Blackadder

''Blackadder'' is a series of four period British sitcoms - ''The Black Adder'', '' Blackadder II'', '' Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' - plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired on BBC1 from 1983 to 1989. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the antihero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick. Each series was set in a different historical period, with the two protagonists accompanied by different characters, though several reappear in one series or another, e.g., Tim McInnerny as Percy and Darling, Stephen Fry as Melchett, and Hugh Laurie as George.

The first series was written by Richard Curtis and Atkinson, while the subsequent three series were written by Curtis and Ben Elton. All four series were produced by John Lloyd. In 2000, ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' ranked at 16 in the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, a list created by the British Film Institute. In a 2001 poll by Channel 4, Edmund Blackadder was ranked third on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. In the 2004 TV poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom, ''Blackadder'' (all four series combined) was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time, topped by ''Only Fools and Horses''. It was also ranked as the ninth-best TV show of all time by ''Empire'' magazine in 2009. Atkinson said ''Blackadder'' is "the thing he found the least stressful" to do.

Premise

Each series comprises six half-hour episodes and is set in a different period of British history. The first series, made in 1983, was titled ''The Black Adder'' and was set in the fictional reign of " Richard IV". The second series, '' Blackadder II'' (1986), was set during the reign of Elizabeth I. '' Blackadder the Third'' (1987) was set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries during the reign of George III. ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' (1989) was set in 1917 in the trenches of the Great War.

''Blackadder'' follows the misfortunes of Edmund Blackadder (played by Atkinson). It is implied in each series that the Blackadder character is a descendant of the previous one. The end theme lyrics of the series 2 episode "Head" specify that he is the great-grandson of the previous incarnation, although it is never specified how or when any of the Blackadders (who are usually bachelors) manage to father children.. Retrieved 25 July 2010

In series 1, Edmund Blackadder is not particularly bright, and is much the intellectual inferior of his servant, Baldrick (played by Tony Robinson). However, in subsequent series, the positions are reversed: Blackadder is clever, shrewd, scheming and manipulative while Baldrick is extremely dim.

Each incarnation of Blackadder and Baldrick is also saddled with tolerating the presence of a dimwitted aristocrat. In the first two series, this is Percy, played by Tim McInnerny. Hugh Laurie plays the role in the third and fourth series, as George. Characters of a higher organisational standing, such as Stephen Fry's Melchett in series 2 and 4, and McInnerny's other character, Darling, in series 4, provide antagonistic figures for Blackadder to deal with.

Episodes

Series 1: ''The Black Adder''

''The Black Adder'', the first series of ''Blackadder'', was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson and produced by John Lloyd, who would also produce the subsequent three series. It originally aired on BBC1 from 15 June to 20 July 1983, and was a joint production with the Australian Seven Network.

Set in 1485 at the end of the British Middle Ages, the series is written as an alternative history in which Richard III won the Battle of Bosworth Field only to be mistaken for someone else and assassinated, and is succeeded by Richard IV (Brian Blessed), one of the Princes in the Tower. The series follows the exploits of Richard IV's unfavoured second son Prince Edmund, the Duke of Edinburgh (who calls himself "The Black Adder") (played by Atkinson) in his various attempts to increase his standing with his father and his eventual quest to overthrow him. Other regular characters in this series are Edmund's mother Gertrude, Queen of Flanders ( Elspet Gray), his brother Harry, Prince of Wales ( Robert East), his sidekick Lord Percy Percy, the Duke of Northumberland ( Tim McInnerny), and his squire Baldrick ( Tony Robinson). Guest appearances in this series include Peter Cook as King Richard III, Russell Enoch as the Duke of Winchester, Miriam Margolyes as the Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain (with Jim Broadbent as her interpreter), Frank Finlay as the Witchsmeller Pursuivant, Valentine Dyall as Lord Angus, Stephen Frost and Mark Arden as guards, and Rik Mayall as Mad Gerald.

