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Information about Blackadder The Third

Blackadder the Third

Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder the Third
Created byRichard Curtis & Ben Elton
StarringRowan Atkinson
Tony Robinson
Hugh Laurie
Helen Atkinson-Wood
Theme music composerHoward Goodall
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
No. of episodes6
Production
Producer(s)John Lloyd
Running time30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channelBBC One
Picture format4:3
Original run17 September 1987 – 22 October 1987
Chronology
Preceded byBlackadder II
Followed byBlackadder Goes Forth
External links
Official website


Blackadder the Third [1] was the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September 1987 to 22 October 1987.

The series was set during the English Regency, and saw the principal character, Mr. E. Blackadder as butler to the Prince Regent and having to contend with, or cash in on, the fads of the age embraced by his master.

The third series reduced the number of principal characters again compared to the previous series, but instead included a number of significant cameo roles by well-known comic actors.[2]

Plot

Blackadder the Third is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. For much of this time, King George III was incapacitated due to poor mental health, and his son George, the Prince of Wales, acted as regent. From 1811 until his father's death in 1820, he was known as "the Prince Regent".

In the series, E. Blackadder Esquire (Rowan Atkinson) is the butler to the Prince of Wales (the prince is played by Hugh Laurie as a complete fop and idiot). Despite Edmund's respected intelligence and abilities, he has no personal fortune to speak of. According to Edmund he has been serving the Prince Regent all their lives, since they were both breastfeeding (when he had to show the Prince which part of his mother was "serving the drinks").

Baldrick, played by Tony Robinson, remains similar to his Blackadder II predecessor, although his "cunning plans" cease to be even remotely intelligent. However, he often displays a more belligerent attitude towards his master - as Blackadder himself is now a servant, he is labelled as Blackadder's "dogsbody".

There are three main sets: the Prince's quarters, which are large and lavish, the below-stairs kitchen hangout of Blackadder and Baldrick, which is dark and squalid, and finally Mrs. Miggins' coffeehouse. Mrs. Miggins' pie shop was a never-seen running gag in Blackadder II; she — or at least, a descendant of hers — is now finally shown, played by Helen Atkinson-Wood.

The plots of the series feature a number of then-contemporary issues and personalities, such as rotten boroughs, Dr. Samuel Johnson (played by Robbie Coltrane), the French Revolution (featuring Chris Barrie) and the Scarlet Pimpernel, over-the-top theatrical actors, squirrel-hating highwaymen, and a duel with the Duke of Wellington (played by Stephen Fry).

The last episode of the series also features Rowan Atkinson in the role of Blackadder's Scottish cousin MacAdder, supposedly a fierce swordsman. Interesting enough, this leads to a dialogue in which Atkinson is acting both parts. Following the aftermath of this episode, Blackadder finds fortune and ends up (permanently) posing as the Prince Regent after the real prince regent is shot by the Duke of Wellington, while disguised as Blackadder.

Episodes

The series aired for six episodes broadcast on Thursdays on BBC One at 9.30pm between the 17 September 1987 to 22 October 1987. The titles of the episodes are always a noun paired with another, derived from a cognate adjective. Example: "Sense and Senility" (based on the Jane Austen novel Sense and Sensibility).

Title/Airdate Plot outline
Dish and Dishonesty
September 17, 1987		Edmund attempts to rig an election to gain the prince some support against Pitt the Younger.
Ink and Incapability
September 24, 1987		To increase his intellectual standing, the prince decides to become patron of Dr. Johnson's new dictionary, much to Blackadder's disgust.
Nob and Nobility
October 1, 1987		The Scarlet Pimpernel is the hero of his age. Blackadder, irritated by the new obsession with all things French, decides to cash in on the new craze.
Sense and Senility
October 8, 1987		When an assassination attempt is made on the prince, Blackadder decides to help him with his image by employing two actors.
Amy and Amiability
October 15, 1987		When the prince runs out of money, Edmund attempts to marry him off to the daughter of a rich industrialist.
Duel and Duality
October 22, 1987		The Duke of Wellington vows to kill the prince in a duel, leaving Blackadder to formulate a cunning plan.

Music and titles

The opening theme is this time played on a harpsichord, oboe and cello over close-ups of Blackadder searching a book-case.[3] The credits and title appear on some of the books' spines (along with humorous titles such as From Black Death to Blackadder, The Blackobite Rebellion of 1745, The Encyclopædia Blackaddica and Landscape Gardening by Capability Brownadder)[4]. Hidden inside a hollow book, he finds a romance novel (complete with steamy cover art) bearing the episode's title. The closing credits are presented in the style of a theatre programme from a Regency-era play, and with an entirely new closing theme.

