Black Adder & Blackadder

There were four Seasons of six episodes each in the ‘Black Adder’ or ‘Blackadder’ TV comedy series. They were:-

  1.  The Black Adder (1983) – set in the late 1400s after Black Adder has mistakenly beheaded his uncle the King
  2.  Blackadder II (1986) – set in the 1500s with Blackadder in the service of the Queen
  3.  Black Adder The Third (1987) – set in the late 1700s/early 1800s in the Prince Regent’s apartments
  4.  Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) – set in 1917 WW1 trenches

The first was written by Richard Curtis (1956-) and the lead actor, Rowan Atkinson (1955-), the other three by Curtis and Ben Elton (1959-). They include, naturally, comic exaggerations of historical record, e.g. William Pitt the Younger depicted as a teenaged Prime Minister!

The main character who, after season 1, was a clever, conniving schemer, is descended from the previous Blackadders. Indeed several characters appear in each time period, including the dim-witted servant, Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson (1946-), who always has “a cunning plan” which turns out to be ridiculous.

Seasons 2 and 3 were works of comic genius but it was Season 4’s final, poignant episode which drew the highest viewing figures of 10.2 million. Captain Blackadder’s attempts to abscond are in vain as his unit is commanded to ‘go over the top’.

(Top image from Blackadder II: at Flickr.com/CC BY 2.0)

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