I found Blackadder to be the most consistently funny comedy series ever. It always gets laughs through sophisticated and intelligent writing rather than slapstick, and that's what makes it so timeless to me. Despite using the same four or five actors throughout each series, they are all flexible enough to prortray a range of characters, each one as effective as the last.

Things about Blackadder does well:

• Irony is usually funny or trajic, but Blackadder always makes it funny.
• Tieing in historical events, then ridiculing them (like the guy who wrote the dictionary - and Blackadder making up words that the guy left out).
• Making fun of stupidity. Like a 21st century man stuck in caveman times, Blackadder is surrounded by idiocy, and he knows it.
• Blackadder proves once and for all that sarcasm is the mother of all wit!
• Being able to wring so many hilarious jokes out of someone being called Darling. Sheer genius!