Take 4 TV: The Black Adder...and More

The Black Adder…and Sequels (1983 – 1999)

What’s Going On: In 1983, the BBC aired a six episode comedy called The Black Adder, which featured the story of Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh (played by Mr. Bean’s Rowan Atkinson), during the reign of Richard IV (his father). With his faithful servant Baldrick and his moronic compatriot Lord Percy, Edmund (who takes the nickname “The Black Adder” to sound more mysterious and cunning), conceives of plot after failed plot to gain power in his father’s household.

Three years later, the BBC aired Blackadder II. This six episode series takes place further in the future, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and follows the life of Lord Edmund Blackadder (again, played by Atkinson), supposedly a descendent of the original Duke of Edinburgh…now a courtier of the Queen. He still has a Baldrick and a Percy at hand to help him out (descendents of the originals, it is assumed), and he is still hungry for power…and just as useless at gaining it.

Finally, bring on Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth, where Atkinson plays two more Edmund Blackadders: respectively, a butler to George (the Prince Regent of Wales) and a British military captain during World War One. Baldrick is back in both series, but Percy is replaced by Prince George (and then Lieutenant George in the fourth installment). At the end of all this, in 1999, a special entitled Blackadder Back & Forth was filmed, which features a time-traveling member of the Blackadder line that visits the past…and the lives of his descendents.

Top Plot Keywords from IMDB.com (The Black Adder): Dark Ages; Royalty; Great Britain; King Richard III; Cunning Plan

Random Trivia: Much of this series was shot on location, which resulted in a cost considered exorbitant at the time for a BBC series. As a result it was not renewed for a second series, however in 1984 the team was able to convince BBC One to produce a second series with the understanding that costs would have to be cut dramatically (for example Blackadder II was shot entirely in a studio).

And I Quote…(Blackadder the Third): Mrs. Miggins: “Bonjour, Monsiuer.” Blackadder: “Excuse me?” Mrs. Miggins [explaining]: “It's French.” Blackadder: “So is eating frogs, cruelty to geese and urinating on the streets.”

Curt’s Take: Worth Considering: I say this with one caveat…seeing the entire run of episodes is NOT something I recommend. Instead, what I’d say is “worth considering” is perhaps catching the first episode of each season (or “series,” as they say in Britain). You get a feel for the humor, it doesn’t wear thin on you, and (most importantly) you get to see how the series evolves over time…and through time. Each Blackadder is slightly different from the one before. Between the first two seasons, Rowan Atkinson does an especially astonishing job in transforming Blackadder from a sniveling Mr. Bean-like wimp to a confident, cunning player in the court of the Queen. By just sampling a handful of episodes as recommended, you get to gain a taste of what is an essential part of British television comedy, see the actual acting talent of Rowan Atkinson, and not have your brain leak out of your ears like I did by watching twenty-four episodes plus a reunion special over the course of a week.