senor coconut BBC America does play the whole series at least once a year, just have to keep an eye on their website.

The play Fry ran off to Belgium in the middle of was Cellmates. I think it was in 1996, before Wilde in 1997.

Blackadder transcripts are here if anyone is interested, but I would love to know that words to the theme tune if anyone has them.

CeciliaAnne there are different words to the theme a lot of the time, depending on what actually happened in the episode. I have the script book as well as the DVD, so I can tell you the words if you like. My email is in my profile, so just drop me a line if you want them (anyone else is welcome to as well), as I fear they'll take up too much room here.

Here's a link to the IGN interview I mentioned a bit earlier, if anyone's interested. The Blackadder stuff is particularly interesting (certainly for the purposes of discussion here), though the entire interview is quite good, IMHO. I have to say I've always respected Rowan Atkinson for not having a typical "show biz" personality; anyone in Hollywood with his level of success would be insufferable.

I believe the first season lyrics were always the same:

The sound of hooves beat 'cross the glade
Good folk lock up your son and daughter
Beware the deadly slashing blade
Unless you want to end up shorter
Blackadder Blackadder
He rides a pitch black steed
Blackadder Blackadder
He's very bad indeed
Black his gloves of finest mole
Black his codpiece made of metal
His horse is blacker than a vole
His pot is blacker than his kettle
Blackadder Blackadder
With many a cunning plan
Blackadder Blackadder
You horrid little man

I think they changed the credits from time to time in Season Two, to go along with the show. I love it when he goes after the lute player, looking to clobber him.

Poor Rowan. I just love him to bits, mostly because of BA. Back and Forth was good. Rowan punches out Colin Firth (yum!) who plays Shakespeare, saying "That's for all those movies by Kenneth Branagh!" or something to that effect. It was funny. I liked Johnny English. Quite silly, but fun.

Aaah. Pull up a muffin and sit ye down. Avoid the toasting fork, though! I love the Election episode, when they're trying to find and even younger Pitt to oppose Baldrick. "Pitt the embryo? Pitt the glint in the milkman's eye?"

The episode from BAIII that reduced me to a foaming, gibbering idiot? The 'ACTING' episode. Don't say MacBeth, please!

Doesn't Colin Shakespeare say something about not knowing what BA is talking about and Edmund says "I'm going to tell Ken Branagh you said that and I think he's going to be very hurt."

Re: Atkinson's private life, weren't there rumors at the time of The Tall Guy, which is utterly wonderful in spite of Jeff Goldblum, that he was sort of playing himself. That is, not a very nice guy.

But brilliant, without doubt, and kind of hot as an Elizabethan and a Regency guy.

Oh, good. I was hoping someone would say he was hot. I lusted times infinity after him when I became old enough to appreciate him. Yeeoowwwza! It's the goatee.

I don't know about rumors, but I got the impression from this and from his role as a petty, nasty museum curator in Bernard and the Genie that he was probably a really nice guy to be able to be comfortable with that type of role. Not that I know, of course. But he seems nice when he is interviewed (saw him on The Daily Show when "Johnny English" was coming out and he was charming and delightful. And I also have always lusted after him, myself. A lot. Sigh. He's just so funny. The goatee does help, though!

Alexandria, you're absolutely right. That's even funnier than my misquote. I pulled out my Season III DVD tonight and watched a couple episodes along with Blackadder's Christmas Carol. I recited along to it until my husband asked me to stop. Heh, it's just too funny. Messy Kweznuz, indeed.

To say off of is incorrect grammar. Nice that Atkinson responded correctly!

Oh, I am sad about RA. The Blackadder series is one of my favorites. Miranda Richardson (?) changed the way I see history for I am now convinced Queen Elizabeth was completely crackers.

Agreed! Let's not forget: "The violence of the murder and the vastness of the bosom are entirely justified artistically."

I hope RA comes out of this situation realizing that he does 'smart' much better than he does 'dumb'. I have been a big fan for quite a while but still couldn't manage any interest in either Bean or Johnny English. Best wishes, Rowan.

