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It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2009 Quick Stop Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make your holiday purchases - it’s appreciated!)

I’ve banged on about for years, and I’m going to keep going virtual door to virtual door until the word gets out about Qi. If you’ve never heard of the UK quiz program Qi, you’re missing out on one of the funniest “educational” shows ever devised (the devisee being creator/producer John Lloyd, formerly of Blackadder, Not The Nine O’Clock News, and Spitting Image). The key to Qi (which stands for “Quite Interesting...

I am an anglophile. I will own up to that straight out of the gate. I grew up watching every BBC program offered by my local PBS station. That’s how I came to start my lifelong relationship with Monty Python. That’s where my fascination with Red Dwarf began. That’s how I came across Rowan Atkinson’s gem of a series Black Adder. Brit humor fans click to find more after the jump.

I was shocked, utterly dismayed actually, by the number of my friends who consider themselves pop culture princes and princesses and yet weren’t familiar with the masterpiece that is Black Adder. For those similarly uninitiated, Black Adder encompasses four series, each series containing six episodes a piece. Each series is set in a specific time period and follows the Blackadder that lives during that age. While the exact characters differ between series the actor and name stays consistent.

Chicago – Legendary TV shows deserve legendary DVD sets and the “Ultimate Edition” release for the beloved “Blackadder” truly lives up to the often over-used “ultimate” title. Giving fans everything “Adder”-related that they could possibly ask for, this is the perfect gift this holiday season for fans of British television.

DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0

The glorious six-disc set for “Blackadder” includes every episode of the show digitally restored from the original program masters plus a host of all-new bonus features.

Blackadder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition was released on DVD on October 20th, 2009.

Photo credit: BBC Home Video

Starring Rowan Atkinson (“Bean”), Hugh Laurie (“House”), Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Miranda Richardson, and more, the four-series program is a classic in England and has a legion of fans here in the States, and this set is good enough to make a few new “Adder”-holics on either side of the pond.

Each...

If it doesn’t already, it should sadden you that Rowan Atkinson’s most well known role is Mr. Bean. Sure, attempting to remove your underwear in public has its comedic merit, but only if you’ve never seen Atkinson’s stupendously idiotic turn as the self-appointed Black Adder in the times of olde. The series spans different eras with each of the seasons taking place in a new one. Then, to further the adventures of the unfortunately inept title character, three of the specials created after the series’ conclusion are included on their own disc. It’s not the first “all inclusive” set to be released but it does a good job rounding up most of the extras that have been created for the show over time – though true Black Adder connoisseurs will notice that some of the smaller events (The Shakespeare Sketch in 1989 or the theatrical show Blackadder:...

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision - and that’s the case with Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 Srp) and Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered (BBC,...