I do hope the comments Robinson made about Hugh Laurie's fee are a joke. I mean if he turns this down, after everyone else is on board due to money, then it will reflect very poorly on him, to put it nicely.

I remember Tim McInnerny shooting down the idea of ever doing it again in order to preserve it for what it was.

I'm on the fence, personally. I'm a massive Red Dwarf fan but we all know the show was not perfect before the tenth series. It's had some major highs and some lows. The thing with Blackadder is that it's perfect in my opinion. There is not one flat joke, no sub-par episodes, highly rewatchable, amazing performances and cameos. It is a perfect sitcom. Red Dwarf could take the risk without the fear of failing. If Blackadder were to go south now it could tarnish a comedy legacy.

The reason I'm on the fence is because it is the perfect sitcom so why would I not want more of it?

If it comes back it needs to be post-watershed, with the same Hogarthian ribaldry and reading-history-at-Oxbridge historical accuracy. The reason Back And Forth didn't really work is it was nerfed for a family audience. Also Tom Baker needs to be in it at some point.

There's too much money for it to not come back.

Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 25th August 2015, 11:36 AM

It should be set during WWII. And feature George VI.

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Quote: Woozie @ 25th August 2015, 12:20 PM

I still like the idea of the 60s hippie setting.

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I would say that's the main problem in bringing it back, where could you set it? I agree there's money and popular demand for a return but haven't they run out of time periods?

Another war setting might look a bit samey but the comic opportunity's huge, 'Allo 'Allo! shows you that.

Not sure how I feel about a possible fifth series with Blackadder as a university lecturer. I can't think of many comedies that have worked after such a long hiatus. That said, it's hard not to feel a tingle of excitement at the prospect of more Blackadder.

If the rumours are true and Blackadder is returning as a modern-day university lecturer, it'll be a marvellous opportunity for the writers and performers to entertain viewers old enough to remember the days when, in order to pass an exam, you had to know something about the subject under examination.

The decline (or should that be collapse?) of educational standards in Britain dates back to the 1970s when "experts" decided that spelling no longer mattered and other "experts" felt that university degrees should be awarded to students who simply turned up now and again for lectures and seminars for the duration of their course - regardless of how they performed in exams.

I'm sure Edmund, Baldric and company would make a splendid job of lampooning what is left of education in Britain.

I can't understand why people get their panties in a twist over vague, non-committal comments like this. If anything happens it'll take years and be announced officially well in advance. It was the same with the Spice reunion - an off-the-cuff comment from one member and people got their diaries out. No point.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 2nd July 2019, 10:07 AM

I can't understand why people get their panties in a twist over vague, non-committal comments like this. If anything happens it'll take years and be announced officially well in advance. It was the same with the Spice reunion - an off-the-cuff comment from one member and people got their diaries out. No point.

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Wise words, Michael - but we live in hope.

As you suggest, however, I shan't be holding my breath.

That's the second person who's agreed with me in 46 years. I'm losing it.
What's the difference between the Spice Girls and my mother's legs? The Spice Girls got back together.
Years ago a crew member (I can't remember who) said there was little chance of another series but two ideas were The BA 5 (a 60s band with Rowan as a conniving leader / manager) or BA in the fifth (a prep school jaunt). Great, they'll be onscreen by Wednesday.
PS I don't give a f**k about Blackadder but I share these titbits because I am Michael and I am good.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 2nd July 2019, 11:47 AM

That's the second person who's agreed with me in 46 years. I'm losing it.
What's the difference between the Spice Girls and my mother's legs? The Spice Girls got back together.

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You are completely obsessed with the Spice Girls. Move on, mon!

Embarrasing moment last night: I did the 'Spice Girls / my mother's legs' gag, and my dad was in the audience... He was OK though. Afterwards he said, 'I know you're just mucking about, but next time, please don't ridicule the Spice Girls. Religion's a tough one.'

Quote: chipolata @ 2nd July 2019, 11:51 AM

You are completely obsessed with the Spice Girls. Move on, mon!

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Move OVER is a Spice Girls song.
Back on topic... The only BA that really tickles me is the first one. I know it's technically weaker - flabbier, less focussed, almost a sketch show in comparison - but if you're talking just laughs, I'd take Dick Head Ed over Smary, Clever-Little-Me, Convoluted-Putdown-Every-f**ker-At-School-Quotes-For-76533280-Years Ed. 'Oh dear, Richard the Third...'

I'd like to see a new series set in the wild west but I can't see them all getting together in one place for long enough to film a whole series. Goes Forth was 30 years ago so they are all a bit older now and some have moved abroad. Hugh Laurie has become very successful in America with House so he could be more demanding with salary expectations and I can't say I blame him. More realistic would be a charity special.

Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 2nd July 2019, 8:29 PM

I'd like to see a new series set in the wild west

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or Devon & Cornwall? It's possible he could've emigrated to America but he can't go backwards in time. It has to remain faithful to its chronological order to remain credible. Which means there isn't much left of historical note apart from WW2, which most would see as too similar to Goes Fourth.

I think they've certainly missed opportunities for whole new series in other periods. Yes they've covered most of them in the one ep specials but I've always thought The English Civil War deserved its own six ep series and would have been very good. And after B the Third should've come a full Victorian series with people like I K Brunel, Stephenson, Dickens popping in and Blackadder worming his way out of being butchered by Russians in the charge of the light brigade or being sent to colonise a dangerous part of Africa.

And did they start too late at 1485? because they could have had King John, Lionheart and Robin Hood in a whole series, and even earlier the whole Norman invasion in a series and the transition from Saxon England to nasty Norman England. If they knew how successful it was going to be then they should've given more thought to mining more historical periods and getting more series out of it. Ah well.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 6th July 2019, 8:18 AM

If they knew how successful it was going to be then they should've given more thought to mining more historical periods and getting more series out of it. Ah well.

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I think the technical term, for what you're suggesting is "Flogging a dead horse." I thank god they realised that less is more and didn't bludgeon a great show to death.

Quote: chipolata @ 6th July 2019, 10:48 AM

I think the technical term, for what you're suggesting is "Flogging a dead horse." I thank god they realised that less is more and didn't bludgeon a great show to death.

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I may be wrong but I seem to remember Lise Mayer saying the reason they killed off The Young Ones was partly because that was their vicious sense of humour, but also because they wanted to make it harder to bring them back later on in their careers. Quit while you're ahead and all that. The opposite of Hitch Hiker's.
Slightly off-topic but I dug out my Young Ones DVD and yes, it's still as hilarious as ever. I once watched it with a guy who didn't speak a word of English and he was still in hysterics.