How to watch Blackadder - what’s it about and who’s in the cast?’

Who wrote Blackadder?

Blackadder was co-written by Richard Curtis, Rowan Atkinson (for series one only) and Ben Elton (series two onwards).

What is Blackadder about?

The show stars follows power-hungry antihero Edmund Blackadder and his dogsbody, Baldrick. Each series was set in a different historical period, with the two protagonists accompanied by different characters, though several reappear in one series or another, such as Melchett (Stephen Fry) and Lord Flashheart (Rik Mayall).

Who's in the cast of Blackadder?

The main cast of Blackadder consists of Rowan Atkinson - who also co-wrote the show with Richard Curtis and Ben Elton - starring as Blackadder throughout the ages, plus Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

Robinson has gone on to host numerous historical documentaries has got involved with politics as a member of the Labour Party, and has penned over fifteen children's books.

McInnerny starred in 101 Dalmatians, Notting Hill, and more recently as Lord Robert Glover in Game of Thrones.

Richardson has won Golden Globes for her roles in Enchanted April and Fatherland.

Fry is now a mental health activist, television show host, actor and writer, whose work includes the voiceovers for the popular Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks as well as for his own books (such as the Mythos series), hosting QI, and presenting his own shows Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive and Stephen Fry in America.

Laurie has since appeared in numerous films including Jeeves and Wooster, Sense and Sensibility, 101 Dalmatians and The Borrowers, and hit TV shows like House and The Night Manager.

How many seasons of Blackadder are there?

So far, there have been four seasons.

Season one was set in the British Middle Ages in an alternative time-stream in which Richard III was accidentally killed after he won the Battle of Bosworth. In his place, one of the Princes in the Tower - who in real life are suspected to have been murdered by Richard III himself - succeeded him as King. Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is the son of this new King, Richard IV.

Season two was set during Queen Elizabeth I's reign, and the original Blackadder's great-grandson (also played by Rowan Atkinson) carries on the family name and competes with his rival, Lord Melchett (Stephen Fry).

In season three, an early-19th century incarnation of Blackadder was butler to the incompetent Prince Regent, the Prince of Wales (Hugh Laurie), and in the final season, the fourth, another of Blackadder's descendants, battles in the trenches on the Western Front in 1917.

As well as these four seasons, there were several special episodes called Blackadder: The Cavalier Years, Blackadder's Christmas Carol and Blackadder: Back & Forth.

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How many episodes of Blackadder are there?

There are 24 episodes, plus three specials.

Who sang the Blackadder theme?

The theme tune was played by a variety of instrumentalists appropriate for the time period in which each series was set, and was sung was by a cast of carol singers in Blackadder's Christmas Carol.

The theme music was composed by Howard Goodall, who was Composer of the Year at the Classic Brit awards in 2009 and has also written for Red Dwarf, Mr Bean and The Catherine Tate Show.

Where was Blackadder filmed?

The series was filmed in Northumberland, and the title screen was filmed in Alnwick Castle.