New, mildly spoilery XII synopses copy-and-pasted within

[cwickham]

The British Comedy Guide has sorted out its XII episode guide, and it seems they’ve been sent some official individual ep synopses because there’s new information in them.

Cured: “In the opening episode the Dwarfers search for some tech to fix Starbug’s faulty steering. They come across a Scientific Research Centre where several figures from history are recreated in the present and ‘cured’ of evil. Or are they?”
Siliconia: “For the very first time, the rest of the crew discover just how it feels to be Kryten when they’re arrested by the Mechanoid Intergalactic Liberation Front.”
Timewave: “The Dwarfers come across a ship where criticism is illegal.”
Mechocracy: “When all the machines onboard Red Dwarf go on strike a Presidential election is held between Rimmer and Kryten to look after their rights.”
M-Corp: “When the Dwarfers upload the latest software update they discover the Jupiter Mining Corporation, owners of Red Dwarf, have been bought by M Corp – a company that only allows products made by them to be visible to their employees.”
Skipper: “Rimmer gets hold of a Quantum skipper and skips his way across the multi-verse looking for a dimension where he’s not such a giant loser.”

Topic

[Ben Saunders]

I got me and one of my mates to act out a scene from Bad Dog and the Curse of the President’s Knee in the style of Malcolm in the Middle for a primary school talent show, but that’s not Red Dwarf related. I used the word thusly in an essay once because I heard Kryten say it.

[Ian Symes]

Oh crikey, that is very spoilery indeed.

[Ian Symes]

So spoilery, in fact, that I’d like to request that it’s not quoted or mentioned on here. I’m going to pick up the mag after work and do a quick front page post about it, so discussion of these spoilers can be confined to that thread.

[Pete Part Three]

> in the style of Malcolm in the Middle for a primary school talent show, but that’s not Red Dwarf related

Linwood Boomer begs to differ.

[CB3]

The cutest thing ever was watching my two boys play Red Dwarf when they were little, pretending to fly a Starbug made out of chairs and cushions. The younger one didn’t really understand the game or why his older brother kept calling him a smeghead (he was the designated Rimmer, which amused me greatly).

As far as sneaking Red Dwarf into lessons goes, I did once attempt to translate several pages of Primordial Soup into Latin for a uni assignment. Ruber Nanus – that’s all I can remember!

[Warbodog]

>Plus, it’s got a historical angle so you can claim it’s educational.

I even had a question on a proper GCSE history practice exam paper that went something like “[Blackadder’s asthmatic act with heavy shopping quote.] Discuss.”

We covered the Regency era as well, which Blackadder is just as helpful for getting your head around, but it didn’t even get a mention. The Third just isn’t in the zeitgeist. Even if I couldn’t help casting Hugh Laurie as the stupid prince, and presumably will for life.

[Hamish]

> The Third just isn’t in the zeitgeist. Even if I couldn’t help casting Hugh Laurie as the stupid prince, and presumably will for life.

Blackadder II and Blackadder Goes Fourth are definitely the most accessible for people, but Blackadder the Third has really become a favourite of mine on rewatch. It just does not get as much attention due to the Regency era not being as well remembered as the time of Shakespeare or the First World War.

Having worked as a poll clerk and just being fascinated by the history and workings of parliamentary democracy in general makes “Dish and Dishonesty” a particular highlight for me. I still shout “Sausage!” from “Ink and Incapability” to the point of annoyance every chance I get though.

Oh wait, you mean this is not a Blackadder thread?

[Pete Part Three]

My favourite is BlackAdder the Third. Smartest plots and the best characterization of Edmund. Fuck the zeitgeist.

[Seb Patrick]

Third is the best series, comfortably.

[(deleted)]

I would swap 1, 2 & 4 for six more episodes of The Third. In a heartbeat.

[Dave]

The second and third series are what I really grew up with (I had those VHSs before the others), and I think Third always felt strongest to me, not least because of Laurie (I love Queenie, but she doesn’t have as much comedy potential as the Prince).

Plus, giving Baldrick that slight extra push into stupidity created the most fun version of the character. And Edmund is that little bit more selfish and devious than the other Blackadders.

So yes, I think on balance Third is my favourite too.

[Dave]

Also, how have we discussed Third for this long without mentioning Chris Barrie?

[Seb Patrick]

Why have we combined separate Blackadder the Third opinions into one?

[Dave]

The thing is, the way I see it, these days there’s one opinion, right? And, ages ago, there were three opinions, right? So, there must have been a moment when there being three opinions went away, right? And there being one opinion came along. So, what I want to know is: How did we get from the one case of affairs to the other case of affairs?

[Seb Patrick]

Do you mean “How did we combine three separate people’s opinions into one though?”

[Smeg4Brains]

I used to sneak the odd RD joke into drama classes. Biggest laugh I ever got was at Roverectomy (I can’t remember the exact context but we were doing “The Metamorphosis” and I managed to wedge something in about someone turning into a dog and needing an operation to turn him back again).

