One of the things I gave my wife for Christmas was the complete set of Blackadder on 4 DVDs (all the episodes in all 4 series, but none of the specials). We're onto the second series now (actually I think tonight we'll see the last episode in Blackadder II), and they are so funny they make me laugh out loud (I've seen them all before - but they're not the type of thing you get sick of seeing again). I think Blackadder is possibly the funniest TV series ever made.
The first series was odd though. It's hard to put a finger on exactly why the first series wasn't funny. It has different writers: Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, whereas later series were all written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. It focuses a lot more on different characters, whereas later episodes focus more on Blackadder himself. And Blackadder isn't as smarmy in the first series. Still worth watching though.
By the end of the second season I was a convert. Very funny stuff. I thought they got better with each series.
The second season is the highlight for me. Queenie is a brilliant foil for Blackadder, and it was all fresh. Three and four have too many ridiculous metaphors (some brilliant ones too, to be fair: "a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel") and it doesn't feel quite so sharp to me as the second season.
I keep telling Jenine I want the whole damn set, specials and all, but instead she buys me things SHE wants to see, like the first season of 24. It was good, but a lot fewer dick jokes
--Nat
