Through the ages, men of flair, faculty and outstanding courage have contributed to their country's heritage. Others, like die snivelling worm Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh (alias 'The Black Adder"), have emerged from the dust of dodgy documents to claim their wrongful place in history...
The historic first series introduced us to Rowan Atkinson's first incarnation as Black Adder - the incompetent, bitter and twisted son of Richard, Duke of York, who, with the help of his trusty (and equally stinky) aide, Baldrick (Tony Robinson), and Percy (Tim Mclnnerny) begins his slithering journey through the ages, scheming for an easier life, a better position and perhaps even a shot at the throne itself. The original series also stars Brian Blessed as Richard IV, Peter Cook as Richard III, Miriam Margolyes as the Infanta Maria of Spain and Rik Mayall as Mad Gerald. Blackadder was runner-up in the BBC's search for Britain's Best Sitcom.
Six BBC TV episodes starring Rowan Atkinson, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Tony Robinson.
England 1558 - 1603. The filthy genes of the Blackadder dynasty bubble to the surface of history's melting pot as Lord Edmund, arrogant peer-about-town, swaggers with a big head and small beard in search of grace and favour from the stark raving mad Queen Bess.
Listen as Lord Blackadder falls in love with a girl named Bob, takes over the job of executioner whilst almost losing his own head, schemes to raise £1,000 to pay off a perverted Bishop, goes on a far-off sea voyage to the remote country of France, and plays charades with a member of the Spanish Inquisition.
Accompanied by a small rabble of beruffed riff-raff - bottom-breath Baldrick and pea-brain Percy - the serpentine Lord Blackadder lowers the whole tone of England's Golden Age.
Richard Curtis’ and Ben Elton’s award-winning comedy in which Rowan Atkinson as the ubiquitous Blackadder, ably hampered by Tony Robinson as the loyal Baldrick, wreaks havoc throughout the centuries. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, Rik Mayall and Miranda Richardson are some of the guest stars joining in the fun.
In
Blackadder the Third, the fortunes of the family have plummeted rather with Blackadder employed as butler to the Prince Regent. With such an imbecilic Lord and master, however, there’s plenty of scope for deviousness and manipulation.
With a ya boo sucks to you fritzy, hot tiddly tumble, it's off to Western Front 1917. Captain Blackadder, hero of Mboto Gorge, joined the British Army when it was little more than a travel agency for gentlemen with an abnormally high sex drive.
Now he finds himself crammed into a sewer, twenty yards from a lot of heavily armed people who want to kill him. Worse still, he takes his orders from two homicidal maniacs, one called the Charge of the Light Brigade 'a victory for common sense', and the other is called Darling.
Ever ready with a cunning plan,
Blackadder actively avoids duty by taking up art, shooting the General's favourite bird, probing the hospital nurse, and learning to fly.
But will his attempts to push off be enough to save him when the Big Push comes?
Each Autumn, in conjunction with the conferring of The National Book Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature, the Board of Directors of the Foundation presents a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The recipient is a person who has enriched our literary heritage over a life of service, or a corpus of work. The 2003 recipient of this distinguished award was presented to one of the great voices of American literature—Stephen King.
