The first series suffers only in comparison. It's still damn funny.

What an unqualified joy this series this is.

NOT CRAP

fry and laurie is also pretty great.

I completely loved it and own the 4-series box set, which I still watch from time to time.

Even the first series was not too bad, in my book, although it does pale in comparison to the rest.

The WWI series at the end left all the others far behind, anyway. Especially the final episode - a masterful blend of absurd humour and a grim historical setting.

"Was it because Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry?"

Genius.

Also, Blackadder went on to inspire a sublime knock-off on Serb TV: Crna Gruja - basically the same Blackadder concept with a master and his two dim-witted servants, this time set in 1804 on the eve of the Serb revolution against the Ottomans. I learned more BKS from that one than anywhere else.

Genius comedy

I thought the entire series was fantastic.

Sure he was annoying in the first season, but I thought the whole concept behind the show was that each season, he was reborn into a lower station in society, but he also became more and more intelligent, witty and self-possessed. And more bitter, of course.

This show was awesome. The first season is single handedly saved by the force of life that is brian blessed. The rest is just good writing. And second season accomplished the impossible feat of making rowan atkinson almost seem attractive:

rowr

Unbelievably funny show, based on the few viewings I've had of it.