Edmund Blackadder
Encyclopedia
Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of fictional characters who appear in the BBC
mock-historical comedy series Blackadder
, each played by Rowan Atkinson
. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial dynasty
and is usually called Edmund Blackadder. Each character also shares notable personality traits and characteristics throughout each incarnation; while each individual incarnation may be found in different circumstances, they are usually considered to be the same character.
With the exception of the first Blackadder incarnation, Prince Edmund, each Blackadder is generally witty, charming and intelligent. While he is beset by bad luck, he is usually very capable of manipulating his way out of a crisis and in securing for himself some degree of prestige and fortune. Blackadder is also usually one of the few intelligent people present at any given time and usually is surrounded by incompetent, stupid and at times mad servants, equals and superiors. As a result, he possesses a scathing wit and is usually prepared with numerous sarcastic put-downs, which are often wasted on those they are directed at. He always has an amusingly exaggerated simile to describe whatever situation he finds himself in.
He is frequently present at some of the defining moments of British history, but usually views his contemporaries with unbridled contempt, regardless of their historical importance or interest. In particular, he tends to comment sardonically on what might, to modern eyes, be considered the more ludicrous follies of history (from the injustice of the medieval witchhunts, to the petty whims and stupidities of various British monarchs, to the pointless butchery of World War I
). As a result, he is something of a modern perspective placed in past societies. He is also generally dismissive of the contemporary arts and culture in the various eras in which he lives, such as medieval folk pageants, Shakespeare, Georgian Romanticist
poetry, theatre and Charlie Chaplin
films.
Each Blackadder is also surrounded by various other figures who reappear over the series. Most, such as his repulsive manservant Baldrick
and the various imbecilic aristocrats with whose company he is lumbered (such as Lord Percy Percy
or George), are usually hindrances to him of whom he is repeatedly incapable of ridding himself. There is also usually another main character who is on a par with him in terms of intelligence and serves as someone for him to play games of one-upmanship with, such as Lord Melchett
and Captain Darling
, but these characters are typically sycophantic toadies who suck up to their superiors like Queenie
and General Melchett
, whom Blackadder himself is also forced to reluctantly serve.
Prince Edmund is the first man in the dynasty to refer to himself as 'the Black Adder' (although in Blackadder: Back and Forth, a centurion in Roman Britain
also possesses a similar name). The first Blackadder is named after the treacherous Edmond from Shakespeare's King Lear
. He appears in the first series, The Black Adder, set shortly after The Wars of the Roses. He is the second son of the fictional King Richard IV of England, who, we are told at the beginning, was cast from all historical references by his successor, Henry Tudor
. Prince Edmund is a very different character from his descendants: he is slow-witted, and when he carries out something Machiavellian he is shown as half-hearted or regretful. This is demonstrated in the first episode when, after accidentally cutting off the king's head, he later returns to haunt him in a Macbeth
-like scene at the banquet. The Prince does show wit on occasion and is creatively insulting, although, with the exception of Baldrick and Percy, it is usually once his target is out of sight. He can be cunning and devious himself (when he forms the black seal to overthrow the throne; when he takes advantage of archbishopric) but usually needs more help than his descendants—occasionally claiming Baldrick's plans as his own after dismissing them moments before. He is shown to have a talent for swordfighting in "The Archbishop
". For all this he is determined and driven to power: his primary concern is to seize the English throne and become king. After the death of Richard IV and Edmund's older brother, he is briefly King of England; a lyric one of the closing credits
for Blackadder II
describes him as "a king / Although for only thirty seconds". Prince Edmund is one of the many Blackadders to be killed on screen: he dies after accidentally drinking poisoned wine, although he had already been severely mutilated by the Duke of Burgundy.
in the court of Elizabeth I of England
. Although his 'great-grandfather' was Prince Edmund, he is much more intelligent, reserved, charming, handsome and witty than his ancestor. Despite that fact, Edmund's aristocracy has lowered; he is now simply a lord, rather than a Prince. His main concerns are pleasing his Queen
, depicted here as a childish, spoiled tyrant, and in outwitting his various contemporary rivals, usually in the form of Lord Melchett
, for her favour. This Edmund was murdered by Ludwig. Blackadder thought he murdered Ludwig but at the end of the credits, Ludwig came back and murdered Edmund, Queenie and the rest of the court. He then posed as Queenie after the assassination.
