goes forth goes forth fourth final series bbc sitcom written aired september november bbc series placed recurring characters george trench flanders world war followed doomed attempts escape trenches avoid certain death command general series particularly noted criticism british_army leadership campaign refers number famous figures age addition series remembered poignant ending final episode despite initial concerns comedy series events series won widespread acclaim release won regarded classic television sitcom placed 16th industry professionals list compiled historians criticized presenting view war reinforcing popular notion lions led scenario goes forth set western trenches world war captain professional soldier british_army outbreak great war enjoyed relatively action free existence fighting natives usually feet tall armed dried grass finding trapped trenches big push planned concern avoid sent certain death series chronicles attempts escape trenches schemes fail bad fortune general incompetence comrades aforementioned comrades second command upper class lieutenant george profoundly stupid batman private germans remain generally unseen exception private plane means escape trenches come form superior eccentric general rallies troops french miles bureaucratic assistant captain despite equal rank treats contempt line folding general animosity mutual largely result exploiting comic potential surname opportunity themes goes forth satirical tone previous series taking opportunity present anti war message dialogue marked satirical nature war origins effects soldiers suffered course fact soldiers suffered whilst commanders remained safely distant action referenced occasions says don worry boy remember captain responds yes miles episode corporal punishment shooting food carrier turns pet saying men killed week going miss episode sees sentenced death firing squad act reflecting harsh dealt laws war dictatorship higher ranking officers lower ranking private plane receiving word killed shot german lines tries cheer george showing life size model measuring seventeen square feet land recaptured british commentary high human cost small physical gains achieved attacks middle years war later episode describes great war war damn sight simpler stayed england shot thousand men week field marshal sir orders alleged resulted hundreds thousands british deaths continually referenced describes attempts advance effort drinks cabinet inches closer berlin scene parodies professional abilities depicting playing toy soldiers sweeps trench trench rubbish listening plea big push telephone series recalls number famous historical events war christmas truce recalls event sides advanced christmas half years war references popular culture era previous series episode private plane sees return characters lord bob second series episode bells appearance famous flying ace baron plot thread episode major star involves dislike silent film star finds funny getting arrow neck finding gas bill tied fifth episode anti german sentiment britain war repeatedly referenced general orders find leak secret battle plans immediately erroneously german spy later discovered inadvertently takes chance captain denies spy says british queen_victoria replies father german half german married german references fact victoria member husband prince victoria grandson king george changed royal house windsor effort british nationalist feelings final episode series true series usual comedy style preceding scenes known featuring highly dramatic poignant final scene main characters general finally sent sound slow minimal piano version title theme seen slow motion charging fog smoke man land gunfire explosions scene fades footage sunny poppy field sound fate left ambiguous final line charge unusually reflective sentimental tone offered claims plan save impending doom episodes series aired episodes broadcast bbc september november ending days remembrance day titles episodes captain cook corporal punishment major star private plane general hospital based pairing military rank word related episode content final episode title period song production writing rehearsals writers wrote scripts episodes separately word swapped containing scripts add remove jokes dialogue curtis recalls stuck policy removed line funny rehearsals script discussed cast having final content comic writers performers having worked previous series afraid question script suggestions example captain originally called captain renamed recalled boy school surname found constant embarrassment curtis recalls initially reluctant change considered joke speaking times ending curtis hinted collaborative writing process caused tensions cast everybody thinks good jokes despite fact think good ones start usually end funnier time control years curtis recalled documentary rides literally sit entire time discussing script stood tried act script find things stated opening allowed cast question aspect script rides likewise recalls script meetings uncomfortable reserved speaking script rehearsals interview daily_telegraph suggests relations actors generally bad feeling writers performers writers felt altering script altering worse end day rehearsals writers away time came changed awful lot end felt run away lot emotions flashing producer speaking times hinted draining scripting rehearsal process led writers deciding series things tense end series involved thing clever funny want push scripts exhausting process end swear start think rare good people room talk series casting reprised roles respectively returned play fourth series enlarged principal cast series include general captain appeared guest roles appeared regularly cast appeared episode fourth series episode feature guest appearances captain cook played elizabeth second series appeared guest role episode series guest performances actors reprised characters played earlier series performers played minor roles prior series appeared briefly fourth series taping series television programmes britain transmitted stereo sound digital system viewers afford able receive location standard audio carrier signal series directed interior scenes shot live studio audience recalls studio shooting present problems sitcom tradition strange performing camera audience time thing held words phrases catch particular remember episode going lot line like problem floor manager suggested instead said buildup final episode began psychologically experience character speaking recalled remember weeks leading day recording final episode went time acting career knowing rest episode usual standard funny sitcom self deep twist stomach week thinking character doomed peculiar sure character actors feel time obviously trying feel character dilemma going experience fictional feelings real felt swept title sequence series little external shooting achieve flying sequences episode private plane footage film aces high edited dubbed actors voices challenging scene shoot final sequence recorded separate studio set away audience rigged special effects simulate battlefield viewing original studio rushes 20th anniversary documentary recalls originally final scene embarrassing actors run reached barbed wire camera pretend die effect described somewhat post production final effect achieved running video audio slow motion fading video set appear characters disappeared image barren landscape faded image poppy field found bbc picture library titles music theme melody variation theme opening title images george men past plays triangle title music starts opening bars british familiar theme closing credits theme plays visuals armed men marching parade ground sequences filmed recorded location production members represent men reproduction world war uniforms battalion band providing music titles presented static instead rolled previous series crew credits presented pseudo military fashion example designer credited hull opening sequence filmed colour closing sequence treated post production appear toned imitation era closing titles simply fading protagonists charging man land fire field sunlight reference poem flanders fields flower symbolic significance music changed slow solo piano arrangement finishing strong bass drum notes sound effects gunshot later 25th anniversary special interview stated production team intended ending idea scene fading poppy field conceived cast stated reluctance second reception subject book great war small screen noted contemporary reviewers felt topic world war inappropriate comedy series newspaper critic uncertain writers motives series justified tragic situations comedy merely entertainment value uncle historian unhappy considered insulting portrayal army worth noting later took view satire drawn great respect certainly issue series subject matter concern producers recalled interview poignant ending final episode written counter possibility criticism subject inappropriate comedy noted public accepted series speaking filming remarked despite 20th century setting trenches particularly series wanted place time reproduce certain extent medieval england best way set middle war writer said writing series writers read number books war decided world war particularly subject situation comedy finding actually lead world war funny people coming communities people optimistic pages book world war hilarious course everybody dies assessing series suggests characterisation sense danger prevented sitcom subject matter prospect characters suddenly dying violent death provided constant source tension gags killed end final episode result unexpectedly moving programme later repeated wholly armistice day programme batting awards series won addition performance captain won best light entertainment performance series placed 16th industry professionals list compiled championed series came second bbc poll find britain best sitcom votes legacy academics noted television series view war public perception world war calling common british view war history military historian commented book western fact turned line script carry weight scholarly world trends television programmes war remarked goes forth popular comedy series subject particular criticism historians remarking series consciously traded piece history western influential draw surprising degree angry criticism professional historians result noted essay television drama world war goes forth teaching aid schools secondary text analysed discussed reliability parody conditions world war media releases available variety distributed dvd vhs video releases individual series series addition audio version created soundtrack available cassette seasons christmas special available download itunes complete scripts television series released damn dynasty later reissued vhs releases dvd releases
Blackadder Goes Forth