Conceived while Atkinson and Curtis were working on ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'', the series dealt comically with a number of aspects of medieval life in Britain: witchcraft, royal succession, European relations, the Crusades, and the conflict between the Church and the Crown. Along with the secret history, many historical events portrayed in the series were anachronistic (for example, Constantinople had already fallen to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, predating the events in the episode by 32 years); this dramatic license would continue in the subsequent three ''Blackadder'' series. The filming of the series was highly ambitious, with a large cast and much location shooting. The series also featured Shakespearean dialogue, often adapted for comic effect; the end credits featured the words "Additional Dialogue by William Shakespeare".

Series 2: ''Blackadder II''

''Blackadder II'', the second series of ''Blackadder'', was written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, the team who would also write the subsequent two series, and originally aired on BBC1 from 9 January to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), often referred to as "Queenie", who is portrayed by Miranda Richardson. The principal character is Edmund, Lord Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), the great-grandson of the original Black Adder. During the series, he regularly deals with the Queen, her obsequious Lord Chamberlain Lord Melchett (Stephen Fry; his rival for the Queen's affections), his friend Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny) and the Queen's demented former nanny Nursie ( Patsy Byrne). Tony Robinson returned as Blackadder's servant Baldrick. Guest appearances in the series include Tom Baker as Captain Redbeard Rum, Simon Jones as Sir Walter Raleigh, Ronald Lacey as the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and Miriam Margoyles as Blackadder's aunt, Lady Whiteadder. The series also features two appearances by Hugh Laurie (as Simon Partridge, a friend of Blackadder's, in the episode "Beer", and as Prince Ludwig the Indestructible in the series' finale "Chains"), a returning Rik Mayall, this time as Lord Flashheart, and the first appearance of Gabrielle Glaister as Kate/"Bob" (a young woman who pretends to be a boy in order to achieve a well-paying job).

Following the BBC's request for improvements (and a severe budget reduction), several changes were made. Ben Elton joined Richard Curtis as co-writer - they would remain ''Blackadders writers from this series onwards - and this second series was the first to establish the familiar Blackadder character: cunning, shrewd and witty, in sharp contrast to the first series' bumbling Prince Edmund. To reduce the cost of production, it was shot with virtually no outdoor scenes (the first series was shot largely on location) and several frequently used indoor sets, such as the Queen's throne room and Blackadder's front room.

A quote from this series ranked number three in a list of the top 25 television "putdowns" of the last 40 years by the ''Radio Times'' magazine: "The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr. Brain has long since departed, hasn't he, Percy?"

Series 3: ''Blackadder the Third''

''Blackadder the Third'', the third series of ''Blackadder'', originally aired on BBC1 from 17 September to 22 October 1987. The series is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. In the series, Mr. Edmund Blackadder Esquire (Rowan Atkinson) is a butler to George IV, who at this time is the Prince Regent, played by Hugh Laurie as a buffoonish fop. Despite Edmund's respected intelligence and abilities, he has no personal fortune to speak of, apart from his frequently fluctuating wage packet from the Prince (“If I’m running short of cash, all I have to do is go upstairs and ask Prince Fathead for a raise”), and from (it seems) stealing the Prince's socks and selling them off. As usual, Blackadder also has his own servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson). The episode titles were puns on Jane Austen’s novels ''Sense and Sensibility'' and ''Pride and Prejudice''.

Along with Atkinson, Robinson, and Laurie, this series also starred Helen Atkinson-Wood as Mrs. Miggins. The series features Dr. Samuel Johnson (Robbie Coltrane); William Pitt the Younger (Simon Osborne); the French Revolution (with Chris Barrie, Tim McInnerny as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and Nigel Planer); hammy theatrical actors ( Kenneth Connor and Hugh Paddick); Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( Jim Sweeney); Shelley ( Lee Cornes); Lord Byron ( Steve Steen); Amy Hardwood (aka "The Shadow") (Miranda Richardson); and the Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry).

