The Black Adder Dynasty

[kg redhead]

Blackadder is the generic name which embraces an acclaimed series of British sitcoms, made by the BBC, and several one-off episodes, many for charity Comic Relief. The first series was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson; subsequent series were written by Curtis and Ben Elton. The shows were produced by John Lloyd, and starred Rowan Atkinson as the eponymous protagonist, Edmund Blackadder, and Tony Robinson as his sidekick, Baldrick.

Four series of six half-hour episodes were made, each series set in a different period of British history. The first series was called The Black Adder and was made in 1983; this was followed by Blackadder II in 1985, Blackadder the Third in 1987, and finally Blackadder Goes Forth in 1989. In addition to these series, three specials were also made: "Blackadder: The Cavalier Years" appeared as a 15 minute insert in the 1988 Comic Relief Night; Blackadder's Christmas Carol was a 1988 Christmas special which lasted for 45 minutes; and Blackadder: Back & Forth was a 30 minute film originally shown in a special cinema at the Millennium Dome during 2000, and later broadcast by Sky and the BBC. A pilot episode was filmed in 1982, but has never been shown on television.

In January 2005, Tony Robinson told ITV's This Morning that Rowan Atkinson is more keen than he has been in the past to do a fifth series, set in the 1960s. However, although the BBC stated that there were no plans for a comeback, this article might confirm a new series for 2006.

However, in November 2005, Rowan Atkinson told BBC Breakfast News that although he would very much like to do a new series set in Colditz or another prisoner of war camp during World War Two, the chances of it happening are extremely low.


Developments over the series

It is implied that in each series the Blackadder character is a distant descendant of the previous one. With each observed generation, Blackadder's social standing is reduced, from prince, to nobleman, to royal butler, to army captain; and by the end, in the last episode of the last series, nothing more than cannon-fodder. However, he concurrently goes from an incompetent fool (in the first series), becoming an ever more devious strategist in matters that affect him.

The Macbeth-inspired witches, in "The Foretelling" (1.1) (thinking he is someone else), promise that one day Blackadder will be King and, in "Bells" (2.1), the 'wise woman' says "thou plottest Edmund: thou wouldst be King!"

In the first series, Edmund does become King for less than a minute, but then dies after succumbing to some poisoned wine (a fact alluded to in a song in the second series, whose lyrics include "His great-grandfather was a king/Although for only thirty seconds). In the second series, Blackadder comes very close to marrying Elizabeth I but fails. At the end of the third series, Blackadder assumes the role of Prince Regent after the real prince is killed in a duel with the Duke of Wellington, and (presumably, though not definitely) goes on to assume the identity of George IV.

After the continual decline in status through the series, Blackadder, or at least the descendant of the original, finally becomes King in Blackadder: Back & Forth through manipulation of the timeline. A Grand Admiral Blackadder of the far future is also seen in the Christmas special, and his status further rises when he manages to achieve control of the entire universe upon marrying Queen Asphyxia XIX.


Comparison between Baldrick and Blackadder

It is also noticeable that, as Blackadder becomes more cunning, Baldrick becomes more stupid and dimwitted. It is clear that in the first series, he is smarter than Blackadder, saving the day on several occasions. However, in subsequent series, this situation is reversed: in "Captain Cook" (4.1), he scratches his name onto a bullet, because "somewhere there's a bullet with your name on it" - if Baldrick owns that bullet he cannot be shot by it.


Similarities over the series

Each series tended to feature the same set of actors in different period settings. Stephen Fry played the mild-mannered Lord Melchett, an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I in the second series, The Duke of Wellington in the final episode of the third series and General Melchett, a blustering buffoon, in the fourth. Tim McInnerny played Lord Percy Percy in the first and second series, The Scarlet Pimpernel (for one episode) in the third series and Kevin Darling in both the fourth series, and Blackadder Back and Forth. Hugh Laurie plays Simon Partridge in episode five and Prince Ludwig the Indestructible in the final episode of Blackadder II, a foppish Prince George in Blackadder the Third and the idiotic Lieutenant George in Blackadder Goes Forth. Rik Mayall plays 'Mad Gerald' in the first series and the dashing Lord Flashheart, a vulgar yet successful rival of Blackadder in both the second and fourth series; he also plays a decidedly Flashheart-like Robin Hood in Back and Forth. Gabrielle Glaister plays an attractive girl who poses as a man and calls herself Bob, before revealing her true sex and becoming romantically involved with Flashheart, in both the second and fourth series.