The character shift from Prince Edmund in the first series to Lord Blackadder in the second is credited to the involvement of Ben Elton, who joined as the show's co-writer alongside Richard Curtis. The latter Edmund became the de facto archetype; nearly all subsequent Blackadders in the series were modelled after Edmund, Lord Blackadder, the exceptions being MacAdder, who appeared as a cameo in the finale of Blackadder the Third, and Ebenezer Blackadder, who initially began as the nicest man in England to the point of naivete but who gradually fell back into the standard persona.
to the oafish and uncouth George, the Prince Regent
. Despite this, he remains keenly intelligent (by far sharper than most of the people he associates with), and is usually found stealing from his employer. This is the only one of the main four incarnations not to be killed onscreen (the first two are murdered, whilst the fourth dies in battle); this time out, he's mistaken for the Prince of Wales by a befuddled George III and taken "home" to the royal court.
. Unlike his miserly, cynical ancestors, he is by repute the nicest man in Victorian England. Unfortunately, this only serves to make him a target for the cynical crooks and cheats he is surrounded by, and a Christmas Carol
-like encounter with a Ghost of Christmas Past
sees him greatly inspired by his snide-yet-triumphant ancestors, and he sees if he becomes bad his descendants will rule the universe, if not they will end up as Baldrick's slaves in the same time period.
during World War I
. Characteristically reluctant to meet his end in the mud of the trenches of the Western Front
, this Blackadder's sole goal is to escape his inevitable fate. Blackadder's attempts to escape are opposed by Melchett, who does not realise the futility of the war, and Melchett's assistant Captain Darling, who does. Darling and Blackadder have a natural animosity towards one another, since Darling is aware that Blackadder is attempting to avoid his duty, while Blackadder hates Darling for his comfortable position several miles behind the front. Finally he and his platoon go over the top in 1917 to their probable death.
-prank on his friends by claiming that he has a time machine
- only to be unpleasantly surprised that the device that Baldrick
has actually built (following Leonardo da Vinci's instructions to the letter, except for marking values on the instrument display) actually is a working time machine. He manages to alter time by:
1.He accidentally leaves his biro with William Shakespeare and it turned out Shakespeare invented the biro.
2.He convinces Robin Hood's men to listen to him and Robin's men kill him with arrows
3. The Time Machine lands on top of the Duke of Wellington during the battle of Waterloo and squashing him to death making Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ruler of England.
He later puts history back on track but a few minutes before the credits he makes himself King of England/King Edmund III, marries Maid Marion of Sherwood and makes Baldrick prime minister (notably dissolving Parliament and controlling Baldrick as always.), and the Blackadder and Baldrick families have finally triumphed, making it to become rulers of England.
. Set after the English Civil War
, Sir Edmund is (apparently) a loyal royalist
and friend of Charles I of England
, played by Stephen Fry
. This Blackadder also appeared in an introductory sequence for Charles, Prince of Wales
' fiftieth birthday Gala Performance, in which he was supposedly organising a birthday show for Charles II (also Fry).
Several relatives of the Blackadder family include the Puritan
Whiteadders, and the Highlander
clan of MacAdder.
Various one-off specials have introduced other Blackadders throughout history, from the Roman
Centurion Blaccadicus, to a Grand Admiral Blackadder in the distant future who becomes ruler of the universe.
In 2002, during the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
trailers for the Party at the Palace
featured the Keeper of Her Majesty's Lawn Sprinklers, Sir Osmond Darling-Blackadder, who was against the idea. Sir Osmond also co-hosted the light-hearted documentary on the celebrations Jubilee Girl. He is notable for being one of the few members of the family not to be named Edmund, and also for his double barrelled name, suggesting a family connection to Kevin Darling
.
