Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) User Reviews

A True History Lesson

[Sonatine97 · 9/10 · 25 August 2002]

This forth and final series is perhaps the best of all the Black Adder episodes; it is also more of a tragi-comedy than just plain old slapstick perhaps because at the time (1989) the events of WW1 were very much in the minds of a lot of people, whether it be surviving soldiers or relatives.

As such there was some controversy when it was first broadcast by the BBC for its apparent lack of respect to those who fought and lost their lives for the sake of freedom & democracy.

However, in retrospect, this isn't strictly true because even with Episode One there is a tangible shift in tone from previous Black Adder series. Yes some of the slapstick tomfoolery is still there, mainly at the expense of poor gormless Private Baldrick. But in addition a lot of the supposedly funny lines do have quite serious undertones, and bely the real truth of the sheer lunacy & farce that went on during the real war.

For those that know their 20th Century history, WW1 was seen as a complete disaster for all and sundry, especially for the British soldiers in the trenches, primarily because they were being commanded & told how to fight a war by the most repulsive upper-class morons that call themselves Generals that ever wore a uniform.

This was plainly represented by the bumbling fool, General Melchett (a wonderfully bemusing performance from Stephen Fry). Melchett simply has no idea of what life really is like for the troops on the front-line while he prattles on 35 miles behind the front-line in some safe palatial mansion where the most dangerous hazard to his life is whether he can unscrew a cork out of a champagne bottle without it hitting him in the face.

Melchett is a complete buffoon but only Captain Blackadder realises this; everyone else thinks the General knows what he is doing purely because of his rank & social standing. So it is no wonder that Blackadder wants to mutiny because it's a hard choice deciding who the real enemy is - the Germans or his own Generals.

For example:-

General Melchett: Are you looking forward to the big push?

Private Baldrick: No sir, I'm absolutely terrified.

General Melchett: The healthy humour of the honest, Tommy. Don't worry my boy, if you should falter, remember that Captain Darling and I are behind you.

Edmund Blackadder: About thirty-five miles behind you.

This dark humour is wonderfully interwoven with the usual witty lines thanks largely to the writers, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. It is typically anti-war but with good reason, as Blackadder declares in one episode:-

"with 50,000 men being killed every week who is going to miss one dead pigeon!"

The madness of this war also draws our attention to those very same front-line troops such as Blackadder, Baldrick & Lieutenant George. Their living conditions are disgusting & the fear of being shot or bombed out of their trench a very real possibility.

The humour is just an adjunct to the real horrors that are going on in their lives, and this is beautifully concluded in the very sad finale. No longer did the critics argue this series lacked any respect because come the final few minutes of Episode Six we were treated to the sad demise of all those soldiers fading into time and replaced by the infamous poppy fields that strewn Northern France.

Blackadder Goes Forth is far more intelligent than a lot of sitcoms; the writing and acting is exceptionally good, and also underpins the true human sacrifice the millions of soldiers gave to their King & country while the smug & arrogant Generals went home to more medals, honours and riches than ever before.

School children of today find reading about history boring & not very relevant. But thanks to this series I am sure young & old alike will find this far more interesting, absorbing, damming & shocking than any written word on the subject could ever say.

War Is Hell!

****/*****

T.V.'s greatest scene?

[russellalancampbell · 10/10 · 12 October 2014]

I am in complete agreement with most of the reviews posted and do not want to add anything else but to cast my vote for the final scene in "Goodbyee" as being the finest in television drama or comedy. I say comedy or drama because the scene seamlessly combines the two so that you are almost incapable of knowing exactly how to respond. The scene is prefaced by the scene in which the chillingly true nature of General Melchett is revealed. Melchett orders his obsequious clerk, Darling, to the front for the suicidal big push the next morning. Melchett is revealed as being a deadly dangerous buffoon. Read Sigfried Sassoon's poem "The General" for a similar depiction of an old duffer whose incompetent planning "does for" his men who are ironically aware but strangely accepting of his eccentrically bumbling nature. This scene reveals Melchett as being something far more sinister than is evident in the preceding episodes. The shadow of the driver falling over Darling who is on his knees begging Melchett not to send him is as chilling as anything I have seen.

