Friday, 29 May 2020

Best of Blackadder

Rowan Atkinson plays the different incarnations of the scheming Edmund Blackadder. As always by his side is Tony Robinson's Baldrick who always has a cunning plan for every dire situation they get into. Here are the 10 best episodes.

1. Sense and Senilty

In order to improve Prince (Hugh Laurie) George's public image hires 2 actors to coach the Regent in public speaking but Edmund falls out with them. So he mentions the Scottish play a lot.

2. Beer

Edmund accepts a challenge from Lord (Stephen Fry) Melchettt over who would win a drinking contest, Though there are 2 problems, Blackadder's puritan Aunt and Uncle are coming to visit him on the night of  the contest.

3. Blackadder's Christmas Carol

The Dicken's classic is given a twist as the Ghost of (Robbie Coltrane) Christmas  Past a kinder Blackadder what horrors his ancestors were. It has the opposite effect.

4. Captain Cook

Eager to avoid the big push against Germen lines answers a call for artists. 2 problems, he does not have any talent and the post is not what it seems.

5. Potato

Blackadder has a bet with Francis (Simon Jones) Drake. To win it he recruits an old sea dog played by Tom Baker who is legless in more than one sense.

6. Dish and Dishonesty

New Prime Minister Pitt the Younger vows to cut Prince George's finances. So Blackadder concocts a plan to make Baldrick a MP but as usual things do not go to plan.

7. Head

Given the role of executing The Queen's enemies Blackadder tries to quicken things up so he can have some spare time.  But problems arise when the wife of one prisoner is given permission to see her husband one last time. Trouble is he may have already been beheaded.

8. Amy and Amiablity

Cash is running low in The Prince Regent's household. Blackadder tries to marry him off failing that Edmund becomes a high way man only to find he has a rival.

9. The Archbishop

The Ding (as played by Brian Blessed) declares his son Edmund to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury. He does not in particular when 2 knights come to kill him.

10. General Hospital

Sent to s field hospital to find a Germen spy but finds himself falling for an nurse played by Miranda Richardson. But is she what she seems?

Monday, 25 May 2020

By any other name

On Today's BBC Breakfast there was a discussion the Dominic Cummings lockdown breaking incident. billed as political writer for The Daily Mail. Hodges then corrected the presenter by saying he worked for The Mail on Sunday. The same thing happened a few weeks ago, this time with Peter Hitchens. Is the name power of The Daily Mail so huge that no one takes notice of it's Sunday sister?

Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Slim pickings

2 shows into the latest run of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? and 6 contestants have taken on the challenge. And 4 of them have won a thousand pounds each. This is less than half of what the average Tipping Point winner wins. There are rumours that a contestant will face the million pound question thereby saving the producers from having even more red faces.

Friday, 8 May 2020

The guard out in force

This weekend marks 75 years of VE-Day. Among the offerings TV viewers are getting are different versions of the sit com Dad's Army. Tonight on ITV the 2016 film version which got a mixed response from critics. And on Saturday night BBC 1 is showing what many considered to be the show's best episode Deadly Attachment in which our hapless heroes find themselves guarding captured U-Boat crew members which leads to one of the show's most famous moments.

Friday, 1 May 2020

Trolls World War

Fluffy CG toon film Trolls World  Tour has caused a bit of a fuss. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic Universal the studio behind the film decided to release the film onto digital platforms. Only they did not tell cinema owners until the last moment. Adding more fuel was comments by an Universal executive saying other films could have release patterns in line with Trolls World Tour. This has led to 2 North American chains AMC and Regal saying they will not screen Universal films if this came to pass. Many eyes are watching the situation.