Blackadder: Difference between revisions

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[[File:blackadder_6161.jpg|frame|[[Identical Grandson|They're all related?]] [[Sarcasm Mode|I never would have guessed!]]]]

{{quote|''"I am a fully rounded human being, with a degree from the university of life, a diploma from the [[School of Hard Knocks~~|school of hard knocks~~]], and three gold stars from the [[Precision F-Strike|kindergarten of getting the shit kicked out of me]]"''.|'''Captain Edmund Blackadder''', ''Blackadder Goes Forth''}}

{{quote|''"I am a fully rounded human being, with a degree from the university of life, a diploma from the [[School of Hard Knocks]], and three gold stars from the [[Precision F-Strike|kindergarten of getting the shit kicked out of me]]"''.|'''Captain Edmund Blackadder''', ''Blackadder Goes Forth''}}

A deliciously vicious collection of [[Britcom|British comedies]], all centering around various generations of the Blackadder family as embodied in its sole visible member, Edmund -- a cynical, snide and outright caustic British nobleman (he'd be a [[Deadpan Snarker]] if he could just stop sneering) who never seems to succeed at most of his schemes, but never quite loses either (except usually at the end, where he dies horribly or wins spectacularly). Each Edmund in each generation is aided by a [[Bumbling Sidekick]] in the shape of his corresponding Baldrick, an ignorant and filthy manservant and dogsbody of unhealthy habits and preoccupations. His typical [[Foil]] is a classic [[Upperclass Twit]] of far higher social station than his own, whom he is forced to serve hand and foot.

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There exists an unaired pilot episode of the first season, which can with some luck be found floating around on the internet. It featured Prince Black Adder as a [[Deadpan Snarker]] and Baldrick as the idiot dogsbody the fans came to know from season two onwards; unfortunately this direction was not kept, and instead the characters were rewritten and the humour based on inane physical [[Slapstick]]. Several jokes and scenes of the unaired pilot were recycled in various first season episodes.

Came second in ''[[Britain's Best Sitcom ~~(TV)~~|Britains Best Sitcom]]''.

Came second in ''[[Britain's Best Sitcom|Britains Best Sitcom]]''.

[[Blackadder ~~(TV)~~/Recap|Recap]] still under construction, help will be much appreciated.

[[Blackadder/Recap|Recap]] still under construction, help will be much appreciated.

----

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* [[The Ace]]: Lord Flashheart

* [[Artistic Licence History]]: Many, many examples per ''episode'', to say nothing of the show's overall track record. But hey, [[Rule of Funny]], people! Plus, ''The Black Adder'' can explain away its inaccuracies as Henry VII doing a lousy job of rewriting history.

* [[Bad News in A Good Way]]

* [[Bad News in a Good Way]]

* [[Bandaged Face]]

* [[Bawdy Song]]: Several examples in certain episodes, from the second season onwards.

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'''Melchetts''': "[[But You Screw One Goat!|BAAAAA!]]"

'''Blackadder''': "...well quite." }}

* [[The Chain of Harm]]: Discussed (and simultaneously played out) in ''[[~~Black Adder~~]] III'':

* [[The Chain of Harm]]: Discussed (and simultaneously played out) in ''[[Blackadder]] III'':

{{quote| '''Blackadder:''' It is the way of the world, Baldrick: the abused always kick downwards. I am annoyed, and so I kick the cat; the cat pounces on the mouse; and, finally, the mouse bites you on the behind.

'''Baldrick:''' And what do I do?

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* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: Often. Nearly all Blackadders have unpleasant reactions to people they find somewhat irritating. Queenie has ordered executions for celebrating Christmas (and then changing her mind and ordering them for those who don't give her impressive enough gifts). The first Edmund's skeptism to witchcraft also got him accused and tried (and almost burned) for it by a corrupt "witchsmeller".

* [[The Ditz]]: Baldrick

* [[Everything's Better ~~With~~ Bob]]: Bob, also known as {{spoiler|Kate (in the second series) and Bobbie (in the fourth)}}.

* [[Everything's Better with Bob]]: Bob, also known as {{spoiler|Kate (in the second series) and Bobbie (in the fourth)}}.