That's rather well put, Mr. Porter, and it's a point I was going to bring up myself; Atkinson is an extremely gifted mime & physical comedian, but the plain fact is that a little of Mr. Bean goes a very long way. That's why I think the Bean tv episodes were much more successful than the movie, at least artistically. (I'm well aware that the Bean movie made a ton of money.) Even if he never plays Edmund Blackadder again, I think it would be a major mistake for RA to turn his back completely on that form of verbal comedy. It really is something he excels at. It's also something he can continue to do gracefully well into middle age. I can see Atkinson portraying Edmund (or Blackadder-like characters) when he's 60. The thought of him playing Mr. Bean at that age is grotesque.

I also think his real strength lies in television, and that he shouldn't abandon tv entirely in favor of movies. So, naturally, he recently committed to doing sequels to both Johnny English and the Bean film. Sigh.

I think Blackadder is RA's best work (and that's saying a lot cause it's all good) so I'm with you on the RA should do smart characters bandwagon. I'd love to see a Blackadder movie.

Part of the reason Mr. Bean was so successful is because it was a global success. There is next to no dialogue, so anyone from any country can appreciate the physical humor. Blackadder contains extremely quick-paced dialogue, some of which is intelligent, some of which is extremely juvenille. I find it all funny, however, I have relatives who say 'I cannot understand what they're saying' and don't even try to listen. I'm sure they're not the only ones.

I agree that the Queen Elizabeth series (was that 2?) was the funniest by far. And my view of Elizabeth I has also been changed due to Miranda Richardson's interpretation.

Blackadder also requires some knowledge of British history to get a lot of it, so to people who haven't studied it must be like a Brit listening to a Dennis Miller routine.

Woohooo! I'm so glad we've finally got a TWoP Blackadder thread! (I was always too chicken to start one myself.)

My feelings on this development are perhaps best expressed in the following quote:

That's one thing I like about the Blackadder DVDs. Each season includes some nice (and brief!) little history lessons to help you get a lot of the real history that the eps reference. I never got what Morris Dancing was supposed to be until I watched those DVDs, but now I sort of almost do. Thank you, Blackadder.

I agree that it's sad about Rowan Atkinson. He's really great. They used to show his standup routine on Comedy Central and it always cracked me up. I also agree that he does better when he plays smart characters. Anybody see him in The Thin Blue Line? That show was great. Atkinson plays a witty but hopelessly anal retentive cop. Really funny.



I thought Back and Forth was all right; I really enjoyed Blackadder's encounter with Shakespeare (I think that's the moment that I realized I have kind of a little crush on Colin Firth), but overall I think the actual show is much better. I just think it's funnier.

Word. I introduced my eleven year old niece to Blackadder while baby-sitting for her one night, and she was instantly hooked. While I suspect the main attractions were the many poop jokes and Baldrick, she's also become fascinated by the historical periods of the various seasons, and she often pauses the episodes to "look something up" in the history feature of the DVD.

Speaking of poop jokes, I was pregnant the first time I saw his skit "No One Named Jones" and I almost went into labor. I always knew "genitals" was a funny word, but that sealed the deal.

I *just* finished the fourth series last night. That was a chipper ending wasn't it? I was delighted to see the return of Flash in Goes Forth. That guy is comedy gold and they knew enough to use him in small doses (are you listening America?). Was it me or did Goes Forth have a lot more poop jokes?

I don't know that I agree with that, at least in reagrds to the main characters, plotlines & situations. You don't need to know the history behind the actual Prince Regent to understand what kind of a character he is in BA3, for example.

It's a slightly different story with some of the casual references to whatever historical era is being portrayed - I was interested to find out who W.G. Grace and Dr. Crippen were in the BA4 DVD's extra features - but I view that as nothing more than a pleasing little extra. If you don't know, it's not essential, but if you do, it's icing on the cake.

The ending the Goes Forth is devastating! I don't know about having more poop jokes, but I do think the humor has a different edge to it than the other three.