[Dave]

Do you mean “How did we combine three separate people’s opinions into one though?”

Yeah.

[Seb Patrick]

The combining of three separate people’s opinions into one started because of the vile jawscvmcdia and his villainous combining of three separate people’s opinions into one.

[Hamish]

Seb, at present the combining of three separate people’s opinions into one by other posters covers a quarter of the forum, while the amount combined by jawscvmcdia alone consists of small cluster of inane forum threads. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the combining of three separate people’s opinions into one front.

[Hamish]

My, that is a mouthful.

[MANI506]

I’m reading JE Robert’s Blackadder book after seeing @mumoss recommend it on twitter and I’m up to Blackadder 2. I think Richard Curtis’ observation ‘no matter how hard you try making a series of six, two are great, two are okay and two are weak’ applies to all the series. My besties would be Born To Be King, The Black Seal, Bells, Potato, Dish & Dishonesty, Duel and Dualbiity, Private Plane and Goodbyeee with a special mention for the Christmas Carol which I sometimes think is best of all.

[clem]

Yeah Christmas Carol is definitely one of the best. I like the first and third series best. “You ride a horse rather less well than another horse would.” from series one is one of the best Blackadder insults. Favourite version of the theme tune? Series three end credits, hands down.

[Dave]

Christmas Carol is brilliant, and stands up to rewatching better than maybe any other episode.

I know there’s been a reappraisal of the first series in recent years, and while I do like it, I still think it’s the weakest of the four main series. That’s pretty stiff competition to be up against though, and it’s still very good in its own right.

(And it might have the best supporting cast of all, if you count Laurie as part of the main cast in the last two series anyway).

[Seb Patrick]

Christmas Carol is a very beloved part of my annual December viewing rotation, yes. I think I like it more than anything from II, and a good chunk of Forth.

Anyway, relevant (in that it’s gained some traction and I did it as a result of this thread): https://twitter.com/sebpatrick/status/913389658117206017

[MANI506]

Do people think Back and Forth has got better with age? I don’t really, but I wonder if anyone does.

[Pete Part Three]

I’ve watched Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve (occasionally Christmas Morning if we fall asleep watching it) for the last twenty years or so. It puts most sitcom Christmas specials to shame.

The BlackAdder; there are moments I like, but I can’t say I’d enthusiastically sing the praises of any single episode in that run. Rik Mayall as Mad Gerald, Tim McInnerny as Percy, and Jim Broadbent as Don Speekingleesh are the only performances that seem true to the BlackAddder I love.

[Dave]

To be honest I think I’ve only watched it the once. I’ve never felt the desire to go back to it. I often forget it even exists.

[Dave]

The BlackAdder; there are moments I like, but I can’t say I’d enthusiastically sing the praises of any single episode in that run.

Everyone always seems to pick out The Queen Of Spain’s Beard, but for me The Archbishop is the standout. The relics scene is maybe the high point of the series.

[Pete Part Three]

>Do people think Back and Forth has got better with age? I don’t really, but I wonder if anyone does

I recall seeing it in the Dome in about August 2000. I was very eager to see it after 8+ months of anticpation, and then sat in the theatre, desperate to laugh at something, anything. And then a slow sinking feeling as it goes through the motions but never really does anything particularly interesting. The lack of a studio audience leads it with an odd atmosphere.

BaF’s Edmund seems just a little too world weary for me; even more so than “Goes Forth” Edmund. He seems to have lost his edge. It sound a bit bizarre; but I don’t quite believe in that Baldrick either. It just doesn’t seem right for the (eve of the) 21st century.

It doesn’t quite hang together and the “Bill and Ted” plot just seems an excuse for a bunch of sketches rather than a satisfying plot.

Miranda Richardson’s performance also seems a bit “off”.

Great music from Howard, mind.

[MANI506]

I will include Back and Forth in my next rewatch and then immediately watch Blackadder Rides Again. The Black Adder was a bit like series 1 of Red Dwarf for me in that it was the series that I watched last and which had a lot of mystery surrounding it.

[Lily]

I’d never even heard of the first series until I got the box set. I think it’s one of those things that it’s quite enjoyable, if you un-pin it from the rest of the shows. As a stand alone show it’s still funny, just not ‘Blackadder’ as we know it.

Unfortunately my set only had the main shows on it, so I’m woefully ignorant about any of the specials.

[Dave]

Has anyone seen the original pilot for The Black Adder? I’ve seen small clips of it but never the whole thing. I know it’s available floating around but I don’t think it ever had an official release.

[Ben Paddon]

IIRC< UK Gold were slated to air it as part of an anniversary night, and then suddenly changed their minds and didn’t.

[Pete Part Three]

Yeah, it occasionally pops up on YouTube. It’s actually more like the show it would later become, but it’s pretty ropey.

[Author]

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