Series 4: ''Blackadder Goes Forth''

''Blackadder Goes Forth'', the fourth and final series of ''Blackadder'', originally aired on BBC1 from 28 September to 2 November 1989. This series is set in 1917, on the Western Front of the First World War. Another "big push" is planned, and Captain Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) has one goal - to avoid being killed - but his schemes always land him back in the trenches. Blackadder is joined by his batman Private S. Baldrick (Tony Robinson) and idealistic Edwardian twit Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie). General Melchett (Stephen Fry) rallies his troops from a French château from the front, where he is aided and abetted by his assistant, Captain Kevin Darling (Tim McInnerny), pencil-pusher supreme and Blackadder's nemesis, whose last name is played on for maximum comedic value. Guest appearances in this series include Stephen Frost as the leader of a firing squad detail, Miranda Richardson as Nurse Mary Fletcher-Brown, two further appearances of Gabrielle Glaister as "Bob" (in this series, a young woman who pretends to be a boy in order to join the army), Rik Mayall as Royal Flying Corps Squadron Commander The Lord Flasheart, Adrian Edmondson as Baron Manfred von Richthofen (aka "The Red Baron"), and Geoffrey Palmer as Field Marshal Douglas Haig.

The series' tone is somewhat darker than the previous three series; it details the privations of trench warfare as well as the incompetence and life-wasting strategies of the top brass. For example, Baldrick is reduced to cooking rats and making coffee from mud, while General Melchett hatches a plan for the troops to walk very slowly toward the German lines, because "it'll be the last thing Fritz will expect."

The final episode, "Goodbyeee", is known for being extraordinarily poignant for a comedy – especially the final scene, which sees four of the five main characters (Blackadder, Baldrick, George, and Darling) finally going " over the top" and charging off into the fog and smoke of no man's land, presumably to die. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000 and voted for by industry professionals, ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' was placed 16th.

Specials

Pilot episode

A pilot episode of ''The Black Adder'' was shot in 1982, but was never broadcast on TV until 15 June 2023, when it was shown as part of an 80-minute UKTV Gold documentary titled ''Blackadder: The Lost Pilot'', hosted by Sir Tony Robinson and featuring interviews with Ben Elton and Richard Curtis. Prior to this, only brief clips had been seen, as parts of the 2008 25th anniversary documentaries ''Blackadder Rides Again'' (shown on BBC1) and ''Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga'' (shown on Dave). One notable difference in the pilot, as in many pilots, is the casting. Baldrick is played not by Tony Robinson, but by Philip Fox. Another significant difference is that the character of Prince Edmund presented in the pilot is much closer to the intelligent, conniving Blackadder of the later series than the snivelling, weak buffoon of the original. Set in the year 1582, the script of the pilot is roughly the same as the episode " Born to Be King", albeit with some different jokes and some lines appearing in other episodes of the series.

''Blackadder: The Cavalier Years''

This special, set in the English Civil War, was shown as part of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day on Friday 5 February 1988. The 15-minute episode is set in November 1648, during the last days of the Civil War. Sir Edmund Blackadder and his servant, Baldrick, are the last two men loyal to the defeated King Charles I of England (played by Stephen Fry), portrayed as a soft-spoken, ineffective, naive character, with the voice and mannerisms of Charles I's namesake, the then Prince of Wales (now Charles III). However, owing to a misunderstanding between Oliver Cromwell (guest-star Warren Clarke) and Baldrick, the King is arrested and sent to the Tower of London. The rest of the episode revolves around Blackadder's attempts to save the King as well as improve his own standing.

''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''

The second special was broadcast on Friday 23 December 1988. In a twist on Charles Dickens' ''A Christmas Carol'', Ebenezer Blackadder is the "kindest and loveliest" man in England. The Spirit of Christmas shows Blackadder the contrary antics of his ancestors and descendants, and reluctantly informs him that if he turns evil his descendants will enjoy power and fortune, while if he remains the same a future Blackadder will live shamefully subjugated to a future incompetent Baldrick. This remarkable encounter causes him to proclaim, "Bad guys have all the fun", and adopt the personality with which viewers are more familiar.

