Blackadder

Historical anomalies

Main article: Historical anomalies in Blackadder

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The Blackadder series contain many instances of anachronism or anachronistic references. For example:

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• In Blackadder I, the Duke of Edinburgh is one of Edmund's titles. However Scotland had a separate monarchy at this point, and this title had not yet been created. It is possible that this was purposely done as a pun at the expense of the character of Edmund (the Black Adder), since it is a useless title.
• It is not entirely clear when exactly Blackadder The Third is meant to be set and the series encompasses many historical persons and events from throughout the reign of George III (1760-1820) and even beyond. Samuel Johnson completed his dictionary in 1755, however, which is the premise for the second episode of the series. The most common setting appears to be during the Regency (1811-1820) but Prince George is portrayed as thin and young, when actually, by this point he was in his early fifties and very, very fat. Bizarrely, jokes are made about his weight which, while appropriate for the real Prince, seem out of place when describing Hugh Laurie. There are also a number of references to Napoleon Bonaparte, yet the French Revolution only takes place in the third episode.