Blackadder II
Rowan Atkinson as Lord Blackadder
Genre	Situation comedy
Created by	Richard Curtis & Ben Elton
Starring	Rowan Atkinson Tony Robinson Tim McInnerny Miranda Richardson Stephen Fry Patsy Byrne
Theme music composer	Howard Goodall
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producer(s)	John Lloyd
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Picture format	4:3
Original run	9 January 1986 – 20 February 1986
Chronology
Preceded by	Blackadder
Followed by	Blackadder the Third
External links
Official website

Blackadder II was the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. Lord Blackadder This work is copyrighted. ... Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Edmund, Lord Blackadder (1531-1566) was the main character in the second series of the popular BBC sit-com Blackadder. ... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or of a poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... Richard Curtis in London, 1999 Richard Curtis CBE, (born 8 November 1956), is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, best known for the TV programmes Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley as well as movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually. ... Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, writer and director. ... Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Tony Robinson (born August 15, 1946) is an English actor, broadcaster and political campaigner, known for playing the part of Baldrick in the BBC TV series Blackadder and for hosting a number of shows on Channel 4, the most noteworthy being Time Team. ... Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy in Blackadder II. Tim McInnerny (stress on the penultimate syllable of McInnerny) was born September 18, 1956 and is a British actor. ... Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958) is an Academy Award nominated English actress. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Patsy Byrne is a British actress, born 13 July 1933. ... Howard Goodall Howard Goodall (born 1958 in Bromley, South London) is a British composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This is an episode list of the British sitcom Blackadder. ... John Lloyd (born 1951 in Dover, England; birth name: John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd), British comedy writer and producer. ... BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ... The aspect ratio of an image is its displayed width divided by its height (usually expressed as x:y or x×y, with the joining colon or multiplication symbol articulated as the preposition by or sometimes to). Currently, the most popular standard ratios are the anamorphic (2. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off installments. ... The second series of Blackadder was set in Elizabethan England, starring (left to right) Tony Robinson as Baldrick, Rowan Atkinson as Edmund, Lord Blackadder, and Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or of a poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off installments. ... Richard Curtis in London, 1999 Richard Curtis CBE, (born 8 November 1956), is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, best known for the TV programmes Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley as well as movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually. ... Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, writer and director. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

The series was set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), and saw the principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder, as a Tudor courtier attempting to win the favour of the Queen while avoiding the fate that befell many of her suitors. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)1 Capital Winchester, then London from 11th century. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Edmund, Lord Blackadder (1531-1566) was the main character in the second series of the popular BBC sit-com Blackadder. ... The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh: ) was a series of five monarchs who ruled England and Ireland from 1485 until 1603. ... Mike the Headless Chicken struts. ...

The series saw a number of significant changes from the format of The Black Adder, notably Ben Elton replacing Rowan Atkinson as the second writer, filming in studio sets, rather than on location, and the introduction of the more familiar Machiavellian "Blackadder" character.^[1] A television studio is an installation in which television or video productions take place, either for live television, for recording live on tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for postproduction. ... Machiavellianism is primarily the term some social and personality psychologists use to describe a persons tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. ...