''Blackadder: Back & Forth''

''Blackadder: Back & Forth'' was originally shown in the Millennium Dome in 2000, followed by a screening on Sky One in the same year (and later on BBC1). It is set on the turn of the millennium, and features Lord Blackadder placing a bet with his friends – modern versions of Queenie (Miranda Richardson), Melchett (Stephen Fry), George (Hugh Laurie) and Darling (Tim McInnerny) – that he has built a working time machine. While this is intended as a clever con trick, the machine surprisingly works, sending Blackadder and Baldrick back to the Cretaceous period, where they manage to cause the extinction of the dinosaurs through the use of Baldrick's best-worst-and-only pair of underpants as a weapon against a hungry T. Rex. Finding that Baldrick has forgotten to write dates on the machine's dials, the rest of the film follows their attempts to find their way back to 1999, often creating huge historical anomalies in the process that must be corrected before the end. Rik Mayall appears as Robin Hood, and the film also includes cameo appearances from Kate Moss and Colin Firth.

''The Big Night In''

Broadcast in 2020 as part of Children in Need and Comic Relief's joint special '' The Big Night In'' during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fry resumed the role of Lord Melchett (an intellectually-brilliant version), Head of the Royal Household, under lockdown at Melchett Manor, to help Prince William deal with educating his children via Zoom and discussing '' Tiger King'', before they both step outside to clap for the National Health Service. Melchett is said to be isolating with Lord Blackadder, both grandsons to their First World War counterparts.

Live stage performances

In 1998, as part of Prince Charles' 50th Birthday Gala televised on ITV, Atkinson appeared as a Restoration Blackadder reading aloud a letter to the Privy Council of King Charles II. He colourfully refuses their invitation to stage a royal gala, calling such occasions "very, very, very dull" and asserting that there was "more musical talent on display when my servant Baldrick breaks wind."

In 2000, on the BBC's annual Royal Variety Performance, Atkinson portrayed Blackadder as a present-day officer in "Her Majesty's Royal Regiment of Shirkers" and delivered a monologue titled "Blackadder: The Army Years", proposing that Britain regain her former greatness by invading (or at least buying) France.

In 2012, as part of the Prince's Trust charity show ''We Are Most Amused'', Atkinson and Robinson reprised their roles as Blackadder and Baldrick in a comedy sketch featuring Miranda Hart as leader of a government inquiry into the recent banking crisis. Blackadder, chief executive of a fictional British bank, appearing with Baldrick as his gardener, convinces the panel to publicly blame the entire crisis on Baldrick, to the latter's consternation.

Red Nose Day 2023

Baldrick (Tony Robinson) returned in 2023 for a Red Nose Day sketch for the BBC. There was no involvement of Rowan Atkinson or a subsequent reboot, amid speculation.

Chronological order

Production

Series development

Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis developed the idea for the sitcom while working on ''Not the Nine O'Clock News''. Eager to avoid comparisons to the critically acclaimed ''Fawlty Towers'', they proposed the idea of a historical sitcom.''I Have a Cunning Plan – 20th Anniversary of Blackadder'', BBC Radio 4 documentary broadcast 23 August 2003. Excerpts available a
bbc.co.uk
Retrieved 17 April 2008
at Blackadder Hall. Retrieved 17 April 2008 A pilot episode was made in 1982, and a six-episode series was commissioned. The budget for the series was considerable, with much location shooting particularly at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and the surrounding countryside in February 1983. The series also used large casts of extras, horses and expensive medieval-style costumes. Atkinson has said about the making of the first series:

The first series was odd, it was very extravagant. It cost a million pounds for the six programmes ... hichwas a lot of money to spend ... It looked great, but it wasn't as consistently funny as we would have liked.