* [[The Evil Prince]]: Prince Edmund. {{spoiler|Mr. Blackadder went on to become this, also, after his opportunistically usurping Prince George at the end of series three.}}

* [[The Fighting Narcissist]] - Lord Flashheart.

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** Possibly true for Prince George and Lieutenant George.

** Also the Melchetts, Percys, Flashhearts and Kate (aka Bob)

* [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming]]: Titles of season 2 episodes are one word long and pertain to the subject of the episode in question ("Bells" as in wedding bells, "Chains" referring to imprisonment); season 3 uses [[The Noun and ~~The~~ Noun]] (to reference ''[[Sense and Sensibility (~~Literature~~)|Sense and Sensibility]]'' and ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', which are set in the same era) - for example "Dish and Dishonesty"; season 4 gives all bar one its titles military ranks with double meanings - "Private Plane," "Major Star," "General Hospital," etc- the exception being "Goodbyeee...", the last one, named after a popular [[World War One]] song and referencing the episode's famous [[Downer Ending]].

* [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming]]: Titles of season 2 episodes are one word long and pertain to the subject of the episode in question ("Bells" as in wedding bells, "Chains" referring to imprisonment); season 3 uses [[The Noun and the Noun]] (to reference ''[[Sense and Sensibility (novel)|Sense and Sensibility]]'' and ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', which are set in the same era) - for example "Dish and Dishonesty"; season 4 gives all bar one its titles military ranks with double meanings - "Private Plane," "Major Star," "General Hospital," etc- the exception being "Goodbyeee...", the last one, named after a popular [[World War One]] song and referencing the episode's famous [[Downer Ending]].

* [[Just Like Robin Hood]]: Parodied briefly.

* [[Kill'Em All]]: Played for laughs in the finales of seasons 1 and 2, then {{spoiler|played [[Drama Bomb Finale|tragically straight]] in the finale of season 4}}.

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* [[Manipulative Bastard]] - Blackadder himself.

* [[Malaproper]]: Baldrick and George, on occasion.

* [[Needle in A Stack of Needles]]

* [[Needle in a Stack of Needles]]

* [[Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon]]

* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: Amy Hardwood and Nurse Mary Fletcher-Brown, and possibly Queenie (all played by Miranda Richardson).

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* [[Star-Making Role]]: For Tony Robinson in the UK.

* [[The Stinger]]: Used on occasion, probably most memorably in the ''Blackadder II'' finale.

* [[Surrounded By Idiots]]: '''[[Up to Eleven|EDMUND]]'''.

* [[Surrounded by Idiots]]: '''[[Up to Eleven|EDMUND]]'''.

* [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]]: Arguably George for Percy. Interestingly, he became more of an example as time went by. In Season 3 his position as Edmund's king made the dynamic somewhat different, but season 4 made him almost identical to Percy.

* [[Talks Like a Simile]]: Edmund often uses elaborate similes.

* [[Time Travel]]: ''Blackadder Back & Forth''

** ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' has no actual travel, but does show peeks into the past and future.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Everyone who isn't Edmund. Edmund himself is more like [[Too Dumb to Live|Too]] [[Surrounded By Idiots]] [[Too Dumb to Live|to live]]: He is accidentally poisoned by Percy in Series 1; no-one is able to see through Ludvig's Queenie disguise in Series 2, not even the real Queenie; and in Series 4 he has his commanding officers like [[Historical Domain Character|Field Marshall Haig]] and Melchett, who believe that the best strategy is to climb over the top and "walk very slowly towards the enemy". A strategy which has already failed at least fourteen times, no less.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Everyone who isn't Edmund. Edmund himself is more like [[Too Dumb to Live|Too]] [[Surrounded by Idiots]] [[Too Dumb to Live|to live]]: He is accidentally poisoned by Percy in Series 1; no-one is able to see through Ludvig's Queenie disguise in Series 2, not even the real Queenie; and in Series 4 he has his commanding officers like [[Historical Domain Character|Field Marshall Haig]] and Melchett, who believe that the best strategy is to climb over the top and "walk very slowly towards the enemy". A strategy which has already failed at least fourteen times, no less.

* [[Took a Level In Dumbass]]: Baldrick between series one and two.

* [[Universal Adaptor Cast]]

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* [[Villain Protagonist]]: Played with in Edmund, although only the third really qualifies.

