Blackadder Goes Forth
The fourth series of the BBC
situation comedy Blackadder, called with a brilliant pun, Blackadder
Goes Forth aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989[1].
For the
final chapter the writers, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, placed our
“anti-heroes” in 1917, in a trench in Flanders during World War I. The series
differs from the previous ones for being more satire oriented: it was
particularly known and criticized for poking fun of the British Army leadership
during the campaign, and for making references to a number of famous figures of
the age.
Another "big push" is planned, and Captain Blackadder's only goal is to avoid being killed. The series
follows his attempts to escape the trenches through various schemes, most of
which fail due to bad fortune, misunderstandings and the general incompetence
of his comrades: the idealistic (and idiotic)
Lieutenant George, and Private S. Baldrick,
"the world's worst cook"[2]. The initial "S." is taken from the third series episode
entitled Dish and Dishonesty:
Blackadder: “Right. Now
all we have to do is fill in this MP application form. Name: Baldrick.
First name...?”
Baldrick: “Ehm, I'm not sure.”
Blackadder: “Well, you must have some idea...”
Baldrick: “Well, it might be Sodoff.”
Blackadder: “What?”
Baldrick: “Well, when I used to play in the gutter, I used to say to the other
snipes, "Hello, my name's Baldrick"” and they'd say, ‘Yes,
we know. Sod off, Baldrick.’”
[Blackadder
The Third - 1987]
Rather than the Germans, who remain usually unseen,
Blackadder's enemies are really his superior, come in the form of the eccentric General Melchett, and his bureaucratic assistant, Captain Kevin
Darling. Needless to say that the now self-confident Blackadder treats Darling
with special contempt and is particularly
fond at using Darling’s surname for maximum comedy value.
The final episode of this series, Goodbyeee...,
is known for being extraordinarily emotional, considered we’re talking about a
sitcom. Especially the final scene, which sees the main characters finally
venturing forward and charging off into the fog and smoke of the no man's land.
After Baldrick claims to have one last off his
“cunning plans”, Blackadder's touching final reply is:
“Well, I am afraid it will have to wait.
Whatever it was, I am sure it was better than my plan to get out of this by
pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman around
here? Good luck, everyone.”
The four series of Blackadder were
voted into second place in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom in
2004. As brilliant as it is, it couldn’t beat Britain’s Best Sitcom: Only
Fools and Horses.
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