As the reality of going over the top dawns on the mindlessly jingoistic George and then even on the endearingly gormless Baldrick, the true horror of war is evoked. The hopes and dreams of ordinary young men are about to be brutally dashed. The final stroke of genius is to have Darling, a man for whom we and Blackadder have had contempt, poignantly confide the plans he had for his future after surviving the war. "Marry Dorris ...keep wicket for the gentleman's eleven." Do you laugh or cry at this? I think most of us feel at a loss to know how to respond just as Wilfred Owen in his poem "Futility" as he witnesses his men's futile attempt to revive a dying comrade by putting him out to lie in the sun.

The final freeze frame and dissolve into the poppy fields of Flanders has been well documented. What more can anyone say about mankind's greatest folly - war.

WWI comedy series with great lines

[SMK-4 · 10/10 · 3 December 1998]

While I can think of plenty of WWII comedies, comedies about WWI are few and far between. Okay, there is Chaplin's Shoulder Arms, but then I fail to think of anything - apart from these glorious 6 half-hour long pieces of British Comedy. There are reasons for this scarcity, most notably that hardly anything happened during the war, except that millions of soldiers died in their muddy trenches. Not much room for a comedy writer to get his teeth into, is there?

Well, watch this and you'd be surprised how much one can squeeze out of that setting. The main angle is the absurdity of it all, which our hero, Edmund Blackadder, is fully aware of. Alas, he's the only one and so his cynicisms and sarcasms remain undetected by the other characters. The highlights of the series are thus Blackadder's one-liners (well, often a bit longer than one line).

If you have grown up watching TV comedy US style only then you may find the conclusion of the series rather disturbing.

One of the finest moments of television I have seen.

[BrendanKilpatrick · 29 January 2003]

Okay, this is going to be laden with spoilers, but oh well.

I posted a review for "I, Claudius" not too long ago, which at the time was the finest bit of television I had ever seen. Then the same friend that introduced me to "I, Claudius" also introduced me to "The Black Adder." Although "I, Claudius" is still the best, in my mind, "Blackadder" is right up there with the greatest. Although the first three series are all very funny and very well written, it is with the fourth and final series that it reaches its peak. I'll go through the cast, then the reasons why this series was the best of the four.

First, Rowan Atkinson returns as Edmund Blackadder, who has now fallen to the status of an army captain. He is in this series at his slickest and most scheming, though not quite as evil as he was in the third series. Atkinson is once again hilarious, as is Tony Robinson as the grimy and completely witless S. Baldrick. Hugh Laurie once again rounds out the trio as Lt. George, a much nicer and more pleasant character than the Prince Regent, but just as dim and naive.

Tim McInnery, who was mostly absent from the third season, makes a return as Captain Kevin Darling, a desk jockey at headquarters who is Blackadder's> rival. Darling is quite an interesting character, and certainly a huge change from Lord Percy. Stephen Fry returns as the hilariously inept (and completely insane) General Melchett. World War I, as we know, was one of the most pointless wars in recent memory. It was carnage for the sake of dubious causes, where millions of common men gave their lives for god only knows what, at the command of men scarecely fit to dress themselves let alone cunduct a war.

The series itself is hilarious, the cast is brillaint, and the episodes "Private Plane" (with Rik Mayall giving another hilarious performance as the obnoxious Lord Flasheart) and "Corporal Punishment" are particularly funny.

The best of the season, though, and the best, by far, of the entire series, is the final episode "Goodbyeee". I was struck speechless when I saw this episode. There was an impending sense of doom hanging over the heads of our beloved characters as they waited for the end. George, who had up to this point been champing at the bit to charge the Germans, began to show signs of misgivings...for all of his friends had been killed in the war, and he began to realize that he, too, was afraid to die. Baldrick, who seemed perfectly thick with no mind whatsoever, also began to display pathos. He remembered how wonderful and honorable it seemed to serve in the military. He also wondered why the war had to go on, and why it couldn't just stop and everyone couldn't just go home.

There are two real defining moments in this episode, though:

1.) When General Melchett sends Captain Darling off to the front line as 'a favor.' Darling, is of course, terrified. He's a pencil pusher and a snivelling desk jockey, and now, the very real spectre of death faces him. As he turns to go, the door is opened and a bright shaft of light enters the previously darkened room, outlining the shadow of a soldier who salutes. General Melchett says, in a solemn and somewhat moving manner, "Goodbye, Kevin Darling." In this poignant and moving scene, the up to this point loathsome Captain Darling is suddenly a tragic character, as he goes off into the light to face his almost certain demise.

