"Blackadder Blackadder is a series of four BBC1 pseudohistorical British sitcoms, plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired in the 1980s. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the anti-hero 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, for example Melchett (Stephen Fry) and Lord Flashheart (Rik Mayall). The first series, ""The Black Adder"", was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, while subsequent episodes were written by Curtis and Ben Elton. The shows"
"first series of ""Blackadder"", was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson and produced by John Lloyd. It originally aired on BBC1 from 15 June 1983 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 King Richard III won the Battle of Bosworth Field only to be mistaken for someone else and murdered, and is succeeded by Richard IV (Brian Blessed), one of the Princes in the Tower. The series follows the exploits of"
"The Black Adder The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd. The series was originally aired on BBC One from 15 June 1983 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 a secret history which contends that King Richard III won the Battle of Bosworth Field, only to be unintentionally assassinated by his nephew Edmund and succeeded by"
"appearances by ""Blackadder"" are featured, with some of this extra material being released on audio for the first time. On 5 February 1990, BBC Enterprises Ltd released all 6 episodes of ""The Black Adder"" on two single videos and on 7 September 1992 all 6 episodes of ""Blackadder II"" were re-released on 'Complete' double VHS releases. All 6 episodes were re-released on a single video release on 2 October 1995. The Black Adder The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John"
"Blackadder II Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), and sees the principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder, as a Tudor courtier attempting to win the favour of the Queen while avoiding execution by decapitation, a fate that befell many of her suitors. The series saw a number of significant changes from the format of ""The Black Adder"", notably Ben Elton replacing Rowan Atkinson as the"
"five episodes of the first two series were released on a 15 rated compiled video by BBC Worldwide Ltd. On 4 November 1991, ""Blackadder's Christmas Carol"" was released on a single video release rated PG (Cat. No. BBCV 4646) Blackadder Blackadder is a series of four BBC1 pseudohistorical British sitcoms, plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired in the 1980s. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the anti-hero 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"
"Blackadder Goes Forth Blackadder Goes Forth is the fourth and final series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989 on BBC One. The series placed the recurring characters of Blackadder, Baldrick and George in a trench in Flanders during World War I, and followed their various doomed attempts to escape from the trenches to avoid certain death under the misguided command of General Melchett. The series is particularly noted for its criticism of the British Army's leadership during the campaign, and also refers to a number"
"release of the series was also produced in 1996. The series is also available in Region 1 DVD in a box-set of the complete series. In addition, an audio recording taken from the television episodes is available on cassette and compact disc. Blackadder II Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), and sees the principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder, as a Tudor courtier attempting to"
"and was one of the main sketch writers. The success of ""Not the Nine O'Clock News"" led to him taking the lead role in the medieval sitcom ""The Black Adder"" (1983), which he also co-wrote with Richard Curtis. After a three-year gap, in part due to budgetary concerns, a second series was broadcast, this time written by Curtis and Ben Elton. ""Blackadder II"" (1986) followed the fortunes of one of the descendants of Atkinson's original character, this time in the Elizabethan era. The same pattern was repeated in the two more sequels ""Blackadder the Third"" (1987) (set in the Regency"
"from the TV soundtrack is available on Cassette and CD. All 4 series and the Christmas special are also available for download on iTunes. The complete scripts of the four television series were released in 1998 as ""Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty 1485–1917"", and later reissued by Penguin Books in 2009. Blackadder Goes Forth Blackadder Goes Forth is the fourth and final series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989 on BBC One. The series placed the recurring characters of Blackadder, Baldrick and George in a"
"George, respectively. Each series was set in a different period of British history, beginning in 1485 and ending in 1917, and comprised six half-hour episodes. The first series, made in 1983, was called ""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 during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the reign of George III, and ""Blackadder Goes Forth"" (1989) was set in 1917 in the trenches of the Great War. ""The Black Adder"", the"
"were produced by John Lloyd. 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 the 2004 TV poll to find ""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 9th-best TV show of all time by ""Empire"" magazine. Although each series is set in a different era, all follow the misfortunes of Edmund Blackadder (played by Atkinson), who in each is a member of a British"
"Empire in 1453, predating the events in the episode by 33 years); this dramatic licence would continue in the subsequent ""Blackadders"". 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"". ""Blackadder II"" is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), who is portrayed by Miranda Richardson. The principal character is Edmund, Lord Blackadder, the great-grandson of the original Black Adder. During the series, he regularly deals with"
