I am a huge fan of the clever Richard Curtis and Ben Elton TV programme Blackadder the Third released in 1987. Even though it's been 37 years since it was released, I still regularly find my perceptual peepers hankering after this stone cold classic, or at the very least craving a wee read around the subject matter, perhaps open up the Wikipedia page or find a YouTube analysis of the TV programme.
Why is Blackadder the Third so good?
As well as an unwavering sense of nostalgia that keeps me returning to this TV programme, there's also a hypnotic je ne sais quoi about Blackadder the Third that keeps it fresh no matter how many times I revisit this work of art. Maybe it's that I was an impressionable young whippersnapper in the year 1992 when I first discovered Blackadder the Third, or the fact that Richard Curtis and Ben Elton were absolutely at the top of their game when they released said TV programme. It's hard to pinpoint something so transcendental. Once you love a piece of art you become faithful to it's ethos.
Blackadder the Third is a TV programme that is still relevant
One thing's for sure though, Blackadder the Third has stood the test of time and then some. It remains as powerful and relevant today as it did in 1987. And why wouldn't it? With witty script and biting satire like that, it's no wonder people return to this TV programme again and again. I can't imagine life without it John.
Richard Curtis and Ben Elton knocked it out the park
But it's not just the witty script and biting satire that make this TV programme great. It's the overall package. The brilliant performances by Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Fry is a tour de force. The memorable guest appearance by Robbie Coltrane as Dr. Samuel Johnson is integral, as is the unforgettable 'ink and incapability' episode. And who can forget hilarious way it skewers historical figures and events with a modern sensibility. When Richard Curtis and Ben Elton created this timeless classic, never mind the ball park, they knocked this one out of the solar system. This bad boy is in danger of bothering Voyager.
Has Blackadder the Third stood the test of time?
Of course, there are other TV programmes out there to be argued for. Harder, better, faster, stronger. Some might argue that Game of Thrones is better than Blackadder the Third, or that Benioff and Weiss is better than Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. They may well have a point. But for me, Blackadder the Third will always hold a special place in my heart. And 37 years tickling the meridian response does not lie.
Blackadder the Third in conclusion
To sum up, Blackadder the Third is a wonderful thing, a TV programme of unrivalled quality. It's a TV programme that has etched itself into the psyche, distributing untold tingles up the spine, hogging synapses and monopolising neurons that could otherwise be put to use appreciating more important, or perhaps more useful information. But no matter what life throws at me, I know I can always rely on Blackadder the Third to deliver the goods.