Product Details

• Actors: Rowan Atkinson
• Directors: Martin Shardlow
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302136172
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,503 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The brilliant and inspired Black Adder comic saga begins with this collection of episodes from the life of Edmund Blackadder, Duke of Edinburgh (Rowan Atkinson), a.k.a. the Black Adder. Set in "the really dark part" of the Dark Ages, the stories concern the villainous and cowardly Duke's sundry schemes. "The Foretelling" features a guest appearance from the late Peter Cook as the ghost of Richard III, who's come around to haunt our "hero." "Born to Be King" pits Edmund's scheming mind and awful haircut against the treachery and kilt of a dancing Scotsman. Finally, "The Archbishop" is the surreal story of a landscape littered with the bodies of dead Archbishops of Canterbury--a post for which Edmund is next in succession. Wonderful, funny stuff from Mr. Bean's alter ego. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rowan Atkinson at his BEST, August 10, 2000

By 

Brian King (Plantation, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Adder I - Pt. 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watch this movie about 3 times a week its histerical. get it now before they go out of print and your never able to see rowan atkinson at his BEST!!!

3.0 out of 5 stars The Weakest Black Adder, May 22, 2004

By 

Alex Frantz (San Leandro, ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Adder I - Pt. 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Black Adder, one of the best britcoms ever, made four series, each a takeoff on costume dramas set in different eras of British history - the Wars of the Roses, the Elizabethan age, the Regency, and WWI. The final 3 years are almost uniformly superb. However, the first season, had a different writing team - Ben Curtis and star Rowan Atkinson instead of Curtis and Richard Elton - as well as a different director and cast from the subsequent shows. As a result, it's just not up to the level of the later series.

This season pretends to tell the true story of an imaginary dynasty between the Plantagenets and Tudors. The story starts with the battle of Bosworth Field, where Edmund Blackadder accidentally kills Richard III, subsequently becoming the younger, and by far the less respected of two princes under his father, Richard IV. This set also includes an episode where Edmund plots to become Crown Prince by proving his older brother is illegitimate and one where Edmund is named Archbishop of Canterbury, a position which tends to be fatal under his father's rule.

Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder, a schemer who generally outsmarts himself with plans he only believes are cunning and Tony Robinson as the lowly servant Baldrick are constants throughout the series. Tim Mcinerney (Percy) also appears in later seasons. Brian Blessed and Elspet Gray as the King and Queen, and Robert East as the Prince of Wales appear only in BA I.

Overall, this isn't a bad show, just not nearly as good as the subsequent Black Adders.

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Adder, where it all started., January 8, 2000

By 

Steven M. Stedman (Ferndale WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Adder Series 1 Part 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the original first series of the Black Adder which first aired in 1983. In the first series, Rowan Atkinson as the Black Adder shows many of his Mr. Bean expressions and personalities.

In my opinion this is one of the best comedy shows of all time. This absolutely the best british comedy that I have seen.

Rowan Atkinson leads the cast as Edmund Blackadder, Tony Robinson follows him everywhere as his trusty servant Baldrick. This would not be a classic Black Adder without his good friend Percy who is played by Tim McInnerny. Rowan Atkinson is also the writer of this series, that may be why it is in my opinion the best of the Black Adder shows.

This show, the first half of the first series contains the following three 3 episodes, all of which are set in the darkest of the dark ages in the late 1400's.

Episode 1 - The Foretelling. (Originally air date: June 15, 1983)

This episode opens as with : "History has known many great liars. Copernicus, Goebbels, St Ralph the Liar [he is shown holding a sign which reads `St Benedict the Liar'] -- but there have been none quite so vile as the Tudor king, Henry VII. It was he who rewrote history to portray his precessor Richard III as a deformed maniac who killed his nephews in the Tower. But the real truth is that Richard was a kind and thoughtful man who cherished his young wards. In particular, Richard, Duke of York, who grew into a big, strong boy."

If you haven't seen Black Adder, this is the episode to start with, or if you have seen other Black Adder episodes that this is a must see.

Episode 2 - The Queen of Spain's Beard. (Original air date: July 6, 1983)

This episode is set in 1492, where the King arranges a marriage between Edmund and the Infanta of Spain. Edmund and Baldrick come up with some interesting methods of trying to get out of this arranged marriage.

Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain is played by Mariam Margoyles, and her interpreter Don Speckingleesh is played by Jim Broadbent.

This episode is not as good as episode 1, but it is still fantastic.

Episode 3 - The Archbishop. (Original air date: June 29, 1983)

The King makes Edmund Archbishop of Canterbury, a position usually vacated by unfortunate accidents.