2.) As Baldrick, Blackadder, George, and Darling prepare for the end, they both say a few last words...Darling wishing that he could just go home and go on with his life and marry his sweetheart, George finally starting to fear death and missing his friends that he lost, Baldrick confused and disenchanted by the pointlessness of the war, and Blackadder resigned, bitter, and hopeless. Blackadder had, earlier in the episode, tried to get out of the war by pretending to be mad, but in the end, realizes that in a war run by madmen, one more loony wouldn't be noticed. The four men then charge over the trenches, and are consumed in the smoke of battle. The next scene shows the ruins of the battlefield, which segues into the field as it is today, covered in poppies, serene and peaceful, a grotesque opposite of what it once was. There are no end credits. Simply the end. This ending was beautiful, fabulous, very moving and well constructed. It must be seen to be believed, it is among best I shall ever see. "Goodbye, Kevin Darling." Indeed.

Surely This Is The Best British Comedy Series?

[screenman · 10/10 · 16 February 2008]

My first real introduction to WW1, began in 1964. That year the BBC broadcast a 26-part documentary detailing the outbreak and progress of this, 'The Great War'.

As a teenager, I sat mesmerised, as the voice of Sir Ralph Richardson narrated in harrowing tones, failure upon failure in tactics and strategy with no other result than monumental casualty figures. Ever since then I have been 'hooked'. Here are some figures: just the first day's 'Battle of The Somme' resulted in a loss of almost 60,000 British soldiers. Some 20,000 were dead. That is one third of the number of Americans who died throughout the entire Vietnam campaign (and just look how many movies have been made about that). The 'Menin Gate' at Ypres commemorates the loss of 56,000 men. But they didn't just die; they vanished. The population of a small town were completely swallowed-up by the fury. And this is only one of many such monuments. Numbers like these compel you to stop - and think.

The multinational disaster that was WW1 has been shunned by politicians and media alike. The only good thing to be said of the conflict is that it stopped. And it had to; the nations were completely drained of money and men. Ever since, it has been a military bete-noir of history. Nothing was accomplished but failure and nothing created but innumerable corpses. There was no victory, no triumph of good over evil. Even the enemy was obscure. It was a holocaust of good intentions. The war became a machine that simply ground youth into the mud. Appalling bloody battles like those of WW2 at least had a positive outcome. D-day, Iwo-Jima, Monte-Cassino, all eventually led to unequivocal victory. Each presented an opportunity for national pride and manly courage to be heroically presented on film. But not 'The Great War'. Apart from 'All Quiet On The Western Front', it has been left well alone.

'Blackadder Goes Forth' then is not only one of the most hilarious comedies written - better than 'Mash' if you consider the contrast between its scope and its brevity - but it is also a fitting tribute to all those poor souls who toiled and died and were lost.

'The team' handle their subject perfectly. Rowan Atkinson plays the knowledgeable and cynical middle-ranking officer. He is not a coward; he can see what's happening and just wants out. Tony Robinson, as Private Baldrick, embodies the millions of 'Tommies' who struggled in ignorance. Hugh Laurie plays the lieutenant with unquenchably boyish faith in his high-command. Stephen Fry - literally - is General Melchett, the remote, pompous, arrogant buffoon, touched with insanity. Tim McInnerny plays the role of a staff-officer, aware of, but indifferent too, the consequence of futile strategies. Until he is ultimately forced to confront them in the last episode: 'Goodbyeee'.

Richard Curtis and Ben Elton's script is everything you could wish for. Their jokes touch upon all of the horrors to which soldiers eventually became innured: cold, wet, shortages, rats and death.

And it is that last episode which raises the series beyond the level of simple comedy. In a brief twist at the end, we see 'the team' go over the top to face their own belated death. In slow-motion, their figures become engulfed by a hail of enemy ordnance as the theme plays haltingly on a single ill-tuned piano. Moments later, the scene segues into the poppy-reddened fields of their epitaph.

I have the series on DVD and it reminds me as much as my photographs of the many hours spent wandering along the Western Front.

Its characters seem to speak for the millions who can't.

As close to perfection as you'll find in a BBC comedy

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 9 September 2020]

The story of a group of British soldiers based in the trenches of World War I.

Richard Curtis and Ben Elton peaked during the forth and finest season of Blackadder. It is consistently strong throughout six episodes and several are some of the greatest examples of British television.