"resemblance to Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Shakespeare's ""Twelfth Night"". Indeed, as with ""The Black Adder"", the series featured many tongue-in-cheek references to Shakespeare's plays; Shakespeare is mentioned a number of times as a contemporary Elizabethan, and many of his famous quotations are twisted for comic effect. In particular the first episode ""Bells"", follows a similar plot to ""Twelfth Night"". The series aired for six episodes broadcast on Thursdays on BBC One at 9.30pm between 9 January 1986 and 20 February 1986. ""Head"" was originally intended to be the first episode and was first to be filmed. This resulted in the"
"first episode of ""The Black Adder"" contains many references to the works of Shakespeare and, as with subsequent episodes in this series, the end credits include an acknowledgement of ""additional dialogue by William Shakespeare"". Most obviously, the script of ""The Foretelling"" draws on material from ""Richard III"" but a number of other aspects of the episode also parody Shakespeare's other works: The Foretelling ""The Foretelling"" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom ""The Black Adder"", the first series of the long-running comedy programme ""Blackadder"". It marks Rowan Atkinson's début as the character Edmund Blackadder, and is the first appearance"
"by a baritone (Simon Carrington, a member of the King's Singers). In the final episode, the theme was sung with altered lyrics by a treble, in a more reflective style. The series' incidental music was unusually performed by pipe organ and percussion. The series won an International Emmy award in the popular arts category in 1983. The four series of ""Blackadder"" were voted into second place in the BBC's ""Britain's Best Sitcom"" in 2004 with 282,106 votes, although the series' advocate, John Sergeant, was not complimentary of the first series, suggesting it was ""grandiose, confused and expensive"". Members of the"
"in the show with Pamela Stephenson, Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith, and was one of the main sketch writers. The success of ""Not the Nine O'Clock News"" led to him taking the lead role in the medieval sitcom ""The Black Adder"" (1983), which he also co-wrote with Richard Curtis. After a three-year gap, in part due to budgetary concerns, a second series was broadcast, this time written by Curtis and Ben Elton. ""Blackadder II"" (1986) followed the fortunes of one of the descendants of Atkinson's original character, this time in the Elizabethan era. The same pattern was repeated in"
"second writer, filming in studio sets, rather than on location, the introduction of the more familiar Machiavellian ""Blackadder"" character and a less intelligent Baldrick. The series is set during the Elizabethan era (1558–1603). The principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), is the great-grandson of the original Black Adder, and is now a member of the London aristocracy. Unlike his forefather, he is both dashing and intelligent, although he is still scheming and cynical in his outlook. The series follows his attempts to win the favour of the childish Queen Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson). As before he is aided, and"
"The Black Adder (pilot episode) The Black Adder is the unaired pilot episode of the BBC television series ""Blackadder"". Taped on 20 June 1982, it features the original incarnation of Rowan Atkinson's character Edmund Blackadder. Following this pilot, ""The Black Adder"" eventually went into production and the first six-part series was broadcast in 1983, but with a number of changes to the casting, characterisation and plot; while the transmitted series was set in 1485 and the years following the Battle of Bosworth Field, this untransmitted pilot was set in 16th century, apparently during the Elizabethan Era. A close adaptation of"
"Blackadder the Third Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987. The series was set during the Georgian Era, and saw the principal character, Mr. E. Blackadder serve as butler to the Prince Regent and have to contend with, or cash in on, the fads of the age embraced by his master. The third series reduced the number of principal characters again compared with the previous series, but instead included a number of significant cameo roles by well-known comic actors."
"for the ""Blackadder"" series: We wanted a place and a time that could reproduce to a certain extent the claustrophobia and the sordidness of medieval England, and the best way to do that is to set it in the middle of a war. Co-writer Richard Curtis has said that before writing the series, the writers read a number of books about the war and decided that the First World War was a particularly apt subject for a situation comedy, finding that ""actually, all the lead up to the first world war was very funny, all the people coming from communities"
"could be an effective comedic device and he inserted it into his line ""I have a plan"" as Baldrick conspires with Edmund to escape from the dungeon. Although the credits give recognition to William Shakespeare, unlike previous episodes in this series, the script of ""Witchsmeller Pursuivant"" does not contain any direct references to Shakespeare's plays. Witchsmeller Pursuivant ""Witchsmeller Pursuivant"" is the fifth episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"" (""The Black Adder""). It is set in England in the late 15th century and centres on the fictitious Prince Edmund, who finds himself falsely accused of witchcraft by"
"and an Emmy. Elton and Curtis were inspired to write ""Blackadder Goes Forth"" upon finding World War I to be apt for a situation comedy. This series, which dealt with greater, darker themes than prior ""Blackadder"" episodes, was praised for Curtis's and Elton's scripts, in particular the final episode. Before writing the series, the pair read about the war and found that: Elton and Curtis also wrote Atkinson's 1986 stage show, ""The New Review"", and Mr. Bean's ""exam"" episode. Elton became a stand-up comedian primarily to showcase his own writing, but became one of Britain's biggest live acts. After a"
