From The TV IV

Blackadder is a comedy series created by writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. It first appeared on the BBC in 1983 and last appeared in 1998. Although each season stands on its own, there is an implied line of descent from each Blackadder to the next. The first season was written by Curtis and show star Rowan Atkinson, with Ben Elton coming on board from season 2.

The essential premise of each series (although most explicitely after season 1) is of a man (Blackadder) with 20th century sensibililities and cynicism placed a historical situation. The belief of the writers that this premise could not be sustained in more modern settings is one of the reasons for the show ending after season 4, which was set during World War I.

Contents 1 Cast 2 In-Depth 3 Seasons 4 DVD Releases 5 External Sites

[edit] Cast

Actor	Character	Duration
Billed Cast
Rowan Atkinson	Edmund Blackadder	1	2	3	4
Tony Robinson	Baldrick	1	2	3	4
Tim McInnerny	Lord Percy	1	2		4
	Captain Darling	1	2		4
Stephen Fry	Lord Melchett		2	3	4
	The Duke of Wellington		2	3	4
	General Melchett		2	3	4
Hugh Laurie	Simon Partridge		2	3	4
	Prince Ludwig		2	3	4
	Prince George		2	3	4
	Lieutenant George Colthurst St. Bartleigh		2	3	4
Miranda Richardson	Queen Elizabeth I		2		4
	Nurse Mary Fletcher-Brown		2		4
Brian Blessed	King Richard IV	1
Elspet Gray	The Queen	1
Robert East	Harry, Prince of Wales	1
Patsy Byrne	Nursie		2
Helen Atkinson-Wood	Mrs. Miggins			3

Season numbers in red indicate a recurring or guest role in that season.

[edit] In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series
• Locations and Places: A list of known locations

[edit] Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale	#
BBC One
Season One The Blackadder	June 15, 1983	July 20, 1983	6 + 1
Season Two Blackadder II	January 9, 1986	February 20, 1986	6
Season Three Blackadder the Third	September 17, 1987	October 22, 1987	6 + 2
Season Four Blackadder Goes Forth	September 28, 1989	November 2, 1989	6 + 1

[edit] DVD Releases

Title	Release Date	#
Season Sets
The Blackadder 1	November 1, 1999	1
Blackadder 2	November 6, 2000	1
Blackadder 3	February 5, 2001	1
Blackadder Goes Forth	October 22, 2001	1
Individual Episodes
Blackadder's Christmas Carol	November 18, 2002	1
Blackadder: Back and Forth	September 15, 2003	1
Complete Series
The Complete Blackadder: All Four Series	November 12, 2001	4
The Complete Collection	October 3, 2005	6

[edit] External Sites

• Official BBC website for Blackadder