, which is not contradicted in the series, as the first Blackadder
begins as the Duke of Edinburgh
. In the third series it is revealed that a branch of the Blackadder family is a significant clan in Scotland
, although they have become known by the name MacAdder. There is a Clan Blackadder
in reality. Dr Eric Blackadder, Chief Medical Officer at the BBC at the time of the first programme, claims that the series is named after him.
In 1567 Henry Darnley, the second husband of Mary Queen Of Scots, was assassinated by men under the employ of the Earl of Bothwell
. A William Blackadder, of the Clan Blackadder
was the first upon the scene and initially taken to be one of the conspirators, though subsequently cleared. He was later accused and made a scapegoat for the murder and was executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered
, with each of his four limbs being sent to a different Scottish city to be put on display.
The name 'Baldrick' is also authentic – but much rarer – and has been dated in Britain all the way back to the Norman Conquest of 1066
. This name is Germanic in origin.
Of interest to fans of twentieth century humour is the fact that "George Buchanan, her chief traducer, tells us, with lipsmacking relish, in his Rerum Scoticarum Historia - 'William and Edmund Blaccader, Edward Robertson and Thomas Dickson, all Bothwell's men and notorious pirates' [accompanied Mary Queen of Scots on her journey to Alloa Tower in 1566]".
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
mock-historical comedy series Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
, each played by Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
and is usually called Edmund Blackadder. Each character also shares notable personality traits and characteristics throughout each incarnation; while each individual incarnation may be found in different circumstances, they are usually considered to be the same character.
Common characteristics
Although each Blackadder is positioned in a different place in British society over each series, generally falling in class over the centuries, there are certain common characteristics that each Blackadder shares. Throughout each series, Blackadder is a self-serving, cynical opportunist concerned solely with increasing his own influence and status within his society (and, usually, gaining a lot of money along the way) rather than serving any idealistic goals.With the exception of the first Blackadder incarnation, Prince Edmund, each Blackadder is generally witty, charming and intelligent. While he is beset by bad luck, he is usually very capable of manipulating his way out of a crisis and in securing for himself some degree of prestige and fortune. Blackadder is also usually one of the few intelligent people present at any given time and usually is surrounded by incompetent, stupid and at times mad servants, equals and superiors. As a result, he possesses a scathing wit and is usually prepared with numerous sarcastic put-downs, which are often wasted on those they are directed at. He always has an amusingly exaggerated simile to describe whatever situation he finds himself in.
He is frequently present at some of the defining moments of British history, but usually views his contemporaries with unbridled contempt, regardless of their historical importance or interest. In particular, he tends to comment sardonically on what might, to modern eyes, be considered the more ludicrous follies of history (from the injustice of the medieval witchhunts, to the petty whims and stupidities of various British monarchs, to the pointless butchery of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
). As a result, he is something of a modern perspective placed in past societies. He is also generally dismissive of the contemporary arts and culture in the various eras in which he lives, such as medieval folk pageants, Shakespeare, Georgian Romanticist
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
poetry, theatre and Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
films.
Each Blackadder is also surrounded by various other figures who reappear over the series. Most, such as his repulsive manservant Baldrick
Baldrick
Baldrick is the name of several fictional characters featured in the long-running BBC historic comedy television series Blackadder. Each one serves as Edmund Blackadder's servant and sidekick and acts as a foil to the lead character...
and the various imbecilic aristocrats with whose company he is lumbered (such as Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy is the name given to a pair of related fictional characters, played by Tim McInnerny, in the first two series of the popular British sitcom Blackadder. The Lord Percy of Blackadder II is the descendant of that seen in The Black Adder...
or George), are usually hindrances to him of whom he is repeatedly incapable of ridding himself. There is also usually another main character who is on a par with him in terms of intelligence and serves as someone for him to play games of one-upmanship with, such as Lord Melchett
Melchett
Melchett is a family line of fictional characters appearing in the British television sitcom series Blackadder, played by Stephen Fry. There were two main Melchetts: Lord Melchett and General Melchett.- Blackadder II :...
and Captain Darling
Kevin Darling
Darling is the name of several fictional characters played by Tim McInnerny in the British mock-historical sitcom Blackadder. Introduced in its fourth iteration, Blackadder Goes Forth, Captain Kevin Darling is main character Captain Edmund Blackadder 's intellectual peer and bitter rival; while...
