Blackadder
A cunning plan through history
Blackadder is a series of four period sitcoms broadcast on BBC One, each starring Rowan Atkinson as a scheming, sardonic member of the Blackadder dynasty and Tony Robinson as his hopeless dogsbody, Baldrick. Every series drops the pair into a different slice of English history: the medieval court of The Black Adder, the Elizabethan intrigue of Blackadder II, the Regency drawing rooms of Blackadder the Third, and the First World War trenches of Blackadder Goes Forth. Written by Richard Curtis, Rowan Atkinson and later Ben Elton, and boasting a cast including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson and Tim McInnerny, it is celebrated for its razor-sharp wit and its unforgettable, poignant final scene.
Start a quizAt a glance
- First aired
- 15 June 1983
- Last aired
- 2 November 1989
- Created by
- Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson
- Channel
- BBC One
- Series
- 4
- Episodes
- 24
- Set in
- England, from 1485 to the First World War
- Quizzes
- 3
Blackadder quizzes
From medieval England to the trenches of WWI, test your knowledge of Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick.
From Flashheart to Speckled Jim. Get to know the schemers, fools and toffs of the Blackadder dynasty.
Dictionaries, duels and doomed pigeons. A tougher test on the plots and moments across all four series.
Blackadder cast and characters
Edmund Blackadder
Played by Rowan Atkinson
The sardonic anti-hero, reborn in each era: a bumbling medieval prince, a scheming Elizabethan lord, butler to the Prince Regent and finally a captain in the trenches of 1917. From the second series on, he is the clever one, surrounded by idiots.
Baldrick
Played by Tony Robinson
Blackadder's servant in every era. Brighter than his master in the first series, he becomes a filthy, dim-witted dogsbody forever offering a 'cunning plan'.
Lord Percy / Captain Darling
Played by Tim McInnerny
Lord Percy is Edmund's dim aristocratic sidekick in the first two series. Captain Darling is General Melchett's desk-bound aide and Blackadder's rival in Blackadder Goes Forth.
Lord Melchett / General Melchett
Played by Stephen Fry
Lord Melchett is Queen Elizabeth I's sycophantic adviser in Blackadder II. General Melchett is the blustering, out-of-touch commander in Blackadder Goes Forth.
Prince Regent / Lieutenant George
Played by Hugh Laurie
The idiotic Prince Regent, whom Blackadder serves as butler in Blackadder the Third, and the cheerfully naive upper-class Lieutenant George in Blackadder Goes Forth.
Queen Elizabeth I ('Queenie')
Played by Miranda Richardson
The spoilt, childish and dangerously changeable queen of Blackadder II, whose favour Lord Blackadder must keep to keep his head.
Nursie
Played by Patsy Byrne
Queenie's dotty former nanny, who is forever embarrassing the queen with stories about her childhood. She appears in all six episodes of Blackadder II.
King Richard IV
Played by Brian Blessed
The booming, battle-loving king in The Black Adder and Edmund's father, who pays his second son little attention. In the show's alternative history he is one of the Princes in the Tower, grown up.
Blackadder facts and FAQs
- When was Blackadder first shown?
- Blackadder was first shown on BBC One on 15 June 1983, when the first series, The Black Adder, began. The four series ran from 1983 to 1989, ending with "Goodbyeee" on 2 November 1989.
- How many series (seasons) and episodes of Blackadder are there?
- There are 4 series of six episodes each, making 24 episodes in total. Specials are extra, including Blackadder: The Cavalier Years (1988), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) and Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999).
- What order should you watch Blackadder in?
- Watch in broadcast order: The Black Adder (1983), Blackadder II (1986), Blackadder the Third (1987) and Blackadder Goes Forth (1989). Each series stands alone in a different period, so you can start anywhere, though the familiar cunning Blackadder only arrives in Blackadder II. Blackadder's Christmas Carol was made after Blackadder the Third and features characters from both Blackadder II and the Third.
- Who created and wrote Blackadder?
- Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson created Blackadder and wrote the first series together. Ben Elton replaced Atkinson as Curtis's co-writer for the remaining three series, and John Lloyd produced all four.
- Where was Blackadder filmed and where is it set?
- The first series was filmed largely on location at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, while the later three series were recorded mainly on studio sets at BBC Television Centre in London, in front of a live audience. Each series is set in a different period of English history: 1485, the reign of Elizabeth I, the Regency and the First World War in 1917.
- What is Blackadder about?
- Blackadder follows successive generations of Edmund Blackadder and his servant Baldrick through English history as Blackadder schemes to improve his position among fools and tyrants. The final series moves the pair to the trenches of the First World War, ending with the famous "over the top" scene.
- Will there be a Blackadder series 5?
- No fifth series is planned. Rowan Atkinson said in 2017 that there were "no plans to do anything", and in December 2024 Ben Elton said there would not be a fifth series, which he called "pretty much a certainty".
Awards and recognition
BAFTA for Best Comedy Series for Blackadder the Third (1988) and Blackadder Goes Forth (1990)
BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Performance for Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1990)
Ranked second in the 2004 BBC poll of Britain's Best Sitcoms