The Howard Goodall theme tune has the same melody throughout the four series, but being played in roughly the style of the period in which it is set (mostly with trumpets in The Black Adder; with a combination of wind instruments and electric guitar in Blackadder II; on harpsichord for Blackadder the Third; by a military band 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.


Popularity and effects on popular culture

After the first series — which ran to a considerable budget for a sitcom, and had been shot largely on location — the BBC decided not to take up the option of a second series. In 1984 Michael Grade took over as the controller of BBC One and, after talks with the Blackadder team, agreed that a second series could be made as long as the cost was dramatically cut. The second series was changed to be shot studio only and Ben Elton joining the writing team. Elton added more jokes to the scripts and suggested a major character change: Baldrick would become the stupid sidekick character to the more intellectual Edmund Blackadder. This premise led to the now-familiar setup of the characters and was maintained over all the following series. Blackadder came second in a 2004 BBC poll to find 'Britain's Best Sitcom', confirming the wisdom of Grade's decision to revive the show.

Whenever Blackadder found himself in a difficult situation (as was the case in most episodes), Baldrick would suggest a solution starting with "I have a cunning plan". This became the character's catch phrase and, while the suggestions were usually totally unhelpful, he would sometimes come up with a plan that went towards saving the day.

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Blackadder popularised the use of exaggerated simile and similar devices for comic effect in Britain. Examples include:

* "Madder than Mad Jack McMad, winner of last year's Mr. Madman competition."

* "I've got a plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel." or "As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University."

* "I'm as happy as a Frenchman who's just invented a pair of self-removing trousers."

* "I'm as weary as a dog with no legs that's just climbed Ben Nevis."

* "We're in the stickiest situation since Sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun."

It also turned the implied wit of wordplay on its head for humorous effect:

* "Blackadder... you've twisted and turned like a twisty, turny thing."

* "The grave opens up before me like a big hole in the ground."

* "Disease and deprivation stalk our land, like two giant stalking things."

* "We're as similar as two completely dissimilar things in a pod."

* "Better a lapdog to a slip of a girl than a ... git!"

* "I'd rather be a quack than a duckie - good day."

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Series 1: The Black Adder

Set in the Middle Ages, this series is written as a secret history. It opens with the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485) being won by Richard III (played by Peter Cook), instead of Henry Tudor who won in reality. After his victory Richard III is then accidentally killed by Lord Edmund Plantagenet (Richard tries to borrow Blackadder's horse, but Edmund thinks he is stealing it and cuts his head off). The late King's nephew, Richard, Duke of York (played by Brian Blessed) who is Lord Edmund Plantagenet's (The Black Adder) father, is then crowned as Richard IV. Lord Edmund never took part in the battle (he arrived late and went the wrong way, but claimed to have killed four hundred and fifty peasants and several nobles, one of whom had actually been killed by his brother in the battle). This logical but very silly historical premise, combined with interwoven bits of Shakespeare, lends real intellectual delight and challenge to the humor.

Richard, Duke of York (one of the 'Princes in the Tower') was in reality only 12 years old (and perhaps two years dead) when the Battle of Bosworth Field took place in 1485, and so far too young to have had two grown up sons. This and other historical discrepancies don't detract from the humor, though.

The series follows the ficticious reign of Richard IV (1485–98). Richard and his Queen Gertrude of Flanders, the Witch Queen have two sons:

* Harry, Prince of Wales, Captain of the Guard, Grand Warden of the Northern and Eastern Marches, Chief Lunatic of the Duchy of Gloucester, Viceroy of Wales, Sheriff of Nottingham, Marquess of the Midlands, Lord Hoe-Maker Extraordinary, Harbinger of the Doomed Rat (1460–98)
* Prince Edmund, "the Black Adder", Duke of Edinburgh, Lord Warden of the Royal Privies, the Laird of Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, Archbishop of Canterbury (1461–98)

It is later revealed in the episode "Born to be King" that after Harry's birth and before Edmund's, Queen Gertrude had an affair with Donald McAngus, Third Duke of Argyll. There is a possibility that Edmund was this affair's result. If so, then Edmund is Harry's half-brother and also has another half-brother:

* Dougal McAngus, Fourth Duke of Argyll, Supreme Commander of the King's Army (c. 1462–87).

By the end of the series, events converge with our timeline, when King Richard IV and his entire family are poisoned, allowing Henry Tudor to take the throne as King Henry VII. He then proceeds to rewrite history, presenting Richard III as a monster, and eliminating Richard IV's reign from the history books.