Yay, a Blackadder thread! While I'm a fan of Mr Bean and The Thin Blue Line, I think Blackadder is definitely his best work. So very funny, with some of the most brilliant characters in television - George, Queen Elizabeth, Melchett, Baldrick, Darling, and of course Edmund himself.

I watched A Blackadder Christmas Carol a few days ago for the first time. It was wonderful to have some all-new (for me) Blackadder-y goodness. A great spin on Dickens' overdone story as well, and a welcome change from all the sentimental Christmas mush.

I'm curious to know what everybody's favourite seasons are. For me it's a difficult choice, but I think that I like the second series in the Elizabethan era the best. So much funny in that one. I like the first series slightly less than the other three only because I prefer my Blackadder smart and cunning, and the first one was a bit lacking.

I also think that the show had some really great endings. I loved how Blackadder became the Prince of Wales in the third one, and "Blackadder Goes Forth" has such a sad and pathos-filled ending in contrast to all of the comedy. Aww, I kept hoping this time Bladrick's cunning plan was actually...well, cunning, and that Blackadder had heard him out. Sniff.

For me, it's a tie between seasons three and four, but then, I'm totally Hugh Laurie's bitch. (But I think the best Edmund Blackadder was the Elizabethan one.)

I was somewhat surprised to find out that in the first season Edmund was a bit of a dunderhead and it was actually Baldrick that was the smart one. The new format with the brillant and caustically witty Blackadder and the idiotic Baldrick works much better, I think.

Agreed, Eegah, Baldrick the simpleton works much better than Blackadder the moron. That said, "Run away from the hills! If you see a hill, run the other way!" remains one of my fave BA quotes.

As you can see from the title of the thread, series 2 is my favorite (once again, it's the goatee).

I love 'em all, even the weaker 1st series, but BA3 is probably my favorite. I like the Upstairs/Downstairs scenario, and Hugh Laurie is hilarious as the "mini-brained" Prince. Also, Edmund has a particularly bad attitude in the 3rd series, and given the situation he finds himself in, who can blame him? Never has Blackadder's barely-disguised contempt for his supposed betters been more delightful!

I love that too, Junkyard Dog.

Thick Prince George: I mean, we're all Englishmen, aren't we?
Edmund: You're not, you're German.

One great moment from Season 1 is when the Spanish Infanta comes to court to marry Edmund. Edmund convinces Baldrick to 'romance' her in his place, and the next morning he is a bruised and battered wreck, after she has had her way with him (thinking it is Edmund.) It's hilarious, especially with her English-speaking companion translating her love messages in his heavily accented English.

Two more fun quotes from Season 2 and 3, respectively:
Mrs Ploppy: You've really got your banter worked out, haven't you?
Edmund: No, this is a new thing. It's spontaneous & it's called wit.

Prince George: Ah, breakfast. I could eat 14 trays of it and still have room for a dolphin on toast. (I love 'dolphin on toast' and use it all the time!)

RA has sulked before at critical rejection--in 1986 he did a one-man show at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York (get it?) which closed within a month. BA wasn't shown in the US yet and people simply didn't know who he was; his show was apparently laden with bathroom humor that was met with bemusement and disinterest by the Broadway audience, which contains very few frat boys or five-year-olds. The NY Times quoted him on the flight back as railing against American tastes and very bitter. A shame.

I think he's gotten a bit more self-critical and reflective in recent years, though; he got married about three years ago and has a baby daughter, and now has the resources to pursue his love of racing cars.

I can't claim to know the intimate details of Atkinson's life (nor would I want to), but unless I'm mistaken, he's been married a lot longer than 3 years, and has more than one kid. I saw his stage show in the mid 80's when he brought it to Toronto, and it wasn't merely simple-minded potty humor for frat boys and 5 year olds. Some of it, maybe, but certainly not all of it. There's always been a high level of wit in the sketches & monologues in RA's stand up routines, even the smutty ones. Benny Hill, he ain't. As I recall, the show was also pretty well attended, though it's possible RA may have attracted bigger audiences in Canada than in the U.S. at that time.

