Books : Blackadder's Christmas Carol: Includes Comic Relief Blackadder - The Cavalier Years (BBC Radio Collection)

Rating: - A cracking festive helping of Britain's finest comedy.
Messers Elton and Curtis serve up a festive edition of the nations favourite sardonic, scheming and manipulative rogue, only this time he's an all round nice bloke. It's Christmas Eve and want is keenly felt, but unlike his self-centred ancestors, Ebeneezer Blackadder is the most benevolent man in old London town. Even the exploitation of his boundless generousity by Mrs Cratchitt (who's son 'Tiny' Tom should, the later-transformed Blackadder suggests, be scooped out and used as a houseboat), loathsome niece Millicent et al cannot dampen this paragon of altruism's good cheer. But in a twist on Dickens' classic tale, the arrival of the oversized Robbie Coltrane as the ghost of Christmas, sees the hero transformed from loveable philanthropist to loathsome misanthropist, serving up the kind of scathing character we all know and love -Great! Visions from Elizabeth's court and Prince George's home awaken him to the profit to be made from being a selfish 'git' in the mould of his forefathers, and Mr Baldrick is bound to suffer for this change. Blackadder's Christmas Carol, though not of the consistent quality of many of the episodes from the full series, does not fail to amuse. It contains several of the classic one liners and put downs that Captain Blackadder would have been proud of, and there's a hilarious paucine version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (or Mr Blackadder in this case) which stirs the transformed hero's loathsome nature into memorable disgust. This is well worth a look, or listen, whether at the festive season or not. A must for the ardent fan.