In this series, the character of the Black Adder is somewhat different from later incarnations, being largely unintelligent and snivelling. The title of Laird of Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles may have been inspired by the then leader of the Liberal Party David Steel who was MP for that constituency when the series was written.

The character does evolve through the series, however, and he begins showing signs of what his descendants will be like by the final episode, where he begins insulting everyone around him and making his own plans. This evolution follows naturally from the character's situation. "The Black Adder" is the title that Edmund adopts during the first episode (after first considering "The Black Vegetable"). Presumably one of his descendants adopted it as a surname prior to Blackadder II, where the title character becomes "Edmund Blackadder". Edmund's father the king can never remember his name at all (usually he forgets that he even has a second son), calling him "Egbert", Edward", "Enid", and occasionally "Edna". In the last moment before Edmund's death in the final episode, his father finally addresses him corrrectly and Edmund thanks him tearfully, asking to be remembered as Edmund the Black Adder. His father, mishearing him, says "Oh, I'm sorry, Edward. Let the name Edward, The Black Dagger, live forever!"

It is therefore interesting to note that the unaired pilot episode, covering the basic plot of "Born to be King", has some differences to the first series. Baldrick was played by Philip Fox, who was replaced by Tony Robinson. The King is played by John Savident (famous for playing Fred Elliot in the TV soap Coronation Street), while Percy was still played by Tim McInnerny. Rowan Atkinson speaks, dresses and generally looks and acts like the later Blackadder descendants of the second series onwards, but no reason is given as to why he changed to a snivelling wretch in the first series. One assumes that the change was driven by the writing, which wouldn't have worked with a swaggering character in the lead.

Richard Curtis admitted in a 2004 documentary on the show that just before filming began, producer John Lloyd came up to him with Atkinson and asked what Edmund's character was. Curtis then realised that, despite writing some funny lines, he had no idea how Rowan Atkinson was supposed to play his part. This is typical of the slighting and dismissive remarks Curtis makes about this first series. One supposes that Atkinson, who cowrote this series but not the later ones, came up with his characterization himself.


1. "The Foretelling"
Richard III wins the historic Battle of Bosworth Field, but is promptly killed by his bumbling grandnephew Edmund. Understandably, the late King's ghost is livid at this, and won't let Edmund forget it.
BBC One, Wednesday June 15, 1983, 9.25–10pm
2. "Born to be King"
Edmund's elder brother Harry is looking after the throne while their father is off fighting in the Crusades, but Edmund would much rather that he had it himself. So he obtains evidence that their mother had had an affair, making Harry illegitimate. Of course, Edmund's sums are all wrong...
BBC One, Wednesday June 22, 1983, 9.25–10pm
3. "The Archbishop"
With the Archbishops of Canterbury being bumped off left, right, and centre, appointing one's enemy to the post may seem like a cunning plan. Unfortunately for Edmund, the plan backfires, and he ends up with the post himself.
BBC One, Wednesday June 29, 1983, 9.25–10pm
4. "The Queen of Spain's Beard"
In the name of international diplomacy, the King decides to marry Edmund off to a Spanish princess. Finding the Infanta unattractive, Edmund tries to get out of the alliance, and eventually succeeds, only to end up married to the very young Princess Leia of Hungary, and having to read her bedtime stories.
BBC One, Wednesday July 6, 1983, 9.25–10pm
5. "Witchsmeller Pursuivant"
The Black Death is sweeping across England, and the whole country is in turmoil. Witchcraft is blamed, and so the Witchsmeller Pursuivant (Frank Finlay) is summoned to identify the culprits. The Witchsmeller decides that Edmund is responsible.
BBC One, Wednesday July 13, 1983, 9.25–10pm
6. "The Black Seal"
Edmund is stripped of all his titles and honours, apart from Lord Warden of the Royal Privies. Outraged by the way that his father is treating him, he rounds up six of the most evil men in England to help him seize the throne for himself. He manages to hold it for approximately 30 seconds.
BBC One, Wednesday July 20, 1983, 9.25–10pm

The opening titles consisted of several stock shots of Edmund riding his horse on location, interspersed with different shots of him doing various silly things (and, usually, a shot of King Richard IV to go with Brian Blessed's credit). The closing titles were the same sequence of Edmund riding around, eventually falling off his horse, and then chasing after it. The theme tune also gained lyrics:

The sound of hoofbeats 'cross the glade,
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter,
Beware the deadly flashing blade,
Unless you want to end up shorter.

Black Adder, Black Adder, he rides a pitch black steed.
Black Adder, Black Adder, he's very bad indeed.