Owing to the high cost of the first series, the then-controller of programming of BBC1, Michael Grade, was reluctant to sign off a second series without major improvements to the show and drastic cost-cutting, leaving a gap of three years between the two series.Lewisohn, Mark
''The Black Adder''
at the former BBC Guide to Comedy. Retrieved 17 April 2008

A chance meeting between Richard Curtis and comedian Ben Elton led to the decision to collaborate on a new series of ''Blackadder''. Recognising the main faults of the first series, Curtis and Elton agreed that ''Blackadder II'' would be a studio-only production (along with the inclusion of a live audience during recording, instead of showing the episodes to an audience after taping). Besides adding a greater comedy focus, Elton suggested a major change in character emphasis: Baldrick would become the stupid sidekick, while Edmund Blackadder evolved into a cunning sycophant. This led to the familiar set-up that was maintained in the following series.
Britain's Best Sitcom – Blackadder
', 2004 BBC Television documentary, presented by John Sergeant

Only in the ''Back & Forth'' millennium special was the shooting once again on location, because this was a production with a budget estimated at £3 million, and was a joint venture between Tiger Aspect, Sky Television, the New Millennium Experience Company and the BBC, rather than the BBC alone.

Casting

Each series tended to feature the same set of regular actors in different period settings, although throughout the four series and specials, only Blackadder and Baldrick were constant characters. Several regular cast members recurred as characters with similar names, implying, like Blackadder, that they were descendants.

Recurring cast

Various actors have appeared in more than one of the Blackadder series and/or specials. These are:

Main cast

* Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder, the series' protagonist. In ''The Black Adder'' he is Prince Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, nicknamed "The Black Adder". In ''Blackadder II'' he is Edmund, Lord Blackadder, a nobleman in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. In ''Blackadder the Third'' he is Edmund Blackadder Esq., servant to the Prince Regent. In ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' he is Ebenezer Blackadder, the Victorian proprietor of a "moustache shop". In ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' he is Captain Edmund Blackadder, serving in World War I. In ''Blackadder: Back & Forth'' he is Lord Edmund Blackadder, a modern-day representative of the Blackadder dynasty.
* Tony Robinson as S. Baldrick, Blackadder's servant, or batman/orderly in ''Blackadder Goes Forth'', who appears in all four series and all the specials.
* Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy, Blackadder's dimwitted sidekick in ''The Black Adder'' and ''Blackadder II'' - initially the Duke of Northumberland in the former, then heir to the same title in the latter - and as Captain Kevin Darling, Blackadder's antagonistic rival, in ''Blackadder Goes Forth''. He also appeared as The Scarlet Pimpernel (alias Lord Topper and Le Comte de Frou Frou) in the ''Blackadder the Third'' episode "Nob and Nobility", and reprised his role as Darling in ''Back & Forth''.
*Stephen Fry as Melchett in ''Blackadder II'' and ''Blackadder Goes Forth''. In ''Blackadder II'' he is Lord Melchett, the sycophantic adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. Fry also played this incarnation of Melchet in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''. In ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' he is General Melchett, a blustering buffoon and presumed descendant. Fry also appeared as Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, in "Duel and Duality", the final episode of ''Blackadder the Third'', and as various characters in ''Back & Forth''.
*Hugh Laurie as George, first the Prince Regent in ''Blackadder the Third'', and later Lieutenant George in ''Blackadder Goes Forth''. Laurie also played the Prince Regent in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''. Prior to becoming a regular cast member, Laurie also appeared in two episodes of ''Blackadder II''; first as Simon "Farters Parters" Partridge or "Mr. Ostrich" in the episode "Beer", and then as Prince Ludwig the Indestructible in " Chains", the final episode of ''Blackadder II''. He reprised his role as George in ''Back & Forth''.
*Miranda Richardson was only a regular cast member for ''Blackadder II'', in which she played Queen Elizabeth I, reprising the role in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' and ''Back & Forth'', alongside additional characters. However, she also played significant one-off roles as Amy Hardwood (a.k.a. The Shadow) in " Amy and Amiability" from ''Blackadder the Third'', and Mary Fletcher-Brown, a dutiful nurse in "General Hospital" from ''Blackadder Goes Forth''.