"cast and crew, looking back for the documentary ""Blackadder Rides Again"", are also not particularly complimentary of the first series. John Lloyd recalls that a colleague commented at the time that the series ""looks a million dollars, but cost a million pounds"", although admits that they were proud of the result at the time. Due to the high cost of the first series, the Controller of BBC1 at the time the second series was commissioned, Michael Grade, was reluctant to authorise a second series without major improvements and cost-cutting, leaving a gap of three years before ""Blackadder II"" was broadcast,"
"The story – ""Shada"", written by Douglas Adams – was filmed in Cambridge. Animation was added to complete the original story. He also filmed one new scene for inclusion in the final episode. In 1982, Baker portrayed Sherlock Holmes in a four-part BBC1 miniseries version of ""The Hound of the Baskervilles""; in the US, this production was telecast on A&E. He also made an appearance in ""Blackadder II"", in the episode ""Potato"", as the sea captain ""Redbeard Rum"". Much later, he played Puddleglum, a ""marsh-wiggle"", in the 1990 BBC adaptation of C.S. Lewis' ""The Silver Chair"". For the third series"
"and the Christmas special are also available for download on iTunes. The complete scripts of the four television series were released in 1998 as ""Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty 1485–1917"", and later reissued by Penguin Books in 2009. Blackadder the Third Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder"", written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987. The series was set during the Georgian Era, and saw the principal character, Mr. E. Blackadder serve as butler to the Prince Regent and have to contend with, or cash in"
"is the first man in the dynasty to refer to himself as 'the Black Adder'. The first Blackadder is named after the treacherous Edmond from Shakespeare's ""King Lear"". He appears in the first series, ""The Black Adder"", set shortly after The Wars of the Roses. He is the second son of the fictional King Richard IV of England, who, we are told at the beginning, was cast from all historical references by his successor, Henry Tudor. Prince Edmund is a very different character from his descendants: he is slow-witted, cowardly, and the butt of the other characters' jokes. While he"
"Black Mirror Black Mirror is a British anthology science fiction television series created by Charlie Brooker, with Brooker and Annabel Jones serving as the programme showrunners. It examines modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. Episodes are standalone, usually set in an alternative present or the near future, often with a dark and satirical tone, though some are more experimental and lighter. The show premiered for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 in December 2011 and February 2013, respectively. After its addition to the catalogue in December 2014, Netflix purchased the programme"
"The Foretelling ""The Foretelling"" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom ""The Black Adder"", the first series of the long-running comedy programme ""Blackadder"". It marks Rowan Atkinson's début as the character Edmund Blackadder, and is the first appearance of the recurring characters Baldrick (Tony Robinson) and Percy (Tim McInnerny). The comedy actor Peter Cook guest stars as King Richard III. ""The Black Adder"" is a historical comedy set in late Medieval England on the cusp of the Tudor Period, and centres on the eponymous ""Black Adder"", the pseudonym adopted from this episode onwards by Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh."
"Bells (Blackadder) ""Bells"" is the first episode of the BBC sitcom ""Blackadder II"", the second series of ""Blackadder"", which was set in Elizabethan England from 1558 to 1603. Although ""Bells"" was the first to be broadcast on BBC1, it was originally destined to be the second episode. The plot of the episode, of a young woman disguising herself as a man to go into service and falling in love with her employer, is particularly based on a significant plot thread of William Shakespeare's ""Twelfth Night"". Kate, an attractive young woman, is attempting to comfort her father upon her mother's death"
"Blackeyes (TV series) Blackeyes is a BBC television miniseries first broadcast in 1989, written and directed by Dennis Potter based on his own novel of the same name. Broadcast as four 50-minute episodes, first screened weekly from 29 November 1989 to 20 December 1989 on Britain's BBC2 channel, ""Blackeyes"" starred Gina Bellman as the title character, an attractive model, with Michael Gough in a key role as her uncle. It was described in the press TV listings as ""a quirky, dark and sexually charged drama"". Potter described the series' theme as the objectification of ""young and attractive women as consumer"
"""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 before ""Blackadder II"", in which the title character becomes ""Edmund Blackadder"". Furthermore, Baldrick is shown in more favourable and intelligent light here - his 'cunning plans' are typically superior and more workable than Edmund's own. Starting from the second series, the characters' relative intelligence and naivety clearly switch. Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis developed the idea for the sitcom while working on ""Not the Nine O'Clock News"". Eager to avoid comparisons"
"serial that would later be produced as ""The Invasion"" (1968), Whitaker was ultimately unable to contribute a script, leaving then-story editor and future ""Doctor Who"" producer Derrick Sherwin to write it himself. David Whitaker (screenwriter) David Whitaker (18 April 1928 in Knebworth, Hertfordshire – 4 February 1980 in Fulham, London) was an English television writer and novelist known for his work in the early years of the science-fiction TV series ""Doctor Who"". He served as the programme's first story editor, supervising the writing of its first 51 episodes from 1963 to 1964. Prior to joining the BBC, Whitaker worked as"