, but these characters are typically sycophantic toadies who suck up to their superiors like Queenie
Queenie
"Queenie" is a caricature of the historical figure Queen Elizabeth I of England, played by Miranda Richardson in Blackadder II, the second series of the BBC historical sitcom Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England...
and General Melchett
Melchett
Melchett is a family line of fictional characters appearing in the British television sitcom series Blackadder, played by Stephen Fry. There were two main Melchetts: Lord Melchett and General Melchett.- Blackadder II :...
, whom Blackadder himself is also forced to reluctantly serve.
Main Blackadders
In this section, brief descriptions of the various Edmund Blackadders who have appeared in their own series or in another notable Blackadder production are provided.Prince Edmund (Medieval England)
Prince Edmund is the first man in the dynasty to refer to himself as 'the Black Adder' (although in Blackadder: Back and Forth, a centurion in Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
also possesses a similar name). The first Blackadder is named after the treacherous Edmond from Shakespeare's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
. He appears in the first series, The Black Adder, set shortly after The Wars of the Roses. He is the second son of the fictional King Richard IV of England, who, we are told at the beginning, was cast from all historical references by his successor, Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Prince Edmund is a very different character from his descendants: he is slow-witted, and when he carries out something Machiavellian he is shown as half-hearted or regretful. This is demonstrated in the first episode when, after accidentally cutting off the king's head, he later returns to haunt him in a Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
-like scene at the banquet. The Prince does show wit on occasion and is creatively insulting, although, with the exception of Baldrick and Percy, it is usually once his target is out of sight. He can be cunning and devious himself (when he forms the black seal to overthrow the throne; when he takes advantage of archbishopric) but usually needs more help than his descendants—occasionally claiming Baldrick's plans as his own after dismissing them moments before. He is shown to have a talent for swordfighting in "The Archbishop
The Archbishop
"The Archbishop" is the third episode in of the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder .- Plot :In November 1487, the dying Duke of Winchester , the greatest landowner in the kingdom, leaves his lands to the Catholic Church, prompting King Richard to have Godfrey, the Archbishop of Canterbury,...
". For all this he is determined and driven to power: his primary concern is to seize the English throne and become king. After the death of Richard IV and Edmund's older brother, he is briefly King of England; a lyric one of the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
for Blackadder II
Head (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.-Plot:...
describes him as "a king / Although for only thirty seconds". Prince Edmund is one of the many Blackadders to be killed on screen: he dies after accidentally drinking poisoned wine, although he had already been severely mutilated by the Duke of Burgundy.
Edmund, Lord Blackadder (Elizabethan England)
Edmund, Lord Blackadder is the next-seen member of the dynasty, appearing in Elizabethan England. He is the central character of Blackadder II, and is a noblemanAristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
in the court of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Although his 'great-grandfather' was Prince Edmund, he is much more intelligent, reserved, charming, handsome and witty than his ancestor. Despite that fact, Edmund's aristocracy has lowered; he is now simply a lord, rather than a Prince. His main concerns are pleasing his Queen
Queenie
"Queenie" is a caricature of the historical figure Queen Elizabeth I of England, played by Miranda Richardson in Blackadder II, the second series of the BBC historical sitcom Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England...
, depicted here as a childish, spoiled tyrant, and in outwitting his various contemporary rivals, usually in the form of Lord Melchett
Melchett
Melchett is a family line of fictional characters appearing in the British television sitcom series Blackadder, played by Stephen Fry. There were two main Melchetts: Lord Melchett and General Melchett.- Blackadder II :...
, for her favour. This Edmund was murdered by Ludwig. Blackadder thought he murdered Ludwig but at the end of the credits, Ludwig came back and murdered Edmund, Queenie and the rest of the court. He then posed as Queenie after the assassination.
