Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Episodes: 24
Duration: approx 30 min (per episode)
Black Adder (DVD) – Series Review
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has been rereleasing some classic series for our entertainment. We have recently reviewed the complete collection of ‘Allo ‘Allo, which proved to be a fun trip down memory lane. This month Sony decided to rerelease Little Britain and Black Adder, which are said to be great series of their time. While Black Adder is undoubtedly a lot older than Little Britain, we were enamored to see Rowan Atkinson step away from his mute experience in Mr. Bean to play a rather peculiar offspring of the Black Adder legacy.
The box is quite simple. You’ll get a thick plastic case, that’s fitted in a cardboard sleeve. Inside the box are four spindles that house the four DVDs of the four different seasons of the series. There is nothing truly memorable about this collection. It’s pretty much an edition without any extra whistles or bells.
There isn’t a bigger storyline in the series. You’ll see the offspring of the Black Adder origin in four different periods of time. You’ll always see a character that has certain ambitions, one more than the other, who is always a bit on the corrupt side. It’s always Black Adder’s goal to climb higher on the social ladder and gain a certain amount of wealth. Each episode is seemingly a different ploy to gain said status or money and that’s about it.
You’ll notice there is a bit of evolution in the separate story arcs, where some events remain somewhat important until the end. You can still view each episode, or arc, separately, but it’s still fun to watch a specific season in one or two sittings. The flow is pleasant, and each episode will be a new adventure or endeavor of one of the Black Adders. The humor isn’t always on point anymore and sometimes the limited resources are quite clear. Nonetheless, pretty much like ‘Allo ‘Allo, the humor is something specific for that timeframe and you either love or hate it. There’s often no in-between for series such as this.
The series shows us actors such as the well-known Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie, who weren’t as commonly known as they are today. Hugh Laurie has come a long way from playing such comedic roles in Black Adder to the somewhat legendary doctor House. Rowan Atkinson does a great job of adapting to the four different progenies of the Black Adder offspring. The supporting roles in the four different time periods are often portrayed by the same cast members as well, who also do a splendid job in adjusting their performances to suit what is going on.
Sadly, the box comes with no special features. It’s quite common for a series this old to have no special features as there simply were no physical editions of the series available at that time. Nonetheless, with the 30th anniversary, it would have been nice to talk to some of the cast members again to get a few special features on the box. Nonetheless, the series speaks for itself, for the most part, safe for the format they chose on how they created the series.
Conclusion
Black Adder might have aged a bit, and not always in the right way, it is still an enjoyable series to watch from start to finish. You’ll probably fancy one of Black Adder’s offspring more than the others, but the series has been well dressed and properly executed. If you’re looking for a proper collection of the series, then this physical edition is quite a decent solution.
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