Plot

Blackadder II is set in the Elizabethan period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), played by Miranda Richardson. The principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder, is the great-grandson of the original Black Adder, and is now a member of the London Aristocracy. Unlike his forefather, he is both dashing and intelligent, although still scheming and cynical in his outlook. The series follows his attempts to win the favour (and avoid annoying) the childish, yet immensely powerful (and occasionally psychotic) Queen aided (although often hindered) by two less intelligent sidekicks, his servant, Baldrick, and Lord Percy Percy, heir to the Duchy of Northumberland, with whom Blackadder has a grudging friendship. The Elizabethan Era is the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. ... Queenie was a caricature of the historical figure Queen Elizabeth I of England, played by Miranda Richardson in the second series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England. ... Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958) is an Academy Award nominated English actress. ... Edmund, Lord Blackadder (1531-1566) was the main character in the second series of the popular BBC sit-com Blackadder. ... Prince Edmund, The Black Adder Spoiler warning: Prince Edmund Plantagenet of York (August/ September, 1461 - December, 1498) (Later King Edmund of England - for about 30 seconds) was a fictional character in the first series of the popular BBC sitcom The Black Adder. ... Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a loss of contact with reality. Stedmans Medical Dictionary defines psychosis as a severe mental disorder, with or without organic damage, characterized by derangement of personality and loss of contact with reality and causing deterioration... The British monarchy is a shared monarchy; this article describes the monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... Baldrick is a fictional character featured in the television series Blackadder. ... Lord Percy Percy (series 2) Lord Percy Percy was a fictional character, played by Tim McInnerny, in the popular British sitcom Blackadder, deriving his name from the factual Percy family. ... The title Duke of Northumberland was created in 1551 for John Dudley. ...

Throughout the series, Blackadder's chief rival is Lord Melchett, the Queen's pretentious and grovelling Lord Chamberlain played by Stephen Fry. Melchett is himself in fear of upsetting the Queen, and thus attempts to outdo Blackadder by supporting the Queen in whatever current fad she is interested in. Comic relief in the Court is provided by the Queen's demented former nanny, Nursie, played by Patsy Byrne. Melchett is a fictional character in the British television sitcom series Blackadder, played by Stephen Fry. ... The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... A nanny is defined as a childs nurse. The traditional nanny was a servant in a large household and reported directly to the lady of the house. ... Patsy Byrne as the character Nursie on Blackadder. ... Patsy Byrne is a British actress, born 13 July 1933. ...

Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson, who in the first series was the most intelligent of the trio, became more stupid, an idea proposed by Ben Elton to make him "the stupidest person in the history of...human beings", and to act as a foil to Blackadder's new-found intelligence.^[2] The series was also the originator of Baldrick's obsession with the turnip, although this apparently arose from a botanical error on the part of Ben Elton, who confused the vegetable with the "amusingly shaped" parsnip.^[3] Baldrick is a fictional character featured in the television series Blackadder. ... Tony Robinson (born August 15, 1946) is an English actor, broadcaster and political campaigner, known for playing the part of Baldrick in the BBC TV series Blackadder and for hosting a number of shows on Channel 4, the most noteworthy being Time Team. ... Trinomial name Brassica rapa rapa L. For similar vegetables also called turnip, see Turnip (disambiguation). ... Pinguicula grandiflora Example of a Cross Section of a Stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... An unusually-shaped vegetable is a vegetable or fruit that has grown into an unusual shape not in line with the normal body plan. ... Binomial name Pastinaca sativa L. The parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable related to the carrot. ...

Lord Percy, played by Tim McInnerny, remained similar in character to the original series, as a foolish sidekick in Blackadder's predicaments. In this respect, McInnerny has stated that the character bears a resemblance to Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.^[3] Indeed, as with The Black Adder, the series featured many tongue-in-cheek references to the plays of William Shakespeare, who, in addition to being mentioned a number of times as a contemporary Elizabethan, has many famous quotations twisted for comic effect by the writers.^[3] In particular the first episode "Bells", follows a similar plot to Twelfth Night.^[4] Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy in Blackadder II. Tim McInnerny (stress on the penultimate syllable of McInnerny) was born September 18, 1956 and is a British actor. ... Malvolio and Olivia, in an engraving by R. Staines after a painting by Daniel Maclise. ... Malvolio and Olivia, in an engraving by R. Staines after a painting by Daniel Maclise. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Bells is the first episode of the second season of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share...