How does someone find humour in such a depressing situation? Well the answer is: characters. If the history of comedy has shown us one thing it is that you can make anything funny if you put great characters centre stage and give them the best material. Captain Blackadder, Lieutenant George, Private Baldrick, General Melchett and Captain Darling are all written and performed to perfection.

The jokes fly at you in the shape of dark gallows humour, outrageously sharp putdowns, hilarious comedy metaphors and the occasional sight gags. All of it is drenched in the most wicked British cynicism you could imagine. The three standout episodes for me are 'Corporal Punishment' and 'General Hospital' and 'Goodbyeee', but the others are not far behind.

Curtis and Elton were not content to just make a funny sit-com about trench life. They also made a loud and clear anti-war statement with a sharp criticism of WWI military/political leadership. These themes are referenced in numerous punchlines throughout, but during the final classic episode they decided enough was enough with the jokes gave us the tragic and sobering conclusion the situation required.

Rowan Atkinson shows us what a versatile genius he is as a comic performer and he is wonderfully complimented by Hugh Laurie, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry and Tim McInnerny. Watch out for two hilarious cameos by renowned comedy duo Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson as British and German fighter 'flying aces' in the episode 'Private Plane'. Miranda Richardson also appears in a decidedly more sane role than we are used to seeing from her in Blackadder.

Blackadder Goes Forth is a jewell in the crown of British television and in my family it has been enjoyed by several generations.

It doesn't get any better than this.

[dyingrepublicofpanama · 10/10 · 21 December 2018]

It's just the best comedy ever written.

This will be studied 100 years from now.

Just like the source material. Amazing show.

Still hilariously funny, but also the darkest of the Blackadders

[grantss · 10/10 · 18 December 2015]

Still hilariously funny, but also the darkest of the Blackadders.

After the first three seasons saw Black Adder in the courts of Richard III, Elizabeth I and Mad King George (though with varying levels of station), the fourth season finds us in World War 1. Black Adder is a Captain in the British Army in the trenches on the Western Front.

With him we have Tony Robinson as Private Baldrick, Hugh Laurie as Lieutenant George, Stephen Fry as General Melchett and Tim McInnerny as Captain Darling.

This season follows the same successful formula used in Black Adder II and III: intelligent plot and dialogue, clever use of actual historic events and characters, incredibly funny skits and situations.

However, this time there is a darker edge to the proceedings. The fact that they are in the trenches on the Western Front adds the threats of danger and death. While most of the dialogue is funny and light-hearted, there is a hint of sombreness about some of it. The final scene of the season, and of the entire show, is incredibly emotional and brings home the dark hints we had before.

I regard Black Adder III as the best of the four series, as it is the cleverest and funniest of the four, but BA4 is the most multi- faceted, for the reasons mentioned above.

Blackadder, George and Baldrick serve in the trenches

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 11 September 2019]

This series sees Blackadder and other regular characters, Baldrick, George and Melchett return for the fourth and final series. This Edmund Blackadder is a captain in the British army during the First World War; his batman, Private Baldric; and Lt George are serving in the same trench and back at headquarters Gen Melchett is giving the, usually nonsensical, orders along with his Aide-de-camp Captain Darling.

Each of the six episodes sees Blackadder trying to find a way to avoid going over the top... always putting himself forward when a job far from the front or which sounds easy is suggested. These include becoming a war artist, staging a show for the troops and transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. Of course nothing quite goes according to plan.

I really enjoyed this series. It has a darker tinge than other Blackadder series, not surprising given that it was set during a brutal conflict which took place within living memory. That doesn't mean it isn't funny; every episode provides plenty of laughs before the poignant ending. The cast does a really fine job with Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry returning as Blackadder, Baldric, George and Melchett; there is also a welcome return for Tim McInnerny, who played Percy in the first two series, as Captain Darling; a very different character. Rik Mayall returns for one episode as Lord Flasheart, stealing every scene he is in. Also back is Gabrielle Glaister as Driver 'Bob' Parkhurst. It must be said the series definitely perpetuates the idea that those planning the war were stupid, bordering on insane... something that can't have been entirely true given who ultimately won! Overall though I'd say this was the best series of Blackadder; definitely a must see for fans of British comedy.

Best of the Best

[dgm-48750 · 10/10 · 23 March 2017]

Put simply, this is the best series of the best comedy show ever.

The constraints encountered by the writers/producers around cost following season 1 only served to make the show more tightly scripted and funny.