Black: his gloves of finest mole,
Black: his codpiece made of metal,
His horse is blacker than a vole,
His pot is blacker than his kettle.

Black Adder, Black Adder, with many a cunning plan.
Black Adder, Black Adder, you horrid little man.

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Series 2: Blackadder II

Blackadder II is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558–1603). The principal character is Edmund, Lord Blackadder, a great-grandson of the original Black Adder (according to the title song) and a close servant of the Queen. The exuberantly horrible Queen, played by Miranda Richardson, likes to chop off people's heads and play jokes on Edmund. Edmund's hopes of marrying her never bear fruit. The Queen is joined by her advisor Lord Melchett, played by Stephen Fry, (with whom Blackadder has a mutual hatred) and her insane nanny, Nursie. This series establishes the more familiar character of Edmund: cunning, shrewd, entirely and without fail insulting to everyone he does not have to suck up to, and witty, following the BBC's request for the show to be made funnier.

The action is generally split between Blackadder's house (or to be more specific his front room, though we do also get to see his hallway, bedroom, dining room and Baldrick's bedroom) and the Queen's throne room. Each episode also features another location, from a poverty-stricken man's front room (which was the setting for Blackadder II's first ever scene) to a German dungeon. This was done after the first series, when large sets and outdoor scenes proved too expensive.


Episode list

In this series, the episode titles are all one-word sideways references to the subject of the episode (wedding, execution, voyages of exploration, debt, drinking alcohol, and imprisonment).

1. "Bells"
Blackadder falls in love with his new servant, "Bob", who he thinks is a man, but who is in fact a disguised woman named Kate, who has come to seek her fortune to help her ailing father. When Blackadder finds out, he is much relieved, and the two of them decide to get married. However, during the marriage ceremony, she elopes with the best man, Lord Flashheart (played by Rik Mayall).
BBC One, Thursday January 9, 1986, 9.30–10pm
2. "Head"
Without a choice in the matter, Blackadder is made High Executioner and has to cope with the wife of a man condemned to be executed. Unfortunately, the man is already dead.
BBC One, Thursday January 16, 1986, 9.30–10pm
3. "Potato"
To impress the Queen and to prove he is better than Walter Raleigh, Blackadder sets out for the sea (guest starring Tom Baker and Simon Jones).
BBC One, Thursday January 23, 1986, 9.30–10pm
4. "Money"
Blackadder owes a large sum of money to the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells that he can't pay, while the Queen keeps "borrowing" his money as soon as he gets it.
BBC One, Wednesday February 5, 1986, 9.30–10pm
5. "Beer"
Blackadder's puritanical aunt and uncle, the Whiteadders, call round to discuss his inheritance, at the same time as he plans to hold a drinking competition with Lord Melchett. To top it all, Edmund's tolerance for beer isn't what it could be, so he runs a significant risk of being found face-down in a puddle (like last time).
BBC One, Thursday February 13, 1986, 9.30–10pm
6. "Chains"
Blackadder and Melchett are captured by the Spaniards, and end up in the dungeons of a weird interrogator, Prince Ludwig the Indestructible (played by Hugh Laurie), a German supervillain who aims to kill the Queen. By the end of the episode, Ludwig has killed the entire cast and has disguised himself as Queen Elizabeth, replacing her on the throne.
BBC One, Thursday February 20, 1986, 9.30–10pm

The opening titles are played to a version of the theme on an Elizabethan wind instrument and an electric guitar, over shots of a black adder slithering about on a checkerboard surface. The snake misbehaves and is eventually removed and replaced with something to do with the title of the episode. The opening ominous violin music and initial shots are a parody of the opening credits of the 1975 BBC television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius featuring Derek Jacobi.

The closing titles use a different arrangement of the theme on different instruments, with lyrics reflecting what had happened in the episode, over a shot of Blackadder walking in a palace garden and being annoyed by a minstrel. As each episode elapses, this sequence becomes a mini-series in its own right. At the end of the final episode, Blackadder catches the minstrel and dunks him into a fountain numerous times.

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Series 3: Blackadder the Third

Blackadder The Third is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. For much of this period, King George III was incapacitated due to poor mental health, and his son George, the Prince of Wales, acted as regent. From 1811 until his father's death in 1820, he was known as "the Prince Regent".