* [[With Friends Like These...]]: Blackadder to Percy in the first two series.

* [[World of Snark]]: The shallowness, stupidity, and downright arrogance of the world around him make Blackadder's hijinks as a [[Villain Protagonist]] [[Kick the Son of A Bitch|particularly satisfying]]

* [[World of Snark]]: The shallowness, stupidity, and downright arrogance of the world around him make Blackadder's hijinks as a [[Villain Protagonist]] [[Kick the Son of a Bitch|particularly satisfying]]

* [[Zany Scheme]]: Blackadder tends to have one for every occasion. Baldrick also cooks all sorts of these up...problem is, with his intelligence, most of them border on the ridiculous (Such as in season 3's "Nob and Nobility", where he suggests to Edmund that they wait until their heads have been cut off by French revolutionaries before they make an escape, in the manner of a headless chicken). His season 1 plans were perfectly feasible and at times even [[Hitman|worthy of Codename 47]]. That said though, Edmund does take him up on one plan in season 4. Percy also had his share of these in the first two seasons.

** Sometimes the situation is shown as being so desperate that Blackadder is forced to resort to one of Baldrick's plans due to the lack of any other alternatively (for example, trying to rewrite The Dictionary which take Samuel Johnson 10 years in only two nights).

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* [[Curse Cut Short]]: In "Beer":

{{quote| '''Lady Whiteadder''': Luck! Sounds almost exactly like f-- ''[episode ends]''}}

* [[Despair Speech]]: A very short one, which is also a [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[~~Richard II (Theatre)|~~Richard II]]'':

* [[Despair Speech]]: A very short one, which is also a [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[Richard II]]'':

{{quote| '''Percy''': Then you are doomed. Alas. For God's sake, let us sit upon the carpet and tell sad stories.}}

* [[Dry Crusader]]: the Whiteadders are these--at least until the end of the episode.

* [[Eats Babies]]: [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|The Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells]].

* [[Eats Babies]]: [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|The Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells]].

* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Ask any fangirl and she'll tell you that either this version or ''Blackadder the Third'''s was the most attractive.

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: Nursie. Since her real name is Bernard, it's [[Justified Trope|understandable]].

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{{quote| '''Edmund''': Oh, shove off you old trout.

'''Lady Whiteadder''': How dare you speak to my husband like that! }}

* [[Irony As She Is Cast]]: Miriam Margolyes, who played the Puritanical Lady Whiteadder, is not only openly gay but Jewish.

* [[Irony as She Is Cast]]: Miriam Margolyes, who played the Puritanical Lady Whiteadder, is not only openly gay but Jewish.

* [[Lame Comeback]]: "Better a "lapdog to a slip of a girl" than a... ''git''!" Ironically, the sailor is actually impressed by this.

* [[All Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks]]: The bank of the Black Monks of Saint Herod: "Banking with a smile and a stab."

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** To quote: "Prince Ludwig is a master of disguise... while Nursie is an insane old woman with an udder fixation!"

* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: "Bob"

* [[Sweet On Polly Oliver]]: Edmund towards "Bob"

* [[Sweet on Polly Oliver]]: Edmund towards "Bob"

* [[Two-Timer Date]]: Blackadder's attempt to hold simultaneous parties in "Beer".

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?]]: In "Head", Blackadder has accidentally had Lord Farrow executed (or so he thinks) ''before'' his wife is supposed to meet him one last time, so is forced to impersonate him by putting a bag over his head. In a meeting with Lady Farrow beforehand, he tries to prepare her for this by saying her husband has 'changed', which she takes to mean he's been tortured:

{{quote| '''Lady Farrow:''' What have you done to him?!

'''Blackadder:''' We have put... ''([[Dramatic Pause]])'' ...a bag over his head! }}

* [[What Happened to ~~The~~ Mouse?]]: In series 2, when Lord Farrow is believed to have been executed before he met his wife, Edmund attempts to [[Crowning Moment of Funny|impersonate him with...]] [[Paper-Thin Disguise|a bag on his head]]. It is later revealed that Baldrick has executed Ponsonby in place of Farrow, so Edmund must then [[Crowning Moment of Funny|impersonate Ponsonby with...]] [[Paper-Thin Disguise|a bag on his head. And a lisp. Hopping.]]. So, when Edmund was impersonating the actually-alive Farrow, where was he if not in his cell?

* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]]: In series 2, when Lord Farrow is believed to have been executed before he met his wife, Edmund attempts to [[Crowning Moment of Funny|impersonate him with...]] [[Paper-Thin Disguise|a bag on his head]]. It is later revealed that Baldrick has executed Ponsonby in place of Farrow, so Edmund must then [[Crowning Moment of Funny|impersonate Ponsonby with...]] [[Paper-Thin Disguise|a bag on his head. And a lisp. Hopping.]]. So, when Edmund was impersonating the actually-alive Farrow, where was he if not in his cell?

** If they thought Farrow was Ponsonby and vice versa, presumably at the time, Farrow was in Ponsonby's cell.

* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: Flashheart, depending on your definition of 'wholesome'.

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* [[The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much]]: The returning officer and lone voter in Dunny-on-theWold [[Blatant Lies|apparently]] died, respectively, from accidentally brutally cutting his head off while combing his hair, and accidentally brutally stabbing himself in the stomach while shaving.

* [[Creator Cameo]]: The anarchist who attempts to assassinate Prince George in "Sense and Senility" is played by series co-writer Ben Elton.

* [[Cut His Heart Out ~~With~~ a Spoon]]: "Baldrick, believe me. Eternity in the company of Beelzebub, and ''all'' his hellish instruments of death, will be a ''picnic'' compared to five minutes with me... and ''this pencil''... if we cannot replace this dictionary."

* [[Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon]]: "Baldrick, believe me. Eternity in the company of Beelzebub, and ''all'' his hellish instruments of death, will be a ''picnic'' compared to five minutes with me... and ''this pencil''... if we cannot replace this dictionary."

* [[Death By Sex]]: {{spoiler|Prince George}} in "Duel and Duality," despite Blackadder's best efforts to prevent it.

* [[Death by Sex]]: {{spoiler|Prince George}} in "Duel and Duality," despite Blackadder's best efforts to prevent it.

* [[Dream Sequence]]: In "Ink and Incapability"

{{quote| '''Blackadder''': Baldrick, who gave you permission to turn into an Alsatian?!}}

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{{quote| '''Blackadder''': Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is?

'''Baldrick''': Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron. }}

* [[Duel to ~~The~~ Death]]: "Duel and Duality"

* [[Duel to the Death]]: "Duel and Duality"

* [[Election Night]]: "Dish and Dishonesty" features one of the definitive parodies of TV election coverage.

* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Hugh Laurie in make-up and tights has been known to make a lot of straight women (and a few lesbians) perk up.

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'''Amy''': And Aunty Ruth and Uncle Isiah, she was a milkmaid and he was-

'''Hardwood''': The Pope! Yes, yes, all right. }}

* [[Leaning On the Fourth Wall]]: During the episode 'Duel And Duality'.

* [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]]: During the episode 'Duel And Duality'.

{{quote| '''Blackadder''': I want to be remembered when I'm dead. I want books written about me. I want songs sung about me. And then, hundreds of years from now, I want episodes of my life to be played out weekly at half past nine by [[Rowan Atkinson|some great heroic actor of the age]].

'''Baldrick''': Yeah, and I could be played by some tiny tit in a beard.

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'''Blackadder:''' "...and the ''Pauper''", sir.

'''George:''' Oh, yes, yes. [[Sustained Misunderstanding|"The Prince and the Porpoise and the Pauper".]] }}

* [[Unaccustomed As I Am to Public Speaking]]: Parodied by George.

* [[Unaccustomed as I Am to Public Speaking]]: Parodied by George.

* [[Uncanny Family Resemblance]]: Edmund's Scottish cousin MacAdder, in "Duel and Duality".

* [[Upperclass Twit]]: Prince George, who [[Captain Ersatz|has more than a few similarties]] to [[Jeeves and Wooster (TV)|Bertie Wooster]]. The fact that they're both played by [[Hugh Laurie]] helps. However, George is far ''[[Up to Eleven|less]]'' intelligent than Wooster, and far, far less likeable.

