It’s a hilarious take on “A Christmas Carol” and for those who are wanting a holiday comedy to laugh and enjoy during the holidays!
Click here to watch or purchase on Amazon
TITLE: Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
FILM YEAR: 1988
DURATION: 42 Minutes
COMPANY: BBC
Based on the short story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
Directed by Richard Boden
Written by Richard Curtis, Ben Elton
Produced by John Lloyd
Music by Howard Goodall
Edited by Chris Wadsworth
Production Design by Antony Thorpe
Costume Design by Richard Croft
Starring:
Rowan Atkinson as Blackadders
Tony Robinson as Baldricks
Miranda Richardson as Queens Elizabeth I/Asphyxia XIX
Stephen Fry as Lords Melchett/Frondo
Hugh Laurie as Princes Regent/Pigmot
Robbie Coltrane as Spirit of Christmas
Miriam Margolyes as Queen Victoria
Jim Broadbesnt as Prince Albert
A special festive edition of the comedy classic that see’s the Victorian Blackadder, and his not so trusty sidekick Baldrick, visit his Elizabethan and Regency ancestors as well as his future relatives in a clever spoof of the Charles Dickens’ novel.
For day 49, the popular BBC show starring Rowan Atkinson titled “Blackadder” had a special TV movie titled “Blackadder’s Christmas Carol” which was shown before Christmas back in 1988.
The movie is directed by Richard Boden and written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. The film stars Rowan Atkinson (“Johnny English” films, “Bean”), Tony Robinson (“Maid Marian and Her Merry Men”, “The NeverEnding Story III”), Miranda Richardson (“The Crying Game”, “The Hours”, “Spider”), Stephen Fry (“Gosford Park”, “V for Vendetta”), Hugh Laurie (“House”, “Tomorrowland”, “Flight of the Phoenix”), Robbie Coltrane (“Harry Potter” films, “Cracker”, “The World is Not Enough”), Miriam Margolyes (“Romeo + Juliet”, “The Age of Innocence”), Jim Broadbent (“Moulin Rouge!”, “Gangs of New York”), Patsy Byrne (“Les Miserables”, “Watching”) and more.
For those not familiar with “Blackadder”, this is a comedy that aired on BBC1 from 1983-1989 and was a series of four periods of British history beginning in 1485 and ending in 1917.
The series focuses on Edmund Blackadder (portrayed by Rowin Atkinson), a member of the Blackadder dynasty and his inept servant, Baldrick (portrayed by Tony Robinson). Blackadder is often scheming, quite clever and very manipulative.
For “Blackadder’s Christmas Carol” is a parody of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” (which is set between “Blackadder the Third” and “Blackadder Goes Forth”) and Ebenezer Blackadder is a Victorian proprietor of a “moustache shop” and is known as the nicest man in England. Often sensitive to the needs of others but quite often people visit before Christmas and take advantage of his kindness.
And we see Mrs. Scratchit taking all of his hardearned money, his god-daughter Millicent taking all the presents under the Christmas tree and a beadle taking his food leaving him with nothing for Christmas. But Blackadder keeps a positive attitude.
While asleep, the Spirit of Christmas (portrayed by Robbie Coltrane) wants to congratulate him on his kindness during the holidays. The spirit shares how Blackadder ancestors were during the holidays, but seeing scheming, manipulative and clever ancestors, he begins to admire them. He also sees Blackadder from the distant future.
But the point of the Spirit of Christmas was to show Ebenezer Blackadder of how he is much better than other Blackadders, it actually makes him feel that “the bad guys have all the fun” and changes his ways and literally becomes the Scrooge that we are familiar with.
For the most part, this special is vintage “Blackadder” at its best. The comedy of Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson is entertaining and also fun to watch. But what was interesting was to see this parody of “A Christmas Carol” but how things worked in reverse for Scrooge. Being the kindhearted guy who is always taken advantage of to becoming a “Scrooge” and bitter and vengeful on Christmas day.
It’s a hilarious take on “A Christmas Carol” and for those who are wanting a holiday comedy to laugh and enjoy during the holidays!