Non-recurring cast

*Brian Blessed, Elspet Gray and Robert East appeared in all six episodes of ''The Black Adder'' as the Black Adder's father, mother and brother, respectively. Gray had also appeared in the non-broadcast pilot.
* Patsy Byrne played Nursie in all six episodes of ''Blackadder II'', but never featured in either of the subsequent series, either as a regular character or one-off. She briefly reprised the character in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' and ''Back & Forth''.
* Helen Atkinson-Wood played the role of Mrs. Miggins in all six episodes of ''Blackadder the Third'', but did not appear again in the series, although the character was mentioned several times in ''Blackadder II'' and in the final episode of ''Blackadder Goes Forth''.

Guest cast

Ben Elton's arrival, from ''Blackadder II'' onwards, heralded the more frequent recruitment of comic actors from the alternative comedy era for guest appearances, including Robbie Coltrane, Rik Mayall (who had appeared in the final episode of ''The Black Adder'' as "Mad Gerald"), Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Mark Arden, Stephen Frost, Chris Barrie, Jim Sweeney, Steve Steen and Jeremy Hardy. Elton himself played an anarchist in ''Blackadder the Third''.

Gabrielle Glaister played Bob, an attractive girl who poses as a man, in both ''Blackadder II'' and ''Blackadder Goes Forth'', where in the latter her official title is Driver Parkhurst. One episode each of ''Blackadder II'' and ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' feature Rik Mayall as Lord Flashheart, a vulgar friend in his first appearance and then a successful rival of Blackadder in his second. He also played a decidedly Flashheart-like Robin Hood in ''Back & Forth''. Lee Cornes appeared in one episode each of the Curtis/Elton-written series; as a guard in the ''Blackadder II'' episode "Chains"; as the poet Shelley in the ''Blackadder the Third'' episode "Ink and Incapability"; and as firing squad soldier Private Fraser in the ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' episode "Corporal Punishment".

More established actors, some at the veteran stage of their careers, were also recruited for roles. These included Peter Cook, Alex Norton, Jim Broadbent, Frank Finlay, Valentine Dyall, Bill Wallis, John Grillo, Simon Jones, Tom Baker, Ronald Lacey, Roger Blake, Denis Lill, Hugh Paddick, Kenneth Connor, Warren Clarke and Geoffrey Palmer, who played Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in "Goodbyeee", the final episode of ''Blackadder Goes Forth''. Miriam Margolyes played three different guest roles: The Spanish Infanta in " The Queen of Spain's Beard" (''The Black Adder''), Lady Whiteadder in "Beer" (''Blackadder II''), and Queen Victoria in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''. Patrick Allen provided narration for all six episodes of ''The Black Adder'', and appeared as "The Hawk" in the last episode, " The Black Seal". Two episodes of ''The Black Adder'' feature Natasha King as Princess Leia of Hungary, while the second episode, " Born to Be King", features a brief, early screen appearance of Angus Deayton.

Unusually for a sitcom based loosely on factual events and in the historical past, a man was recruited for one episode essentially to play himself. Political commentator Vincent Hanna played a character billed as "his own great-great-great grandfather" in the ''Blackadder the Third'' episode " Dish and Dishonesty". Hanna was asked to take part because the scene was of a by-election in which Baldrick was a candidate and, in the style of modern television, Hanna gave a long-running "live" commentary of events at the count (and interviewed candidates and election agents) to a crowd through the town hall window.