* [[Upperclass Twit]]: Prince George, who [[Captain Ersatz|has more than a few similarties]] to [[Jeeves and Wooster (TV series)|Bertie Wooster]]. The fact that they're both played by [[Hugh Laurie]] helps. However, George is far ''[[Up to Eleven|less]]'' intelligent than Wooster, and far, far less likeable.

* [[Villain Protagonist]]: Mr. E. Blackadder likely qualifies as one, being an implied serial killer (during the election episode), as well as having two famous actors arrested and executed for treason in "Sense and Senility", sending Amy Hardwood to the noose in "Amy and Amiability" and killing Topper and Smedley in "Nob and Nobility". So he's ''directly'' responsible for killing or having killed at least seven people during the course of six episodes (although Amy had tried to kill him first, and Smedley's death was accidental).

** Correction: Smedley's death was intended--Blackadder just didn't know that he ''was'' Smedley. {{spoiler|Or the Scarlet Pimpernel.}}

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*** Melchett is also a fan of 'gobeldegook' and makes a note to use it more often in conversation.

*** "Wibble"

* [[Jerk ~~With~~ a Heart of Gold]]: Blackadder, to a very slight extent. He's still not remotely a nice person, but he can bring himself to feel sympathy for Darling and wish the others good luck in the final episode. Also, despite being a soldier, he is the only Blackadder in the four seasons ''not'' to commit murder - unless you count Speckled Jim and Mboto Gorge, where they "massacred the peace-loving pigmies of the Upper Volta and stole all their fruit" according to Darling. He also seems genuinely horrified when he learns he's sent an innocent woman to the firing squad in "General Hospital"; hard to imagine his heartless Regency ancestor being so shaken. He is genuinely complimentary regarding George's painting ability too (though planning to use it for his own ends). Sincere compliments from a Blackadder are as rare as something very rare.

* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Blackadder, to a very slight extent. He's still not remotely a nice person, but he can bring himself to feel sympathy for Darling and wish the others good luck in the final episode. Also, despite being a soldier, he is the only Blackadder in the four seasons ''not'' to commit murder - unless you count Speckled Jim and Mboto Gorge, where they "massacred the peace-loving pigmies of the Upper Volta and stole all their fruit" according to Darling. He also seems genuinely horrified when he learns he's sent an innocent woman to the firing squad in "General Hospital"; hard to imagine his heartless Regency ancestor being so shaken. He is genuinely complimentary regarding George's painting ability too (though planning to use it for his own ends). Sincere compliments from a Blackadder are as rare as something very rare.

{{quote| '''Blackadder''': George! These are brilliant! Why didn't you tell us about these before?

'''George''': Well, you know, one doesn't want to blow one's own trumpet.

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'''Blackadder''': Yes, Lieutenant?

'''George''': I'm...scared, sir. }}

* [[What Happened to ~~The~~ Mouse?]]: We never do find out if Blackadder or Darling were able to prevent Nurse Mary's firing squad execution in time.

* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]]: We never do find out if Blackadder or Darling were able to prevent Nurse Mary's firing squad execution in time.

* [[World War One]]

* [[Worthy Opponent]]: The Red Baron thinks Flashheart is one. Flashheart [[No-Nonsense Nemesis|does not agree]].

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* [[Shakespeare in Fiction]]: ''Blackadder: Back & Forth''.

* [[Shout-Out]]: In ''Blackadder Back & Forth'' the brief space battle is between two Earth Defence Directorate starfighters and a Draconian fighter.

* [[Throw the Dog A Bone]]: Things finally end happily for (one descendant of) Edmund and Baldrick in ''Blackadder: Back & Forth'' as they alter time and history for fame and fortune.

* [[Throw the Dog a Bone]]: Things finally end happily for (one descendant of) Edmund and Baldrick in ''Blackadder: Back & Forth'' as they alter time and history for fame and fortune.

* [[Yet Another Christmas Carol]]: An inversion and parody. Indeed, when Ebenezer Blackadder, the [[White Sheep|only good and friendly member of the Blackadder bloodline]], sees that his descendant would rule all of the universe if he became a spiteful miser like his ancestors (instead of being a slave to future Baldrick, which would happen if he were to remain kind and generous), he lampshades it gleefully:

{{quote| '''Ebenezer:''' [[Spoof Aesop|Bad guys have all the fun]].}}