The BBC's acclaimed Horrible Histories series are firm favourites in many households, ours included. The TV show elevates the source material – Terry Deary's acclaimed series of best-selling books – to new levels, with absurdist, character-driven humour derived from decades of sketch show comedies like Monty Python, The Fast Show and Blackadder.
The end results are rightly lauded and stand up to repeated viewing by both adults and children alike, with layered humour that offers nudges and winks to parental memories without losing sight of the facts and the "horror".
This new DVD packages a couple of recent CBBC specials, Ridiculous Romance and Frightful First World War, using the usual mix of inspired satire and inventive juxtapositions as a way of sneaking in the facts. It’s a testament to the writing that the show appeals strongly to both older (Toby, ten) and younger (Pippa, seven) children for different reasons – the slapstick, crudity and sophisticated references is mixed to perfection.
If there was one criticism from the children, it’s that the featured sketches and shows on the DVD have cropped up many times before on iPlayer, so the idea of a standalone DVD version was greeted with slight bemusement.
Nevertheless, if you’re after a gift with a entertainment and educational value, The Specials ticks all the boxes.
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Horrible Histories - The Specials [DVD]