In the series, E. Blackadder Esquire is the butler to the Prince of Wales (played by Hugh Laurie as a complete fop and idiot). Despite Edmund's respected intelligence and abilities he has no personal fortune to speak of. According to Edmund he has been serving the Prince Regent all their lives, since they were both breastfeeding (when he had to show the Prince which part of his mother was serving the drinks). There are three main sets: the Prince's quarters, which are large and lavish, the below-stairs kitchen hangout of Blackadder and Baldrick, which is dark and squalid, and finally Mrs. Miggins' coffee house (Mrs Miggins' pie shop was a never-seen running gag in Blackadder II; she - or, at least, a descendant of hers - was now finally shown).

As well as Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson in their usual roles, this series starred Hugh Laurie as the Prince Regent, and Helen Atkinson-Wood (no relation to Rowan) as Mrs. Miggins. The series features rotten boroughs, Dr. Johnson (played by Robbie Coltrane), the French Revolution and the Scarlet Pimpernel, over-the-top theatrical actors, highwaymen who hate squirrels, and duels.


Episode list

In this series, the episode titles use alliteration in a humorous parody of the titles of Jane Austen's novels Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

1. "Dish and Dishonesty"
Prime Minister Pitt the Younger wants to strike the Prince Regent from the Civil List. The only thing for a royal butler to do is to rig an election. The episode features a cameo by Vincent Hanna a political commentator who was an expert on by-elections.
BBC One, Thursday September 17, 1987, 9.30–10pm
2. "Ink and Incapability"
Samuel Johnson (Robbie Coltrane) seeks the Prince's patronage for his ground breaking new book, the Dictionary. Edmund accidentally instructs Baldrick to burn the book, and so he attempts to rewrite it overnight.
BBC One, Thursday September 24, 1987, 9.30–10pm
3. "Nob and Nobility"
After Blackadder disparages the Scarlet Pimpernel, two foppish noblemen (one of whom is played by a returning Tim McInnerny) bet him a thousand guineas he can't go to France, rescue an aristocrat and present him at the French Embassy Ball. Meanwhile, a revolutionary (Chris Barrie) seizes the Embassy.
BBC One, Thursday October 1, 1987, 9.30–10pm
4. "Sense and Senility"
An anarchist (Ben Elton in a cameo) makes an attempt on the Prince's life. Blackadder suggests the Prince show the public how charming and intelligent he is, but first he needs some training in acting, so he hires two actors. Blackadder takes a dislike to them and has them framed. On learning that they have to perform the MacBeth Ritual when the Scottish play is mentioned, he mentions it eight times.
BBC One, Thursday October 8, 1987, 9.30–10pm
5. "Amy and Amiability"
Blackadder searches for a wife for his master. The main criterion is that she should be rich, in order to solve both his own financial problems and the Prince Regent's. His choice, Amy Hardwood (Miranda Richardson), daughter of an industrialist, seems promising if cloyingly sweet, but Blackadder abandons the plan when he discovers that her father is broke. Turning to the life of a highwayman with some success, he discovers that Amy Hardwood is in fact herself the notorious highwayman, the Shadow. She pretends to be in love with Edmund as a ploy to steal the prince's money, but he turns her over to the authorities for a ten thousand pound reward. The episode also contains a brief reference to the Prince Regent's eventual bride, Caroline of Brunswick, and Blackadder's distaste for her personality (which, given that he takes the place of his master as King George IV, may account for their historically cold relations).
BBC One, Thursday October 15, 1987, 9.30–10pm
6. "Duel and Duality"
The Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry) challenges the Prince to a duel after he unwittingly has sex with his nieces. The Prince, being a huge coward, enlists Blackadder's help to avoid this. Edmund and the Prince change places, with Edmund hoping that his psychotic Scottish cousin MacAdder (also played by Rowan Atkinson) will take his place. To Edmund's annoyance he declines, but at the end of the episode it is Edmund who survives the duel, while the Prince is shot dead by Wellington who thought he was a useless butler. Mad King George apparently cannot tell the difference between his late son and Edmund, and Edmund is more than happy to replace his late master as Prince Regent and possibly later succeed his new "daddy" on the throne.
BBC One, Thursday October 22, 1987, 9.30–10pm

The opening theme is this time played on a harpsichord, oboe and cello over close-ups of Blackadder searching a book-case, the credits and "Blackadder the Third" appearing on some of the books' spines (along with humorous titles such as "From Black Death to Blackadder" and "The Encyclopaedia Blackaddica"). Hidden inside a hollow book, he finds a romance novel, complete with steamy cover art, bearing the episode's title. The closing credits are presented in the style of a programme from a Regency-era play, and with an entirely new closing theme.