References

1. ^ Presented as "Black Adder The Third" on the title screen, but referred to as one word by the BBC
2. ^ Lewisohn, Mark, ''Blackadder the Third at the BBC Guide to Comedy, URL accessed 03 June, 2007
3. ^ Official Howard Goodall website, URL accessed 17 March, 2007
4. ^ Trivia at IMDb.com, URL accessed 03 June, 2007

External links


Blackadder
Blackadders Other characters
The Series
In chronological order 		The Black Adder Blackadder II Blackadder the Third Blackadder Goes Forth
  • Private S. Baldrick
  • Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst St. Bartleigh
  • Captain Kevin Darling
  • General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett VC KCB DSO
  • Private Bob Parkhurst
  • Squadron Commander Lord Flashheart
Hugh Laurie OBE

Hugh Laurie
Birth name James Hugh Calum Laurie
Born May 11 1959 (1959--) (age 48)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Occupation
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Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson
Birth name Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
Born 6 January 1955 (1955--) (age 52)
Consett, County Durham, England


..... Click the link for more information.
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born 8 November 1956), is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, best known for movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually and the hit TV programmes Blackadder, Mr.
..... Click the link for more information.
Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May1959) is an English comedian, writer and director.

Born in Catford, London, he is the son of the physicist and educational researcher Lewis Elton and the nephew of the historian Sir G R Elton.
..... Click the link for more information.
Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson
Birth name Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
Born 6 January 1955 (1955--) (age 52)
Consett, County Durham, England


..... Click the link for more information.
Tony Robinson (born 15 August 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.
..... Click the link for more information.
Hugh Laurie OBE

Hugh Laurie
Birth name James Hugh Calum Laurie
Born May 11 1959 (1959--) (age 48)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Occupation
..... Click the link for more information.
Helen Atkinson-Wood (born 14 March 1955) is an English actress and comedian born in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire, and was a childhood friend of singer-songwriter Ian Curtis.
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Howard Goodall (b. May, 1958) is a British composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. He also presents music-based programming for television. Goodall was born in Bromley, Kent and studied music at Christ Church, Oxford.
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Motto
"Dieu et mon droit" [2]   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen" [3]
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English}}} 
Writing system: Latin (English variant) 
Official status
Official language of: 53 countries
Regulated by: no official regulation
Language codes
ISO 639-1: en
ISO 639-2: eng
ISO 639-3: eng  
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episode list of the British sitcom Blackadder. Dates shown are original airdates on BBC One.

(Blackadder Unaired Pilot) (1982)

This is an never aired Pilot of Rowan Atkison´s Blackadder known as Price Edmund. It was an personal request by Mr.
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John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd (born September 30 1951) is a British comedy writer and television producer.

Early life and career

Lloyd was born in Dover and educated at West Hill Park School (Titchfield, Hants), The King's School (Canterbury) and Trinity College (Cambridge).
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BBC Television Service
1936 → 1960

BBC tv
until April 1964
Sister channel(s) BBC Two,
BBC Three,
BBC Four
Website www.bbc.co.
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September 17 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1950s  1960s  1970s  - 1980s -  1990s  2000s  2010s
1984 1985 1986 - 1987 - 1988 1989 1990

Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII
..... Click the link for more information.
October 22 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

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  • 4004 BC - The universe is created.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1950s  1960s  1970s  - 1980s -  1990s  2000s  2010s
1984 1985 1986 - 1987 - 1988 1989 1990

Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII
..... Click the link for more information.
Blackadder II [1] 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.
..... Click the link for more information.
Blackadder Goes Forth was the fourth and final series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989.
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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Type Broadcast radio and television
Country  United Kingdom
Availability    National
International 
Founder John Reith
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worldwide view.
A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television, as one of its dominant narrative forms.
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Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off installments. The was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, while subsequent episodes were written by Curtis and Ben Elton.
..... Click the link for more information.
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born 8 November 1956), is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, best known for movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually and the hit TV programmes Blackadder, Mr.
..... Click the link for more information.
Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May1959) is an English comedian, writer and director.

Born in Catford, London, he is the son of the physicist and educational researcher Lewis Elton and the nephew of the historian Sir G R Elton.
..... Click the link for more information.
September 17 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought.

..... Click the link for more information.
19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1950s  1960s  1970s  - 1980s -  1990s  2000s  2010s
1984 1985 1986 - 1987 - 1988 1989 1990

Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII
..... Click the link for more information.
October 22 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 4004 BC - The universe is created.

..... Click the link for more information.
19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1950s  1960s  1970s  - 1980s -  1990s  2000s  2010s
1984 1985 1986 - 1987 - 1988 1989 1990

Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII
..... Click the link for more information.
The Regency period in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811 and 1820, when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, later George IV, was instated to be his proxy as Prince Regent.
..... Click the link for more information.


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