Episodes

The series aired for six episodes broadcast on Thursdays on BBC One at 9.30pm between January 9th 1986 and February 20th 1986.^[1] The titles of the episodes are single words based on the implied theme of the episodes - Bells, Head, Potato, Money, Beer and Chains. BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nuptial is the adjective of wedding. It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. ... Mike the Headless Chicken struts. ... Exploration is the act of searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery, e. ... For other uses, see Debt (disambiguation). ... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ... For the 1988 film called Prison, see Prison (1988 film). ...

"Head" was originally intended to be the first episode, and was first to be filmed.^[5] This resulted in a small continuity error of Lord Percy having a beard in "Head" which he shaves off in "Bells". In addition, during the early scenes of "Head", the principal characters are introduced to the audience with Baldrick's stupidity highlighted.^[6] For the use of the word continuity in mathematics, see continuous function. ...

Bells is the first episode of the second season of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Lord Flashheart is the name of two characters (the first presumably an ancestor of the second) who appeared in two episodes of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... Head is the second episode of the BBC period comedy Blackadder II, the second series of Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England from 1558 to 1603. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Potato is the third episode of the BBC sitcom Blackadder II, the second Season of Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England from 1558 to 1603. ... Not to be confused with Walter Raleigh (professor). ... Money is an episode of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about... A loan is a type of debt. ... Beer is an episode of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Chains is an episode of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. ...

Music and titles

The opening titles are accompanied by a mock-Elizabethan arrangement of Howard Goodall's Blackadder theme played on a recorder and an electric guitar, and feature a black snake slithering about on a marble table. The snake is eventually removed and replaced with something related to the episode title, which in this series is always a single noun. The opening ominous string crescendo and imagery are a parody of the opening credits of the 1976 BBC television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius.^[6] Howard Goodall Howard Goodall (born 1958 in Bromley, South London) is a British composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes — whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... Left: Rosa Hurricane, a heavy metal-style solid body guitar. ... Venus de Milo, front. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... Crescendo may mean: In musical notation, crescendo refers to a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases. ... I, Claudius, 1976 was a BBC Television adaptation of Robert Gravess I Claudius and Claudius the God. ... Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... I, Claudius is a novel by Robert Graves, (ISBN 067972477X) first published in 1934, dealing sympathetically with the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesars assassination in 44 BC to Caligulas assassination in 41 AD...

The closing titles use a different arrangement of the theme on various instruments, accompanied by a countertenor^[8] who sings lyrics reflecting the events of the preceding episode, over a shot of Blackadder strolling through a formal garden and being annoyed by a lute-wielding minstrel played by Tony Aitken. This sequence was incorporated as a separate subplot, with Blackadder constantly attempting to apprehend the musician with mixed results. At the end of the final episode, Blackadder catches the minstrel and repeatedly dunks him in a fountain.^[9] A countertenor is an adult male who sings in an alto or soprano range, often through use of falsetto. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A medieval era lute. ... For the 18th century American form of music and performance known as minstrelsy, see minstrel show. ... A subplot is a series of connected actions within a work of narrative that function separately from the main plot. ...

Production

Due to the high cost of the first series, the then controller of programming of BBC One, Michael Grade was reluctant to sign off a second series without major improvements and cost cutting to be made to the show, leaving a gap of three years between the two series.^[1] BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ... Michael Ian Grade CBE (born March 8, 1943) is a British businessman and a distinguished figure in the field of broadcasting. ...

Rowan Atkinson did not wish to continue writing for the second series, so writer and stand-up comedian Ben Elton was chosen to replace him. According to producer John Lloyd, Ben Elton was particularly keen on the choice of the Elizabethan age for the series, because it was "a sexy age that the kids can relate to."^[3] As a stand-up comic, Elton often acted as the studio warm-up comic to amuse the audience before filming began.^[10] The scripts were also tightened up during principal rehearsals with the actors - according to Richard Curtis, a whole script for a murder mystery-style episode was dropped because the writers felt it did not work.^[10] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... John Lloyd (born 1951 in Dover, England; birth name: John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd), British comedy writer and producer. ... Warm up before exercising. ... Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre. ...