You can be picky and say there are one or two clunky lines of dialogue across the entire four seasons. You can complain that the show came out before HD 1080p. But these are minor things.

There are a few shows/movies that I have seen so many times that I can stick them on and just *listen* to them and get almost the same level of enjoyment. This is one such show. The cast are great, the jokes are great, the plots are great. Very little to dislike here really. Season Four has an over-arching anti-war subtext which seems to give it more depth and poignancy than other seasons (which are also excellent by the way).

This the standard to which I think all other UK comedies, specifically sit-coms, should be judged in my opinion.

A near perfect comedy

[eurothozza · 10/10 · 21 August 2021]

Blackadder Goes Forth marked a fitting climax to a brilliant comedy series. Wonderful casting. Clever writing. Superb performances. Two-bit sets. British comedy at its intelligent best, really.

British humor at its best.

[deloudelouvain · 10/10 · 17 May 2021]

Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war. They couldn't have formulated it better than this. Rowan atkinson, brilliant in every season of Black Adder, is this time stuck in the trenches, waiting for the war to be over, trying to avoid every dangerous and/or lethal situation. It's one of the best seasons, with a great Stephen Fry as the crazy General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett and a brilliant Tim McInnerny as Captain Kevin Darling (probably his greatest character of the whole series). Tony Robinson is this time Private S Baldrick, still the dumbest of all, but great to watch. Black Adder, a must see for everybody that like British humor.

depressing and often not a welcome addition to the series

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 4 July 2005]

While the times of Henry VII, Elizabeth I and George III were hilarious settings for the Black Adder series, World War One was NOT. Probably because, try as they might, a war in which MILLIONS were killed is pretty much a comedy killing subject. How, exactly, can you make poison gas, carnage and pointless death that funny? Maudlin, yes--funny, no. Episode after episode consist of Black Adder trying to avoid certain death until in the final episode, he and his men are killed after they are ordered to storm the enemy lines. WOW--that's not much fun! World War I, II or the black plague--all topics that I strongly advise AGAINST using as a backdrop for this series!

UPDATE: I have just watched this series once again and this time it did play a bit better. There were some definitely good episodes....but still, some amazingly maudlin and awful ones. I stand by most of what I originally said but must admit my first review was a tad too harsh--just a tad.

Not a fan, sadly

[studioAT · 3/10 · 26 February 2017]

Apart from the final episode (which actually is the only episode of Blackadder that is worth watching across the whole saga) this series isn't actually half as smart or as funny as it likes to think it is.

It is in fact carried by a stellar performance from Rowan Atkinson, who at times is working very hard to make some not so sharp bits of the script work.

I'm surprised I'm being so down about this show, because I'm a fan of Richard Curtis's writing, and also Rowan Atkinson, but somewhere along the way this show doesn't do a lot for me.

Comedy is subjective, more so than any other genre perhaps, but for me this isn't one that'll be added to my 'best sitcom' list.

Wickedly funny

[wbhickok · 31 July 2001]

The scathing wit by Rowan Atkinson is at it's peak, in this, the forth Blackadder series. Everyone in this series is top drawer, Hugh Laurie as the dimwitted George. Stephen Fry as the insane Melchert and Tony Robinson as the repulsive, but loveable Baldrick. The episode where George is Blackadders lawyer is a riot. No show has ever pointed out the pointless lunacy of war better than this, with a series finale that is remarkably somber and very stirring. A very well done show all around.

Funny and depressing at the same time.

[hamishmonk · 10/10 · 16 August 2020]

I recently just watched all of the seasons of black adder, and once the last episode of this series ended, I had to go back to black adder 2 because I was so sad and wanted to laugh. this series manages to remain funny while also being very sad as we know what is going to happen to our main characters, 10 stars all the way.

"Here lies Captain Edmund BlackAdder and he's bloody annoyed"

[Darkside-Reviewer · 9/10 · 15 March 2019]

The first time I saw BlackAdder I was six years old sat watching it with my grandad I watched not understanding the jokes but watched my granddad laugh till his sides hurt I asked about the first world war and what it was like he told me many stories some sad some funny and uplifting those are some of the best memories I have with him and whenever I watch this show now as an adult I now understand the jokes and the situational comedy I laugh everytime like I'm hearing the jokes for the first time again if you haven't seen this show I highly recommend you give it a watch just beware your sides will hurt from laughing so much.

