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Dom Robinson reviews
- Cert:
- Cat.no: BBCDVD 1141
- Running time: 43 minutes
- Year: 1989
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)
- Chapters: 8
- Sound: Stereo
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Fullscreen: 4:3
- 16:9-enhanced: No
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £12.99
- Extras: None
Director:
- Richard Boden
Producer:
- John Lloyd
Screenplay:
- Richard Curtis and Ben Elton
Music:
- Howard Goodall
Cast:
- Blackadders: Rowan Atkinson
Baldricks: Tony Robinson
Queens Elizabeth I/Asphyxia XIX: Miranda Richardson
Lords Melchett/Frondo: Stephen Fry
Princes Regent/Pigmot: Hugh Laurie
Spirit of Christmas: Robbie Coltrane
Queen Victoria: Miriam Margolyes
Prince Albert: Jim Broadbent
Nursie/Bernard: Patsy Byrne
Beadle: Denis Lill
Mrs Scratchit: Pauline Melville
Lord Nelson: Philip Pope
Millicent: Nicola Bryant
Ralph: Ramsay Gilderdale
Enormous Orphans: David Barber, Erkan Mustafa and David Nunn
Blackadder’s Christmas Carolwas a long time coming to DVD, but worth the wait as Blackadder preparesfor the big day, while Baldrick can’t spell “Christmas” on the cards withany of the letters spelt correctly and his nativity play was a shambles dueto the high infant mortality rate signaling the end and not the beginningfor the baby Jesus.
Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) and Baldrick (Tony Robinson) didhave £17 and a penny to spend on the festive season, until Mrs Scratchit(Pauline Melville, Vyvyan’s mum inThe Young Ones)turned up with a tale of hardship and conned them into paying £17 fora box of matches, then a street urchin begged a penny off them. They soon losetheir presents to goddaughter Millicent (Nicola Bryant) and nutsto a bunch of greedy Enormous Orphans, one of which played by Grange Hill‘sRo-land, Erkan Mustafa. That just leaves the turkey… and a visitfrom Queen Victoria (Miriam Margolyes) and Prince Albert (Jim Broadbent).
Then, in a series of three visions from the Spirit of Christmas (RobbieColtrane), Blackadder gets to see how being bad can actually be quitegood when he’s shown how Blackadder II, Blackadder III and a futuristicalternative get to spend their yuletide, all featuring the usual suspects,Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Patsy Byrne asNursie and Who Dares Wins‘ Philip Pope Lord Horatio Nelson.
The picture is as good as the third and fourth in the DVD series. There areno visible print scratches but it can occasionally look a little soft.The soundtrack is in stereo like the last disc, but again it’s purelyfunctional, giving clear dialogue.
Just a mere 8 chapters are here for this special, the menus are silent andstatic, there are English subtitles and as for the extras… Bah humbug! Sodall there. Why do the BBC get so selective with these? A few DVDs get loadswhile most others, particularly back catalogue titles, get nothing.
Given that all we have here is a single episode – and “Scene Selection” isNOT an extra, BBC, this should’ve been an extra itself on one of the previousDVDs.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
0OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.