To make the show more cost effective, it was principally filmed on general purpose indoor sets at BBC White City.^[3] In particular, the Queen's throne room and Blackadder's front room were featured in every episode, with only two further unique sets per episode, including an execution chamber in "Head" and a Spanish dungeon in "Chains".^[1] Only one outside location shoot was used in the whole series, which took place before principal filming on Thursday May 30th 1985 at Wilton House, Wiltshire. These outside scenes were Blackadder's courting scene in "Bells" and the end title sequences.^[5] Studio recordings shot in front of a live audience began on Sunday June 9th 1985 with the recording of "Head". Subsequent episodes were filmed on a weekly basis in the order Bells, Potato, Money, Beer and Chains.^[5] Director Mandie Fletcher was keen for the action to be shot spontaneously and was averse to complex costume changes or special effects which required recording to be halted. She is reputed to have said filming it was "a bit like doing Shakespeare in front of an audience - it's not at all like doing sitcom."^[5] Categories: Stub | BBC ... A throne room is the room, often rather a hall, in the official residence of the crown, either a palace or a fortified castle, where the throne of a senior figure (usually a monarch) is set up with elaborate pomp— usually raised, often with steps, and under a canopy, both... The dungeons of Blarney Castle. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Jones and de Causs South Front and the Palladian Bridge (1736/7), in a view of circa 1820 Wilton House is an English country house situated at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ...

Cast

The size of the principal cast was reduced compared to the previous series, with a fixed number of characters appearing in every episode. Richard Curtis has been quoted as saying that due to the familiar cast, the series was the happiest for him to work on, comparing it to a "friendly bunch of school chums".^[2]

The series also featured at least one significant cameo role per episode, with notable appearances from Rik Mayall, playing the debonair Lord Flashheart in "Bells", two figures famous for their roles in science fiction series - Tom Baker and Simon Jones - in "Potato" and Stephen Fry's comedy partner Hugh Laurie appearing twice, first as the drunken Simon Partridge in "Beer" and in the final episode as the evil Prince Ludwig. Laurie was later given a larger role as George in the subsequent series. Also seen for the first time was Bob, played by Gabrielle Glaister, who went to school with Ben Elton.^[10] Several of the characters were seen in similar guises in later series. Martin Scorsese appears briefly in an uncredited role in this scene from his feature film Taxi Driver. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born on March 7, 1958 in Harlow, Essex) is an English comedian and actor. ... Lord Flashheart is the name of two characters (the first presumably an ancestor of the second) who appeared in two episodes of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For other persons named Tom Baker, see Tom Baker (disambiguation). ... Simon Jones as an upset Arthur Dent, watching his home being demolished in the first episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy BBC TV series. ... A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession, but drastically different personalities. ... James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE (born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian and writer known as Hugh Laurie. ... Bob is a pseudonym used by two characters in the sitcom Blackadder, both female and played by Gabrielle Glaister. ... Gabrielle Glaister (born 27 July in 1961, England) is a British actress. ...

Releases

The complete series of Blackadder II is available as a Region 2 DVD from BBC Worldwide, as well as in a complete box-set with the other series. An earlier VHS release of the series was also produced in 1996. The series is also available in Region 1 DVD in a box-set of the complete series. In addition, an audio recording taken from the television episodes is available on cassette and compact disc. DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ... DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched... “Sound recorder” redirects here. ... The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. ... A Compact Disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ...

References

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... John Sergeant (born 1944) is a journalist and broadcaster. ... Look up cache in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG and LSE: GGEA) is an American public corporation, specializing in Internet search and online advertising. ... The domain name bbc. ... UKTV Gold, (previously known as UK Gold until March 8, 2004), is a British television channel that shows mainly classic BBC entertainment programmes. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Blackadder II

• Blackadder II (1986) at the Internet Movie Database
• Blackadder II at the BBC Guide to Comedy