Theme tune

Howard Goodall's theme tune has the same melody throughout all the series, but is played in roughly the style of the period in which it is set. It is performed mostly with trumpets and timpani in ''The Black Adder'', the fanfares used suggesting typical medieval court fanfares; with a combination of recorder, string quartet and electric guitar in ''Blackadder II'' (the end theme, with different lyrics each time reflecting on the episode's events, was sung by a countertenor); on oboe, cello and harpsichord (in the style of a minuet) for ''Blackadder the Third''; by The Band of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment in ''Blackadder Goes Forth''; sung by carol singers in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''; and by an orchestra in ''Blackadder: The Cavalier Years'' and ''Blackadder: Back & Forth''.

Awards

In 2000, the fourth series, ''Blackadder Goes Forth'', ranked at 16 in the "100 Greatest British Television Programmes", a list created by the British Film Institute. In 2004, a BBC TV poll for " Britain's Best Sitcom", ''Blackadder'' was voted the second best British sitcom of all time, topped by ''Only Fools and Horses''. It was also ranked as the 20th Best TV Show of All Time by ''Empire'' magazine.

Future

Despite regular statements denying any plans for a fifth series, cast members are regularly asked about the possibility of a new series.

In January 2005, Tony Robinson told ITV's '' This Morning'' that Rowan Atkinson was more keen than he has been in the past to do a fifth series, set in the 1960s (centred on a rock band called the "Black Adder Five", with Baldrick – a.k.a. 'Bald Rick' – as the drummer). In the documentary ''Blackadder Rides Again'', Robinson stated that the series would present Blackadder as the bastard son of Queen Elizabeth II and running a Beatles-like rock band. Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny and Miranda Richardson would have reprised their roles, and reportedly, Brian Blessed, Elspet Gray and Robert East would have returned from the first series to play Blackadder's biological family. Robinson in a stage performance 1 June 2007, again mentioned this idea, but in the context of a movie.

One idea mentioned by Curtis was that it was Baldrick who had accidentally assassinated John F. Kennedy. However, aside from a brief mention in June 2005,
there have been no further announcements from the BBC that a new series is being planned. Furthermore, in November 2005, Rowan Atkinson told '' BBC Breakfast'' that, although he would very much like to do a new series set in Colditz or another prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, something which both he and Stephen Fry reiterated at the end of ''Blackadder Rides Again'', the chances of it happening are extremely slim.

There were a couple of ideas that had previously floated for the fifth series. ''Batadder'' was intended to be a parody of ''Batman'' with Baldrick as the counterpart of Robin (suggested by John Lloyd). This idea eventually came to surface as part of the ''Comic Relief'' sketch " Spider-Plant Man" in 2005, with Atkinson as the title hero, Robinson as Robin, Jim Broadbent as Batman and Rachel Stevens as Mary Jane. ''Star Adder'' was to be set in space in the future (suggested by Atkinson).

On 10 April 2007, '' Hello!'' reported that Atkinson was moving forward with his ideas for a fifth series. He said, "I like the idea of him being a prisoner of war in Colditz. That would have the right level of authority and hierarchy which is apparent in all the Blackadders."

Stephen Fry has expressed the view that, since the series went out on such a good "high", a film might not be a good idea.

During his June 2007 stage performance, chronicled on the Tony Robinson's Cunning Night Out DVD, Robinson states that, after filming the ''Back & Forth special'', the general idea was to reunite for another special in 2010. Robinson jokingly remarked that Hugh Laurie's success on ''House'' may make that difficult.

On 28 November 2012, Rowan Atkinson reprised the role at the "We are most amused" comedy gala for the Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. He was joined by Tony Robinson as Baldrick. The sketch involved Blackadder as CEO of Melchett, Melchett and Darling bank facing an enquiry over the banking crisis.

In August 2015, Tony Robinson said in an interview "I do think a new series of Blackadder is on the cards. I have spoken to virtually all the cast about this now. The only problem is Hugh auries fee. He's a huge star now." However, in October 2018, Richard Curtis "dashed hopes" that the show would return for a fifth series.

