The Foretelling

England 1300 and something. Edmond wakes up late for battle, kills the king by accident, and makes his father the new king. Pleased with the "victory", Edmond names himself "The Black Adder". Although it is not considered as good as the other Black Adder shows, it is the beginning, and therefore we forgive the prematurity. Rowan Atkinson is great sometimes, but sometimes just too goofy and silly. People who aren't familiar with Shakespeare will enjoy this show even less, there are many references to Macbeth and Hamlet. Also, if you are sensitive to graphic violent jokes you won't like to see the gory spectacles. 7 out 10.

The first episode of "The Black Adder" starts a little bit slow, with a couple of not very good jokes, but soon enough it gets things going and becomes a very funny introduction to the characters of this classic TV series.

The story is simple enough, Rowan Atkinson's Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, is a not very smart, selfish and narcissistic character, that only thinks about his own survival and his desire for power. He falls asleep on the day of the battle, and after arriving late to the battleground, goes and kills King Richard III. Hilarity ensues.

"The Black Adder" is an amazingly funny series, and this episode just show how good it is. Atkinson is at the top of his game, and all the cast is really good too. Some jokes are not very good, but in general the dialogue is top notch, and the jokes keep coming. All other aspects are also of good quality, but this is a show that centers on funny dialogues and general silliness, and there it more than covers the ground. And, just in case that wasn't enough, there are also some very funny references to Shakespeare's work.

On the eve of the Battle of Bosworth, young Lord Edmund makes himself known to King Richard III.

I enjoyed this for how it introduces the concept of Blackadder as a historical comedy, the many references to Shakespeare's Richard III and a several superb performances.

The plot is a clever retelling of an established history and an introduction to a number of funny characters who will take centre stage for the reminder of the series.

Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson's script includes lots of references to Shakespeare dialogue spoken in the context of comical situations. This works well as both historical and literary satire, but it requires a knowledge of the source material and an interest in the history it is lampooning to totally appreciate. Not all of the jokes land and this original incarnation of Blackadder leans as much towards silliness as he does darkness.

Most performances are excellent and the humour stems as much from the actors delivery than the material itself. Three wonderful comic artists in Rowan Atkinson, Peter Cook and Brian Blessed all stand out as being perfect for their roles.

It's interesting to see where the characters of Blackadder and Baldrick start from in this episode and series, as they go through dramatic changes as the show develops and Ben Elton joins Curtis in the writing team. When Elton joined, the material generally became more accessible and appealing to a wider audience, but this early series is a key starting point to what, in my opinion, became arguably the greatest BBC comedy of all time.

For me this is a 7.5/10, but I round upwards.

"Oi, that's my horse!!!"

The Blackadder series has improved over time, and this case is proved most strongly in the first series. The Foretelling was the first Blackadder episode ever made, and possibly the least funny. The Shakespearean parodies were slightly screwed up, and could have been funnier and more mocking of the Bard. But this is the only episode of Blackadder that really grips you, especially towards the end, and does have a sense of mystery to it. However, this only helps you wonder - are you watching a light British comedy, or a dark historical epic drama? It only serves to make this episode slightly less funny.

On the whole, this episode could have been worse, but should have been better. It should have got a mere 5 for funniness, but the effects are much better done in this series than any other Blackadder (especially Series 3) series, and on the whole, it does slightly mock its own scary scenes, with Edmund's stupidity and daft voice. I therefore give it a 7 out of 10. However, if you wish to watch Blackadder for a laugh, not its dark side, you'd be better watching a later episode.

Episode 1, Series 1 of The Black Adder starts the classic TV comedy in fine form with cunning Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh (Rowan Atkinson), arriving late for The Battle of Bosworth Field (having overslept), where he accidentally chops off the head of Richard III (Peter Cook) when he sees the king trying to take his horse.

This unfortunate incident turns out rather well for Edmund, who becomes the new prince of England when his father (Brian Blessed) is crowned as Richard III's successor. If only Richard's bloody ghost didn't keep popping up to torment him...

Atkinson's first starring role after the excellent satirical comedy Not The Nine O'Clock News, The Black Adder is the perfect character for the comedian, whose trademark gangly limbs, rubber face and versatile voice are used to maximum effect to bring slimy toad Edmund to life. Conniving, traitorous, and cowardly, he really is a thoroughly loathsome creature, but also extremely funny thanks to a wonderful script co-written by Atkinson and his old pal Richard Curtis (with a little help from a certain William Shakespeare).

This very entertaining first adventure, which boldly rewrites history, derives plenty of laughs through a slick combination of witty dialogue and slapstick gore, whilst also coining a few classic Blackadder catchphrases in the process ("I have a cunning plan"). The amazing thing is, as funny as this episode is, it's still not generally considered to be one of the best, which speaks volumes about the very high quality of the series as a whole!