Blackadder

Blackadder overview

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) to an ever more cunning and devious genius.

Related Topics:
Social standing - Prince - Nobleman - Butler - Captain - Cannon-fodder - Genius

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The Macbeth-inspired witches, in "The Foretelling" (1.1), thinking he is someone else, promise 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. 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 of the United Kingdom in Blackadder: Back & Forth. 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.

Related Topics:
Macbeth - King - Elizabeth I - Prince Regent - Duke of Wellington - George IV - Grand Admiral

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Comparison between Baldrick and Blackadder

It is also noticeable that, as Blackadder becomes more cunning and devious, 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.

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Similarities over the series

Each series tended to feature the same set of actors in different period settings, retaining roughly the same class divisions; thus 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 Prince Ludwig the Indestructible in the final episode of Blackadder II, a foppish Prince George in Blackadder the Third and the upper-class 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 in both the second and fourth series.

Related Topics:
Class - Stephen Fry - Lord Melchett - General Melchett - Tim McInnerny - Lord Percy Percy - The Scarlet Pimpernel - Kevin Darling - Hugh Laurie - Lord Flashheart - Robin Hood - Gabrielle Glaister - Bob

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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.

Related Topics:
Howard Goodall - Theme tune - Melody - Trumpet - Wind instrument - Electric guitar - Harpsichord - Military band - Carol singers - Orchestra

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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.

Related Topics:
1984 - Michael Grade - BBC One - 2004 - Britain's Best Sitcom

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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:

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• "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:

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• "Blackadder, you twist and turn 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."