Heartbreaking

[pgrossgart · 9/10 · 27 November 2020]

The brutality of WWI is downplayed here until the final episode. The mostly static trench warfare and what must've been days/weeks of boredom...until the FINAL (no, really, the FINAL final) push...

The other Blackadder series were far removed from those of us alive today, yet both my grandfathers fought in the war - on opposite sides.

This is poignant, painful, and a testament to the stupidity of the ruling classes.

K. In between, it's comic gold, Gorgeous Georgina...

Better Yet Again

[Alex_Hodgkinson · 10/10 · 18 March 2014]

Stunning, I must say. I can't quite give it that 10, but it's brilliant. Best of the four by far. Lots of Blackadder humour, nice and British. Great to see what I consider the entire series main cast all the main cast in this series. My favourites have all had such big roles, and I don't have to get to know any actors playing a character either. We have Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Baldrick, the two entire series protagonists, Stephen Fry as Melchett, Hugh Laurie as George and Tim McInnerny as Kevin Darling. I loved the ending to this series also, as it is sad and not the usual humorous ending.

I must say, Blackadder as a whole wasn't what I expected. It was certainly much better. Throughout series one I believed that I'd give up because I found it too boring. It was funny, but not anything I'd stick to over time. Series two, however, was much better with a new, genius Blackadder and new, brilliant humour. Series three maintained this and I think I may have just preferred it to series two. This series tops the other by far, though. Everything about it shone. No wonder it is known as one of Britain's greatest TV achievements. I was not expecting a sad ending.

I still have Back & Forth to review, but I thought that this is the end of the main series; and what an end it was.

You will never see anything as funny.

[steve-82731 · 10/10 · 15 March 2021]

What do think this is the Woman's auxiliary balloon core...omg this is the funniest TV comedy show ever.

Comedy at its finest and a fond farewell

[anselmdaniel · 9/10 · 27 March 2021]

This review contains spoilers.

Blackadder Goes Forth is the fourth and final series of BBC's Blackadder. The series has the same recurring characters as the setting is changed to the trenches of World War I. The comedy is dry and satirical as its anti-war message is apparent.

Blackadder Goes Forth is an incredibly solid series. The comedy of the series has prescience even in today's age. The comedy does not take any cheap shots at any topic and has great setup across each of the episodes. I felt that the comedy played great parts in understanding the characters and the plot of each episode. Each of the episodes have excellent plots in each as Captain Edmund Blackadder tries to escape going over the top. All of the side characters have participation and roles in the episodes with Hugh Laurie having excellent comedic timing. Private Baldrick played by Tony Robinson is a center of hilarity.

The show does not shy away from the dark aspects of the First World War. They are prevalent here and it shows in each of the scenes. The show may not be perfectly accurate or authentic but the entertainment is present. Any audience that wants to learn more about the First World War should look elsewhere. The series does spark interest in the grim subject.

I would highly recommend "Blackadder Goes Forth".

Grade: A.

All Is Hysterical On The Western Front

[ericksonsam60 · 9/10 · 10 May 2014]

Out of all the settings in the BlackAdder series, this one had by far the boldest. It was really different to have it set in a war. Yet by doing so it creates the sordidness, and barbarity of the medieval times. More than any other war in history, World War I had captured that. Despite its grim subject matter, "BlackAdder Goes Forth" makes for an excellent war comedy and a satisfying end to a great series.

This time the gang is all here. All major cast members that have appeared before in previous BlackAdder series are together. In this final installment, Rowan Atkinson is Captain Edmund BlackAdder along with him is Tony Robinson as Private Baldrick and Lieutenant George played by the delightful Hugh Laurie. We also see Stephen Fry again as Melchett and Tim McInnerny makes his return as Captain Darling, a last name that makes for a constant running gag.

The fine tradition of both sardonic and situation humor continues here. All the performances are superb. Fry in particular is an absolute hoot as General Melchett and Tony Robinson is at his best with Baldrick at his most stupid. All of the episodes are extremely funny. "Corporal Punishment" and "Major Star" are top notch but "Private Plane" is my favorite as Major Flashheart steals the show. However, it is the last episode, "Goodbyee", that is the most special as it is both hysterical and haunting.