The character shift from Prince Edmund in the first series to Lord Blackadder in the second is credited to the involvement of Ben Elton, who joined as the show's co-writer alongside Richard Curtis. The latter Edmund became the de facto archetype; nearly all subsequent Blackadders in the series were modelled after Edmund, Lord Blackadder, the exceptions being MacAdder, who appeared as a cameo in the finale of Blackadder the Third, and Ebenezer Blackadder, who initially began as the nicest man in England to the point of naivete but who gradually fell back into the standard persona.
Mr. Edmund Blackadder (Regency Britain)
Mr. Edmund Blackadder, Esquire is the Blackadder appearing in the Regency period of British history. His family having fallen on hard times, he is reduced to a life of servitude, a fall made even more insufferable by his position as butlerButler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
to the oafish and uncouth George, the Prince Regent
Prince Regent
A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as regent instead of a monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity or absence ....
. Despite this, he remains keenly intelligent (by far sharper than most of the people he associates with), and is usually found stealing from his employer. This is the only one of the main four incarnations not to be killed onscreen (the first two are murdered, whilst the fourth dies in battle); this time out, he's mistaken for the Prince of Wales by a befuddled George III and taken "home" to the royal court.
MacAdder (Regency Scotland)
MacAdder is the Scottish Cousin of Mr. E. Blackadder. He is known as being the "most dangerous man ever to wear a skirt in Europe". He believes he is rightful king of England and plans to incite rebellion, meaning his cousin hates him. He is apparently a skilled swordsman, but also a kipper salesman and married to a woman named Morag back in Scotland though he initiates in an affair with Mrs. Miggins. He had two children, a boy named Jamie and girl Angus. Edmund Blackadder wants him to take his place in the duel with the Iron Duke of Wellington to which MacAdder replies: "Why don't I take the place of the Duke of Wellington and kill the Prince?" Edmund Blackadder tells MacAdder that if he does this he will incur the wrath of the bailiffs. MacAdder thereby declines and leaves for Scotland with Miggins, foiling Blackadder's plan.Ebenezer Blackadder (Victorian London)
Ebenezer Blackadder, the Victorian Blackadder, appears in Blackadder's Christmas CarolBlackadder's Christmas Carol
Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a one-off episode of Blackadder, a parody of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It is set between Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth , and is narrated by Hugh Laurie...
. Unlike his miserly, cynical ancestors, he is by repute the nicest man in Victorian England. Unfortunately, this only serves to make him a target for the cynical crooks and cheats he is surrounded by, and a Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
-like encounter with a Ghost of Christmas Past
Ghost of Christmas Past
The Ghost of Christmas Past is a character in the well-known work of the English novelist Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of the three spirits that haunted the miser. Ebenezer Scrooge in order to prompt him to repent...
sees him greatly inspired by his snide-yet-triumphant ancestors, and he sees if he becomes bad his descendants will rule the universe, if not they will end up as Baldrick's slaves in the same time period.
Captain Edmund Blackadder (World War One)
Captain Edmund Blackadder appears in Blackadder Goes Forth, and is an officer in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Characteristically reluctant to meet his end in the mud of the trenches of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, this Blackadder's sole goal is to escape his inevitable fate. Blackadder's attempts to escape are opposed by Melchett, who does not realise the futility of the war, and Melchett's assistant Captain Darling, who does. Darling and Blackadder have a natural animosity towards one another, since Darling is aware that Blackadder is attempting to avoid his duty, while Blackadder hates Darling for his comfortable position several miles behind the front. Finally he and his platoon go over the top in 1917 to their probable death.
Lord Edmund Blackadder V (Modern)/King Edmund III
Lord Edmund Blackadder is the modern representative of the Blackadder family. He intends to play a turn-of-the-millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
-prank on his friends by claiming that he has a time machine
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
- only to be unpleasantly surprised that the device that Baldrick
Baldrick
Baldrick is the name of several fictional characters featured in the long-running BBC historic comedy television series Blackadder. Each one serves as Edmund Blackadder's servant and sidekick and acts as a foil to the lead character...
has actually built (following Leonardo da Vinci's instructions to the letter, except for marking values on the instrument display) actually is a working time machine. He manages to alter time by:
1.He accidentally leaves his biro with William Shakespeare and it turned out Shakespeare invented the biro.
