Blackadder

1983 • BBC

4.9

609 reviews

Rating

Eligible

Season 1 episodes (6)

1 The Foretelling

6/14/83

Edmund, the mostly forgotten son of Richard Duke of York, oversleeps and arrives late for the Battle of Bosworth. After accidently cutting off the head of Richard III and saving the life of the opposition leader Henry Tudor, he finds himself installed as the Duke of Edinburgh. In a bid to be taken more seriously, he changes his name to The Black Adder, and a legend is born.

2 Born to be King

6/21/83

The supreme commander of the King's army, Lord Dougal McAngus, arrives home early from the crusades and is awarded Blackadder's Scottish lands as a reward for his bravery in battle. Enraged, Blackadder hatches a plot for revenge, but soon changes his mind when McAngus offers him documents showing that Harry is illegitimate.

3 The Archbishop

6/28/83

The King has murdered three successive Archbishops of Canterbury so Blackadder is understandably terrified when he is the next appointment. Determined not to be the next prelate to be brutally slain in a freak accident, he brilliantly persuades a rich nobleman to donate all his lands to the King and not the Church. However, the King accidentally orders Blackadder's murder anyway.

4 The Queen of Spain's Beard

7/5/83

It is a time of wars and political upheaval, and the King decides to make an alliance between England and Spain by marrying Blackadder to the Spanish Infanta. Blackadder is keen to end his appalling run of luck with women, that is until he meets the Infanta. His schemes to thwart the marriage all fail, until news comes of a new alliance between France and Switzerland.

5 Witchsmeller Pursuivant

7/12/83

It is a time of plague and omens in the kingdom. In this atmosphere of paranoia, the Witchsmeller Pursuivant is called to court, to sniff out the chief witch and bring an end to the country's bad luck. Inconveniently, the Witchsmeller decides that Edmund is the Chief Witch, and that Percy and Baldrick have something a bit witchy about them, too.

6 The Black Seal

7/19/83

Blackadder decides that he can wait no longer to seize his destiny. He sets out to recruit the six most evil men in the Kingdom - The Black Seal - to help him take control of the country. His plans are thwarted by the arrival of his oldest enemy: the Hawk. This implacable foe throws Edmund into a dungeon and goes off to take over the kingdom himself.

About this show

Rowan Atkinson stars as the dastardly Edmund Blackadder in this acclaimed historical comedy. From the castles of medieval England to the trenches of World War One, the scheming Blackadder and his smelly servant, Baldrick, seriously lower the tone wherever they go. Many great men have played a part in shaping Britain's noble heritage. But Edmund Blackadder is not one of them. From coward to cad and back again, Blackadder brings his cunning plans and serpentine banter to British history through the ages.

Ratings and reviews

4.9

609 reviews

Tim Wells

April 16, 2017

One of the best TV Sitcoms ever made, with Blackadder II Blackadder Goes Fourth being the best two of the four series. Ranging from War of the Roses to WW1 the collection of four series looks at the 'forgotten' period between Richard III and Henry VII, life in the Elizabethan court, what went on Prince George's palace during George III's life and life in the trenches of World War 1, not to mention a brief visit to Victorian London where Edmund encounters a Christmas spirit.

Ben Delplanque

September 19, 2020

Based in history but ironically doesn't age. Fantastic characters, brilliantly scripted and acted. The first series is very different from the rest but is definitely still worth a watch: the humour is there but the character dynamic is quite different. I still like it a lot. Be sure to make time for Blackadder's Christmas Carol as well as that is utterly brilliant though not sold on Playstore I see...

Nat Gibbs

June 21, 2015

The best satire in the British tradition arguably of the latter twentieth century I have found anywhere in the world. Of course everyone has a slightly, to very different appreciation, but to those in the know, it's bordering, if not genius.

3 people found this review helpful

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