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Series 4: Blackadder Goes Forth

This series is set in the trenches of the First World War. Another "big push" is planned, and Captain Blackadder's one goal is to avoid getting shot, so he plots ways to get out of it. Blackadder is joined by the idealistic, gung-ho Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie), and the world's worst cook, Private S. Baldrick. Loony General Melchett rallies his troops from a French mansion, where he is aided and abetted by Captain Darling (Tim McInnerny), pencil-pusher supreme, whose name is played on for maximum comedy value. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Blackadder Goes Forth was placed 16th.

Note: Captain Darling's name was originally intended to be Captain Cartwright, until Stephen Fry chirped in with the name 'Darling', and the name, along with Blackadder's pronunciation of 'Bob', became one of the funniest words to be said in the series.


Episode list

In this series, the episode titles are, with the exception of the final one, puns on military ranks.

1. "Plan A: Captain Cook"
Blackadder finds out that if he gets a work of art on the cover of the magazine King and Country, it could be his ticket out of the trenches. Instead, he ends up avoiding an attack by disguising himself as a chef and, together with George and Baldrick, cooking the latter's ...esoteric... recipes for General Melchett's dinner.
BBC One, Thursday September 28, 1989, 9.30–10pm
2. "Plan B: Corporal Punishment"
A hungry Blackadder shoots General Melchett's favourite carrier pigeon, Speckled Jim, when it brings him orders that due to communications problems, the shooting of carrier pigeons is now a court-martial offence.
BBC One, Thursday October 5, 1989, 9.30–10pm
3. "Plan C: Major Star"
In order to boost morale (and maybe skip out of the trenches for a few weeks) Blackadder organises a cabaret show. Meanwhile, the General apparently has not noticed anything odd about his new driver, Corporal Bob Parkhurst (Gabrielle Glaister, in a very similar role to that which she played in "Bells") — really a girl named Kate who's pretending to be a man because she wanted "to see how a war is fought, really badly."
BBC One, Thursday October 12, 1989, 9.30–10pm
4. "Plan D: Private Plane"
Though initially put off by the brash Squadron Leader Lord Flashheart (Rik Mayall again), Blackadder comes to believe that the flying corps may be a rather cushy number. Shot down and captured by Baron von Richthofen (Adrian Edmondson), Blackadder and Baldrick are rescued by Flashheart and return to the trenches.
BBC One, Thursday October 19, 1989, 9.30–10pm
5. "Plan E: General Hospital"
A spy has been traced to the local hospital where George is invalided. Is Blackadder man enough to find him? This will, of course, mean leaving the trenches for several weeks. Featuring Miranda Richardson as Nurse Mary, with whom Blackadder becomes briefly involved.
BBC One, Thursday October 26, 1989, 9.30–10pm
6. "Plan F: Goodbyeee..."
With the Big Push looming ever closer, Blackadder decides that feigning insanity is the only way out. Following an old trick from the Sudan, he puts his underpants on his head, sticks a pencil in each nostril, and starts saying "Wibble".
BBC One, Thursday November 2, 1989, 9.30–10pm

The theme tune here was played by a military band (in this case the Band of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment) over opening title images of Blackadder and George parading their men past Melchett and Darling, while Baldrick plays the triangle. The music starts with the opening bars of 'The British Grenadiers' before segueing into the familiar Blackadder theme. In the closing credits, the full Blackadder theme plays as the men march off down the parade ground. Of note is that the titles here are presented as static captions instead of being rolled as on the previous three series, and that the crew credits are presented in pseudo-military fashion: for example, the designer is credited thus: ' Dgr – 404371 Hull, C '. Also of note is that the opening sequence is filmed in color, while the closing sequence is filmed in grainy, streaky black-and-white.


Moral messages

The final episode of the last series, "Goodbyeee...", is known for being extraordinarily moving for a comedy—especially the final scene, which sees the main characters (Blackadder, Baldrick, George, and Darling) finally going over the top and charging off to die in the fog and smoke of No Man's Land. (Melchett remains at his office but blithely orders a reluctant Darling to meet the others.) Blackadder's final line, said before this scene, offered after Baldrick claims to have one last plan to stop them going over the top (at which point a voice cries for the men to stand ready): "Well, I am afraid it will have to wait. Whatever it was I am sure it was better than my plan to get out of this by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman around here? Good luck everyone." is particularly poignant and memorable. "Goodbyeee..." also had no closing titles, simply fading from Blackadder, Baldrick, George and Darling charging across No-Man's Land under fire, to a field of poppies in the sunlight, an obvious reference to the poem "In Flanders Fields".

