubber baton however is something completely different.
...and a robber button is...?
and to think he played House after this. I just cant even
So amazing how young Tony Robinson looks in this!
I still want to know what a robber button is.
Funny thing is the Window Tax was real.
I think 'swamp insurance' is the only one that wasn't.
I'd love to see an outtakes of how many times they had to shoot this scene without one of them laughing
Swamp insurance 🤣
"Baldrick, I want you to go back to your kitchen sink, you see, and prepare for government" - I expect that joke went over a few heads.
Actually, I wondered about that line. If there's a hidden joke in it, it still escapes me. Care to share?
@farscape That's as good a guess as any. I had to look that one up. I'd never heard of the reference before. Thanks. Learned something tonight.
It's a reference to a line in a speech David Steel (a UK politician) gave when the SDP-Liberal Alliance (a UK political party) had high poll ratings in the early 80s.
"Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government." He was a tad overconfident.
@@katherinedavis3282 A-ha! Thanks for the reference. Being American I never would have heard of that one. But I can imagine that, at the time, it was a well-known reference in the UK.
Timeless your Highness...timeless
Lee Cornes did voice some notable TUGS characters
One cannot even imagine the words that were going through his head at 0:36
British humor is just something else
Oh man window tax is funny, its even funnier seeing the amount of buildings with blocked off windowcills
In all honesty, I rather have Baldrick than any of the loony lefties of today!
And a robber button is? My brain.
...and a robber button is?
could we leave that for a moment?
…so what was the chicken impression in aid of?
Ruined by the canned laughter.
This has just popped up in my feed. What timing - it could easily have been the discussion before putting Truss forward as PM. And it’s probably the same conversation that is taking place right now amongst the Johnson supporters.
0:39 love Rowan expression "you forgot your text again, Hugh, do you?"