2.He convinces Robin Hood's men to listen to him and Robin's men kill him with arrows
3. The Time Machine lands on top of the Duke of Wellington during the battle of Waterloo and squashing him to death making Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ruler of England.
He later puts history back on track but a few minutes before the credits he makes himself King of England/King Edmund III, marries Maid Marion of Sherwood and makes Baldrick prime minister (notably dissolving Parliament and controlling Baldrick as always.), and the Blackadder and Baldrick families have finally triumphed, making it to become rulers of England.
Other Blackadders
Although not appearing within their own series or one-off special, various other Blackadders have appeared or been alluded to over the course of the series. Most prominently is Sir Edmund Blackadder, who appears in the Comic Relief special Blackadder: The Cavalier YearsBlackadder: The Cavalier Years
Blackadder: The Cavalier Years is a 15 minute one-off edition of Blackadder set during the English Civil War, shown as part of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day on Friday 5 February . The episode included series regulars Rowan Atkinson as Sir Edmund Blackadder, Tony Robinson as Baldrick, and Stephen Fry...
. Set after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Sir Edmund is (apparently) a loyal royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
and friend of Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, played by Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
. This Blackadder also appeared in an introductory sequence for Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
' fiftieth birthday Gala Performance, in which he was supposedly organising a birthday show for Charles II (also Fry).
Several relatives of the Blackadder family include the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
Whiteadders, and the Highlander
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
clan of MacAdder.
Various one-off specials have introduced other Blackadders throughout history, from the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Centurion Blaccadicus, to a Grand Admiral Blackadder in the distant future who becomes ruler of the universe.
In 2002, during the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
trailers for the Party at the Palace
Party at the Palace
The Party at the Palace was a pop concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1 -4 June 2002. The concert itself was held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002...
featured the Keeper of Her Majesty's Lawn Sprinklers, Sir Osmond Darling-Blackadder, who was against the idea. Sir Osmond also co-hosted the light-hearted documentary on the celebrations Jubilee Girl. He is notable for being one of the few members of the family not to be named Edmund, and also for his double barrelled name, suggesting a family connection to Kevin Darling
Kevin Darling
Darling is the name of several fictional characters played by Tim McInnerny in the British mock-historical sitcom Blackadder. Introduced in its fourth iteration, Blackadder Goes Forth, Captain Kevin Darling is main character Captain Edmund Blackadder 's intellectual peer and bitter rival; while...
.
The Blackadder Dynasty
- Centurion Blaccadicus - Roman BritainRoman BritainRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
(Blackadder Back And Forth) - Lord Blackadder - Medieval - First name unknown, a contemporary of Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
(timeperiod visited in Blackadder Back And Forth) - Prince Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh "The Black Adder"Prince Edmund (Blackadder)Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:...
- Middle Ages (The Black Adder) - Prince Edmund, Duke of York "The Black Adder"Prince Edmund (Blackadder Pilot)The Black Adder is the unaired pilot episode of the BBC television series Blackadder. Taped on 20 June 1982, it features the original incarnation of Rowan Atkinson's character Edmund Blackadder...
- 400 years ago (The Black Adder pilot) - Natheniel Whiteadder - Elizabethan - apparent grandson to Prince Edmund.
- Lord Edmund BlackadderLord BlackadderEdmund Blackadder, Lord Blackadder is the main character in the second series of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. He is played by Rowan Atkinson.The second series is set in Elizabethan England, and Edmund is a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I...