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"Blackadder: The Cavalier Years"

(1988) — taking place at the time of the English Civil War. It is a short episode, shown as part of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day.

The Episode begins in November 1648. King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland has already lost the Civil War. Only two men remain loyal to him. Sir Edmund Blackadder, the sole descendant of the Blackadder dynasty at the time and his servant Baldrick, the only son of a pig farmer and a bearded lady (both according to the introduction). They have given refuge to the King in Blackadder Hall. Edmund remains loyal because as a known royalist he sees the King as his only hope of survival and also because of his fear of a hideous age of Puritanism, full of moral prohibitions (as he describes it). During a short absence of Edmund, Oliver Cromwell himself arrives at Blackadder Hall, accompanied by a number of his Roundheads. He is personally investigating the King's whereabouts. Baldrick fails to convince him that he has no idea. Between this and the following scene Cromwell discovers and arrests the King.

The second scene takes place in the Tower of London, two weeks later. King Charles' praying is interrupted by two subsequent visits. The first by Cromwell who warns him of his doom and the second by Edmund, disguised as a priest. He informs the King that he is planning his escape. While Edmund is still there the King receives a notice that he has been sentenced to death. (Despite its placement in late November or early December 1648 within the context of this episode, historically King Charles' sentence to death came on January 27, 1649).

As January 29, 1649 arrives and his execution approaches, King Charles is again visited by Edmund. Though his plans for an escape haven't materialised he informs the King that there is still some hope. The Parliament has yet to find a man willing to be the King's executioner. Charles, rather philosophically, proclaims that he isn't looking forward to his execution but "It's a question of balance, isn't it? Like so many other things" (Charles, played by Stephen Fry is very much a pastiche of his modern day namesake the Prince of Wales). Edmund proceeds in assuring Charles that no one would dare to become the King's executioner. Just as he says that, the King receives a notice that they found his executioner.

Back at Blackadder Hall, Baldrick is singing as Edmund proclaims his life to be in ruins. While Baldrick informs he has accepted a job, Edmund wonders who could be so utterly without heart and soul, so low and degraded as to behead the King of England. As his own words sink in, he proceeds in interrogating Baldrick who admits he accepted the job. Baldrick explains to the reasonably enraged Edmund that he has a plan to save the King. He presents Edmund with a huge pumpkin, painted to represent a human face. He plans to place it on the King's head and chop it instead. Edmund dismisses the plan as unconvincing as Baldrick will have to hold it in front of the crowd, which is sure to notice. Baldrick, though saddened, says that at least the money, £1000, is good. Edmund's greed awakes at this and he proceeds in taking the money from Baldrick and announcing that he would replace him as the executioner. (Historically King Charles' executioner was Richard Brandon.)

January 30, 1649, King Charles' day of execution. King Charles is left alone for a few minutes with his executioner, Edmund in a hood and with a false voice. Edmund takes advantage of these minutes to relieve the King of his money bag. But the King finally recognizes him. He congratulates him for trying to save him even in the last minute and gives him custody of his infant son, the later King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. (Historically he was 19 years old at the time of his father's death). For lack of a better plan Edmund uses the one Baldrick had suggested. The camera then focuses to Baldrick who is listening at the sounds of the execution. Edmund chops the pumpkin and proclaims that "This is the head of a traitor". Predictably the crowd answers "No, it's not; it's a huge pumpkin with a pathetic moustache drawn on it". Edmund apologises and says he will try again. Baldrick still listens as Edmund beheads Charles and the crowd cheers.

As the last scene begins Edmund and Baldrick have returned to Blackadder Hall. A disgusted Edmund cradles the infant Charles in his hands. Baldrick tries to console him by saying that at least he tried and that now the future of the British monarchy lies fast asleep in his arms in the person of this infant prince. He suggests to his master that he should be ready to escape to France, because as a known loyalist he is in danger of being arrested by the Roundheads and beheaded. Edmund, who apparently had forgotten that he is in a position of danger, immediately rises from his seat, ready to take action. But before he can do anything. Roundheads are already at the Hall's doors demanding his surrender. Edmund explains to Baldrick that there is no choice for a man of honour but to stand and fight, and die in defence of his future sovereign. Fortunately for him, he was never a man of honour. Passing the prince to Baldrick, Edmund proceeds in removing his long black hair, apparently a wig, his false moustache and beard to reveal a Roundhead appearance - short blond hair and a clean-shaven face. Thus unrecognisable, when a Roundhead enters the room he denounces Baldrick as a "royalist scum". The episode ends with Baldrick, still holding the Prince in his arms, being approached by the Roundhead, sword drawn.