In April 2017 at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, Atkinson stated "There are no plans to do anything" and revealed a potential Russian Revolution themed series that never materialised:

"There was a plan twenty years ago that got nowhere which was called ''Redadder'' which I quite liked. It was set in Russia in 1917 and ''Blackadder'' and Baldrick were working for the Tsar. They had blue stripes around their caps and then the Revolution happened and Rik Mayall unsurprisingly was playing Rasputin."

In December 2020, Rowan Atkinson told the ''Radio Times'':

"I don't actually like the process of making anything – with the possible exception of ''Blackadder''. Because the responsibility for making that series funny was on many shoulders, not just mine. ''Blackadder'' represented the creative energy we all had in the '80s. To try to replicate that 30 years on wouldn't be easy."

Most recently, in December 2024, Ben Elton poured doubt on a fifth series of ''Blackadder'':

"But there will not be a fifth series of ''Blackadder'', I think that’s pretty much a certainty. I have no interest in doing it. I don’t think any of us do, with the possible exception of Tony obinson But if we did, the world would be our oyster. We could have fun with any period."

Home media

All series and many of the specials are available on VHS tapes, DVDs & Blu-rays. Many are also available on BBC audio cassette. As of 2008, a "Best of BBC" edition box set is available containing all four series together with ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' and ''Back & Forth''. All four series and the Christmas special are also available for download on iTunes.

VHS releases

On 5 February 1990, BBC Enterprises Ltd released the first series on two single VHS tapes.

On 2 October 1989, BBC Enterprises Ltd released the second series on two single VHS tapes.

On 6 June 1988, 3 October 1988, and 6 February 1989, BBC Enterprises Ltd released the third series on two single VHS tapes.

On 10 September 1990, BBC Enterprises Ltd released the fourth and final series on two single VHS tapes.

On 7 September 1992, all eight single Blackadder VHS tapes were re-released as four double VHS sets. These four double sets were re-released as single VHS tapes on 2 October 1995 and again as double sets on 4 January 1998.

On 5 January 1998, five episodes of the first two series were released on a 15-rated VHS tape by BBC Worldwide Ltd.

On 4 November 1991, ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' was released on a single VHS tape release rated PG (Cat. No. BBCV 4646).

Single DVD releases

Box set DVD releases

LP box set

On 19 October 2022 there was an announcement that there will be a LP box set release and collects the Blackadder soundtracks on vinyl for the first time.
The deluxe 12-disc LP collection with the title ''Blackadder's Historical Record'' was pressed on gold-coloured 140g vinyl, and released on 10 February 2023 by Demon Records. It also includes a frameable print of Baldrick, each hand signed by Sir Tony Robinson himself and a comprehensive full-colour booklet detailing the comedy series, the "leather-look rigid box"

Stamps

Royal Mail issued a set of special stamps celebrating ''Blackadder'' on 17 May 2023.

References

Literature

* Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, and Rowan Atkinson, ''Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty 1485–1917'' (Michael Joseph, 1998). . Being the – almost – complete scripts of the four regular series.
* Chris Howarth, and Steve Lyons, ''Cunning: The Blackadder Programme Guide'' (Virgin Publishing, 2002). . A cheap unofficial episode guide.
* Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, ''Blackadder: Back & Forth'' (Penguin Books, 2000). . A script book with copious photographs from the most recent outing, and additional material from Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley.
* J.F. Roberts, ''The True History of the Black Adder: The Unadulterated Tale of the Creation of a Comedy Legend'' (Preface publishing, 2012). . A 420-page officially endorsed full history of the Blackadder episodes and characters, as well as its birth, its writers and actors, and all the specials – plus Curtis' script for unproduced Christmas special 'Blackadder In Bethlehem'.

External links

*
*

{{Authority control

1980s British multi-camera sitcoms
1983 British television series debuts
1989 British television series endings
1980s British black comedy television series
Alternate history television series
BBC black comedy television shows
BBC television sitcoms

British parody television series
British English-language television shows
Period television series
Television series by BBC Studios
Television series created by Rowan Atkinson
Television series created by Richard Curtis