Underneath all the laughs in Richard Curtis and Ben Elton's scripting lies a biting anti-war message. When put into perspective WWI was nothing more than a folly between nations that cost many lives. This series really highlights the propaganda that had been spread, the ridiculousness of the warfare, and how upper class twits who call themselves "Generals" sent young men to their deaths. The final episode was so sublime because it was able to convey this so well.

All in all, it is a fine end to one of the greatest British TV shows of all time. The BlackAdder series proves that comedy need not be bland, dumb, or formulaic, like so many of today's American sitcoms, but audacious, witty, and sophisticated.

Humor at it's best

[laughingbuddhaa · 10/10 · 23 November 2020]

Work of ART, due to synergy of outstanding skill Rowen Atkinson, Stephen Fry , Hugh Laurie and

Laughing loud to all heroes, victims, dead, invalids and raped women

[danilo-verginis · 1/10 · 9 February 2015]

I admit, that I was young boy, age 15 when I watched BLACKADDER GOES FORTH. At that age, I found it very funny and great. But, I didn't know at that age what really was WWI. Shame on me.But the fresh start of this trend to spit on ourselves began in 1982 with Allo Allo TV Series (when we all Laughing loud to all heroes, victims, dead, invalids and raped women of WW2).Anyone who lost someone in WW1 or WW2 should not laugh on suffering and pain of all who participate in this wars. First, any war, especially WW1 and WW2 are everything but NOT comic and funny. I am afraid that people already forgot how frightful and disaster were those two world wars, how many people died... And for what they died. To be laugh? To made comedy about heroism and sacrifice? Did any soldier gave his or her life for nothing? Just ti be disaster today?? When I see today how rated are this 2 (noncence TV series) 8,9 and 8,4 I think they all died for nothing, for OBLIVION. I will put now by side WHY this 2 TV series did not made Germans or Austrians or Hungarians. I respect them because they got dignity and the respect their casualties of war, their victims, their soldiers. GER, AUT, HUN, JAP maybe lost the war BUT they did not lost the brain. Let me ask You, all of you, my dear friends from IMDb one simple question: What ordinary people will realize when they watched this Blackadder Goes Four (1989) shall we say 100,200, 300 years from now? This is opposite of my feelings and respect which I have to Allied Armies (UK, AUS, FRA, USA, SRB, GRE,... and all others). Ordinary man in 2115 or 2215 or 2315 (for example) WILL SEE British SOLDIER in 1914-1918 as: stupid, brainwash, sheep for slaughterhouse, moron who follows every order and die for nothing, naive soldier who don't understand why is he at the front, for what purpose. British officers will be seen 100, 200, 300 years after today like: cowards, chair warmers, madmen who loves to sent their British soldier to guaranteed death. The truth is very simple: many officers died side by side with their soldiers. They attacked together, they died together. The fought for our better future, for liberty, for free Europe, for EU today we got. I am proud that British, French, Serbian and Greek soldiers fought together at Thessaloniki border line in Nort Greece. And They break through front line in 14. Sep 1918. On 30.September Bulgaria drop weapons and capitulate. On 26.October Turkey capitulate. This front is also known as Macedonian or Salonica front line. Center Power were GER and BUL army versus UNITED KINGDOM or GREAT Britain army, France, Greek and Serbian forces with also some ITA and RUS forces. 50.000 Alied soldiers gave their lives, 60.000 Central power soldiers were killed or captured! Did they fight and died to be laugh by us in 1989 or 1999 or 2015 or anytime??? WAR is not COMEDY. War is blood, death, poor, sorrow, sadness, lost, broken lives and destroyed families. War is definitely what we saw in Blackadder 4 or Allo Allo. If you ever come to Tessaloniki PLESE visit (Allied Military Cemetery) Zeitenlik. 7.565 Serbian, 8.000 French, 3.000 Italians, 2.000 British soldiers and 400 Russian soldiers died in Macedonian Front. Is anybody laughing now? Any funny? Are you enjoy in comedy?

British comedy at its best

[Phil_slann · 25 July 2003]

Forget "The Royle Family", forget "My Family", if you want a good example of British comedy, watch blacadder goes forth. In my opinion the best series of the lot; it has everything. Brilliant scripts, faultless acting and sarcastic and hilarious humour. My favorite episode has to be Captain Cook simply because it is so sarcastic and mocking of real life; both now and in the trenches of WWI. Facts that in history books seem shocking are made into hilarious situations, like the lack of food or the dangers of flying in aeroplanes of the era. Without doubt the best British comedy since Monty Python. See it.