The War to End All Wars Will Be Televised

As I write this on 11/11/11, we honor the men and women who have given some part of their lives and perhaps even their entire life in military service. And while it's clearly proper to honor all veterans today, it’s also appropriate to remember the historically roots of the holiday as Armistice day, commemorating the end of hostilities in World War One on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Because the impact of “the war to end all wars” on America was relatively modest compared to both our allies and enemies, it’s hardly surprising that it doesn’t hold the same place in our national psyche as other conflicts.

However, in Britain, which lost hundreds of thousands of men, this conflict seems to have much more resonance as shown by its portrayal on television. Having the privilege of being paid to watch British TV for a living, I’ve seen quite a few on-screen depictions of the First World War. Among the most powerful was 1979’s Testament of Youth which aired on Masterpiece Theatre and recounted the true-life experiences of Vera Brittain, who not only served as a nurse in hospitals that attended to the war wounded but also lost her fiancé to the war.

Perhaps the true mark of the war’s impact, though, is seen in the way it’s depicted in two decidedly lighter programs, Upstairs Downstairs and Black Adder. In Upstairs Downstairs, both the aristocratic James Bellamy and the family’s footman Edward Barnes are wounded, and it’s no surprise that the depiction of their hurt is quite affecting. The treatment in Black Adder, on the other hand, would probably surprise people.

Though Black Adder is mostly known (and loved) for its parodies of historical settings, this edition managed to tread the line between the comic and the tragic better than any TV program since the early years of M*A*S*H. Like M*A*S*H, Blackadder Goes Forth uses comedy to depict the folly not just of one particular conflict but also war in general, exemplified by this exchange between Captain Blackadder and Private Baldrick in the final episode.

Captain Blackadder: You see, Baldrick, in order to prevent war in Europe, two superblocs developed: us, the French and the Russians on one side, and the Germans and Austro-Hungary on the other. The idea was to have two vast opposing armies, each acting as the other's deterrent. That way there could never be a war.

Private Baldrick: But, this is a sort of a war, isn't it, sir?

Captain Blackadder: Yes, that's right. You see, there was a tiny flaw in the plan.

Private Baldrick: What was that, sir?

Captain Blackadder: It was bollocks.

The episode ends with Blackadder and Baldrick going over the top to presumably meet the same fate that over 600,000 other British men did. It remains one of the BBC’s finest hours (or rather half-hours) and a textbook example of how comedies can deal with serious topics without sacrificing their central mission to entertain.