BBC One, Friday February 5, 1988, 9.45–10pm

[kg redhead]

Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) is a one-off episode of Blackadder, a parody of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It is set between Blackadder the Third (1987) and Blackadder Goes Forth (1989). Produced by the BBC, it was first broadcast on BBC One on Friday December 23 1988, and has been re-broadcast at Christmas several times since then, sometimes on BBC Two.

Ebenezer Blackadder is the nicest man in England. He is everything that Ebenezer Scrooge was by the end of the original story. He is generous and kind to everybody, and sensitive to the misery of others. As a result, everybody takes advantage of his kindness, and all but Baldrick view him as a victim. His business turns no profit, all his earnings going to charity, and he lives a lonely, miserable life.

All this changes when the Spirit of Christmas makes the mistake of calling round to congratulate him for his ways. The spirit lets him see shades of the past, the lives of his ancestors Lord Blackadder and Edmund Blackadder, the butler of the Prince Regent. Instead of being convinced that he is better than them, he grows to admire them and their wit. He asks the spirit to show him what could happen if he became like them. He sees a vision of a distant future where his distant descendant Admiral Blackadder is a successful, if ruthless, official of a Universe-spanning Empire about to marry the similarly ruthless and insanely ambitious Queen Asphyxia XIX, both planning to conquer the Universe. Ebenezer asks the Spirit what will happen if he stays kind. As an answer, he sees an alternate vision of the same future era where his descendant is nothing more than a naked slave of the rather incompetent Admiral Baldrick.

Ebenezer makes his decision, proclaiming, "Bad guys have all the fun." He wakes up a different man: bitter, vengeful, greedy for money, and insulting to everyone he meets. Although he is now more in control of his life, he misses a golden opportunity when he insults two strangers who had come to reward him for his reputed generosity. These are Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort, Albert. The episode ends leaving Ebenezer contemplating his life.

[kg redhead]

Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999) was created for showing during 2000 in a cinema built near the Millennium Dome, by Sky Television and the BBC, with sponsorship from—among others—Tesco PLC.

Blackadder is entertaining guests on New Year's Eve, 1999. As a practical joke, he plans to convince them he has a working time machine (and win £10,000 into the bargain). Having been charged by his guests, Bishop Flavius Melchett, Archdeacon Kevin Darling, Admiral George Bufton-Tufton and Lady Elizabeth, all presumably illegitimate descendants of previous Blackadder characters (Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Hugh Laurie and Miranda Richardson) to travel back through time to bring back: a Roman centurion's helmet, the Duke of Wellington's boots and a really smelly pair of 200 year old underpants, Blackadder intends to scam his guests by dredging the items from his personal store. However, in pulling a lever, he discovers the time machine, built by Baldrick to plans by Leonardo da Vinci, actually works.

Blackadder and Baldrick travel back into the far distant past and put Shakespeare off writing plays, kill the dinosaurs, Robin Hood and Wellington, and give Elizabeth I some Polo mints, before returning to the present day. Having irreversibly changed history, he finds a Britain under the rule of the French, who won at Waterloo, among other irregularities. He immediately travels back to rectify these discrepancies.

In the closing scenes, Blackadder is reminded how problematic it must have been, and that an unscrupulous person could have gained great power and wealth with such a machine, which gives him a cunning plan. As they go for one last trip through time, we see the final scene showing the four friends sitting down to watch live coverage of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister arriving at the Millennium Dome. It turns out that Blackadder is now King Edmund III, alongside Queen Marian of Sherwood (Kate Moss, earlier seen in the episode as Maid Marian), while Baldrick is now (inexplicably) the Prime Minister. Thus, Blackadder is seen to have finally achieved his lifelong dream of wealth and happiness as King of England.

This was a short film commissioned especially for showing in a cinema erected just south east of the Millennium Dome on the Greenwich peninsula in east London throughout the celebratory year 2000. Note: this is the only Blackadder story to be shot entirely on film and with no laugh track, although one was added for a later BBC screening on Easter Sunday in 2002.

The film closes with the promise that 'Blackadder will return in the year 3000 in Blackadder Back and Forth 2.

Later in 2002, another incarnation, Sir Osmond-Darling Blackadder (Keeper of the Lawn Sprinklers), was seen talking about HM Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in a BBC trailer, and later in a highlights programme with Dame Edna Everage.