- Elizabethan (Blackadder II) - Blackadder (Shakespeare's agent) - Elizabethan
- Sir Edmund Blackadder - Stuart, English Civil War (Blackadder: The Cavalier Years)
- Lord Edmund Blackadder, Privy Counsellor - Stuart, 1680 (Blackadder And The King's Birthday )
- Mr. E. BlackadderMr. E. BlackadderEdmund Blackadder, Esq. is the main character in the third series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. He was played by Rowan Atkinson.The series was set in the reign of George III of the United Kingdom . The character is in keeping with the trend of the series Blackadder is lower in rank in this series,...
- Regency (Blackadder the Third) - MacAdder - Regency - cousin of BlackadderMr. E. BlackadderEdmund Blackadder, Esq. is the main character in the third series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. He was played by Rowan Atkinson.The series was set in the reign of George III of the United Kingdom . The character is in keeping with the trend of the series Blackadder is lower in rank in this series,...
(Blackadder the Third) - Mr Ebenezer BlackadderEbenezer BlackadderEbenezer Blackadder is one of the many Blackadder descendants from the BBC sitcom of the name. Unlike his ancestors, however, he is the only member of the Blackadder family whose name is not Edmund to feature in the television shows.-Overview:...
- Victorian (Blackadder's Christmas Carol) - Captain Edmund BlackadderCaptain BlackadderCaptain Edmund Blackadder is the main fictional character in the fourth and final series of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder, Blackadder Goes Forth...
- First World War (Blackadder Goes Forth) - Lord Edmund BlackadderLord Edmund Blackadder VHM King Edmund III, formerly Lord Blackadder is the modern day descendant of fictional character Edmund Blackadder in the Blackadder TV series. He is the central character of Blackadder: Back & Forth...
- 1999 (Blackadder Back And Forth) - King Edmund III - 1999 (Blackadder Back And Forth) (alternate)
- Lord Edmund Blackadder, Captain In Her Royal Highness' Regiment of Shirkers - 2000 (Blackadder: The Army Years )
- Sir Osmond Darling-Blackadder, 'Keeper of the Lawn Sprinklers' - 2002 (BBC Golden Jubilee advert and Jubilee Girl)
- Grand Admiral Blackadder of the Dark Segment - Distant Future (Blackadder's Christmas Carol)
Historicity
Blackadder is a genuine surname, its usage in the UK currently documented back to the 15th century, which may explain the choice of the name, with the first series being set in this time period. The name is thought to be mostly Scottish in originGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, which is not contradicted in the series, as the first Blackadder
Prince Edmund (Blackadder)
Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:...
begins as the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
. In the third series it is revealed that a branch of the Blackadder family is a significant clan in Scotland
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
, although they have become known by the name MacAdder. There is a Clan Blackadder
Clan Blackadder
Clan Blackadder is a Scottish clan. The clan historically held lands near the Anglo-Scottish border.-Clan status:Today Clan Blackadder does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law...
in reality. Dr Eric Blackadder, Chief Medical Officer at the BBC at the time of the first programme, claims that the series is named after him.
In 1567 Henry Darnley, the second husband of Mary Queen Of Scots, was assassinated by men under the employ of the Earl of Bothwell
Earl of Bothwell
The title Earl of Bothwell has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. It was then created for Francis Stewart in 1587...
. A William Blackadder, of the Clan Blackadder
Clan Blackadder
Clan Blackadder is a Scottish clan. The clan historically held lands near the Anglo-Scottish border.-Clan status:Today Clan Blackadder does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law...
was the first upon the scene and initially taken to be one of the conspirators, though subsequently cleared. He was later accused and made a scapegoat for the murder and was executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
, with each of his four limbs being sent to a different Scottish city to be put on display.
The name 'Baldrick' is also authentic – but much rarer – and has been dated in Britain all the way back to the Norman Conquest of 1066
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. This name is Germanic in origin.
Of interest to fans of twentieth century humour is the fact that "George Buchanan, her chief traducer, tells us, with lipsmacking relish, in his Rerum Scoticarum Historia - 'William and Edmund Blaccader, Edward Robertson and Thomas Dickson, all Bothwell's men and notorious pirates' [accompanied Mary Queen of Scots on her journey to Alloa Tower in 1566]".