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The Black Adder 3

ABC/Roadshow Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 176 mins . PG . PAL

  Feature
Contract

With a perfect formula in place in the flipping great writing team of Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, the tales of the history of the Black Adder family tromp roughshod over the court of George III in the years 1760-1815. Edmund (Rowan Atkinson - just in case you're as thick as a whale omelette) is now just a lowly butler to the fat, flatulent git with the social graces of a potty Prince of Wales (Hugh Laurie) and of course Baldrick (Tony Robinson) is also around to add his own special odour to proceedings and, of course, offer a procession of always cunning plans.

Unlike the second series, this instalment of Black Adder revolves heavily around the three main characters, with the only other regular being the knee-deep in rouge purveyor of mystery-filled pastries, Mrs Miggins. Otherwise things continue on in much the same vein, with Edmund's rubber tongue as elastic as ever, and those who surround him as stupid as two giant stupidy things. The cream of British comedy cameos we've all come to expect don’t disappoint, with the likes of Robbie Coltrane, Nigel Planer and even Ben Elton himself popping up on occasions, and then there are familiar faces such as Tim McInnerny, Stephen Fry and the ever wonderful Miranda Richardson. So grab a few rounds of Geralds and settle in for more bloody great wodges of fabulous Black Adder inanity...

Dish and Dishonesty: The Prince isn't too popular with PM Pitt the Younger, or indeed Pitt the Even Younger, and faces being stricken from the civil list - meaning, gulp, no money. It's time for a bit of election weaselling as Baldrick runs for parliament in rotten borough Dunny-on-the-Wold.

Ink and Incapability: Dr Samuel Johnson's life work - well ten years of it at least - is a comprehensive and encyclopaedic implementation of his premeditated orchestration of the Anglo-Saxon tongue, or in simpler parlance, a dictionary. He courts the Prince's patronage, however as always problems arise.

Nob and Nobility: Heads are rolling all over France, and Edmund is mightily fed up with the Scarlet Pimpernel fever that has hit Britain - even Mrs Miggins' cuisine has gone a la frog. How hard can it be to rescue a few garlic-chewing whoopsies? Not hard at all when you do it Le Adder Noir style.

Sense and Senility: There's anarchy in the UK (ok, so that's historical licence - this is Black Adder!), so Edmund suggests the Prince cuddle up to the proles a little with a sympathetic speech - and calls in two leading thespians to help teach George some presence. MACBETH!!!

Amy and Amiability: The Prince has discovered cards - and how to lose copious wodges of cash. With his master essentially skint, Edmund starts a search for a rich wife for him, and with slim pickings comes across the cuddly-wuddly Amy Hardwood. But maybe this highwayman The Shadow has a better idea?

Duel and Duality: The Prince's night of ecstasy with a pair of Wellingtons may have grave consequences - as the girls' Uncle is rather protective. Challenged to a duel, Edmund steps in to save his Lord once more, and things just may go right for a change.

  Video
Contract

Thundering gherkins! Things are looking better all the time. Made a few years after series two, 1987 to be preciser than an incredibly big precisey thing, most of the pooey things that affected previous series' sorties onto DVD have mercifully buggered off. The only use of film is in the title sequence, and to be sure there are a few pimply bits here and there, but the vision in the main presentations is a vast improvement over any previous Black Adder experiences.

Sure it's in 1.33:1, and isn’t anamorphically enhanced, but being an '80s television show this, of course, should be expected - unless perhaps you're one of those nerdy wobblebottoms that expects everything to be magically converted to some incredibly panoramic Panavision-styled presentation by magic little pixies. The important things are all improved, there's more clarity than ever before in a sharper presentation that manages not to bring icky niggles such as heaps of aliasing along for the ride, contrast and shadow details are notably improved, and whilst it still isn’t the most colourful of affairs it still scrubs up mighty spiffily.

  Audio
Contract

Not surprisingly it's another serve of Dolby Digital Stereo, and tish and pish to anybody who expected more. It's vital that things are clear in a production such as this, and here the sound delivers suitably. Whilst the audience can be rather raucous at times, their caterwauling is balanced nicely against the dialogue, with the actors pausing at the right times for some of the more riotous guffaws to abate. Audio synch is spot on, and surround activity is not worth commenting on because naturally there isn’t any, if you expected some then you're a nincompoop!

Howard Goodall is here once more, to give Black Adder a suitable score… and it's probably the most minimal one yet. Musical occurrences during the episodes are virtually non-existent, save for the rather subtle opening theme, and the rather jaunty closing one that sounds much like it was influenced by Malcolm McLaren's Soweto period.

  Extras
Contract

The menus all make horse troughs look positively wigglesome by comparison, although the episode selection screen does have some animation in the form of little windows playing the individual episodes. The main menu is also accompanied by the show's theme. Now that the bothersome niceties are out of the way, comment must be made about the lack of any extras whatsoever. Apparently it all comes down to stupid old dumbhead rights issues, with the Americans having them and the BBC not - or summat. At any rate, we miss out and that is extremely pericombobulating.

  Overall  
Contract

Arguments could easily rage long past jim-jam donning, sleepy bobos time as to which was the best season of Black Adder. Many adore the third, whilst others can’t go past the second season, as after all it did feature the adorable Queenie (she had to rate a mention somewhere!). Suffice to say they are both superb examples of the finest in decidedly British comedy, and if you have somehow never borne witness to them you really should rush out and pick them up quicker than you can say antidistibblincemin... antimistilinstid... antidistinctlymintymonetarism... oh, just check them out, OK?

Being shorter in the tooth than previous series', this collection of Slack Bladder is by far the best looking to make it to DVD so far, and really should be pleasing for all but the most pedantic of turnip-brained silly sausages. Sure there are no extras, but the disc is stuffed with just under three hours of brilliance - so if you have a problem with what's on offer then poo to you with knobs on!

Toodle-oo everyone...


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      And I quote...
    "More lovey-wovey Black Adder poetry to win your hearty-wearty, and even more fulfilling than the acquisition of turnips..."
    - Amy Flower
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Pioneer DV-535
    • Receiver:
          Onkyo TX-DS494
    • Speakers:
          DB Dynamics Eclipse RBS662
    • Centre Speaker:
          DB Dynamics Eclipse ECC442
    • Surrounds:
          DB Dynamics Eclipse ECR042
    • Subwoofer:
          DTX Digital 4.8
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          Standard Component RCA
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