Back OT, I find the 2 main questions that inevitably arise whenever Blackadder is under discussion are: (1.) "What is your favorite series?" and (2.) "Should they do another one?" With the latter query in mind, I wonder if anyone checked out the IGN interview I linked to a bit earlier, and if y'all liked the WWII idea he claims they were going to do?

Some of us knew who he was in '86. I remember watching Not the Nine O'Clock News when I was young & have liked him since then. I haven't really taken a look around this site, but it looks fairly comprehensive.

Personally, I never really got into any of BA's other shows. To me, Blackadder was much more verbal farce/comedy with the physical for reinforcement.

Where Mr. Bean and his other work is primarily physical comedy, often without any dialogue. Plus for Blackadder he usually had gifted actors to work against, where in Mr. Bean his just doing stupid things in an odd way by himself. He just comes-off as a very neurotic-version of Benny Hill.

Today is Rowan's 49th Birthday. Happy Birthday!

For some reason I thought RA was married (no idea if this is his current wife) to an actress from one of the Blackadder seasons. Was it Mrs. Ploppy? (Or Bob, maybe?)

I think you are thinking of his mother.

He's married to his mother? Damn!

Those of you who have the DVDs, do they have subtitles?

What you may be thinking of is Helen Atkinson-Wood who played Mrs. Miggins in Blackadder The Third. Even though her name is Atkinson, they aren't related.

I do remember his wife was a British woman of Indian descent. Glad to know he's longer married and more stable than I thought, but it was like the only article I've ever seen that mentioned his personal life, so I forgot when I saw it.

Ack! Who did his mother play?


Yes! That's exactly who I was thinking of. Thanks for clearing everything up, M. Darcy.

(Though I am still confused about his mother.)

The DVDs (at least the ones I have) don't have subtitles, but they are closed-captioned.

Oh man, this cracked my shit up.

Hmm, topic? I watched Nob and Nobility last nite and I love the jumping into the corner and then dying bit. Oh and Prince George trying to put on his fantastic trousers. Hee!

Mr. Coconut is getting a slapping for that. HE was the one who told me that she was his mother.

Nob and Nobility was the one with Chris Barrie, my Red Dwarf boyfriend, right?

Yep, that's him. I LOVE the way he says "Your little guh-nome is correct" (referring to Baldrick.) Tim McInnerny and Nigel Planer (Neil from The Young Ones) are quite excellent as the Scarlet Pimple (heh) as well.

Rowan's wife is a makeup artist. He's been married for 10-12 years, if I recall correctly. I was kinda jealous when I found out about her! I'm a dork. Also, he has two kids, a boy and a girl.

This thread is making me CRAVE some Black Adder. I have a cunning plan to buy myself that DVD.

I was wandering around England with a friend (studying abroad) and we came upon a statue of a jester. I quoted from memory this little gem.

Queen Elizabeth: He [her father] used to laugh at those people with the funny faces, and the bells.
Melchett: Ah - jesters, ma'am.
QE: No. Lepers.

Only seven years later and I finally have my DVD! And my friend is already bugging me to lend it to her.

II is by far my favorite series. And I think V (in World War II) would have been great, and the idea of Edmund and Baldrick in the Russian Revolution is positively inspired.

This is probably just a rumor but Rowan is in the news again. The current gossip is that he is playing Lord Voldemort in the 4th Harry Potter movie - the Goblet of Fire.

The grand coup of the century would be if they got Margaret Thatcher to play Voldemort - wouldn't that just be the best?

Topic? Thatcher was PM during Blackadder's initial run.

hee, though is the Dark Lord that evil? It would be interesting if RA got the part. Though, Rowan seems shorter than I had always mentally pictured Lord Voldemort. For some reason, I always thought he was very tall. Don't ask me why though. Speaking of Blackadder and Harry Potter, Rik Mayall was supposed to play Peeves but got edited out of the first movie.

Well, its time for lunch so goodbyeee.