"Black Adder the Third" (1987) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

17 September 1987 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | History

Tagline:

Macbeth!

Plot:

In this generation, Blackadder is a frustrated butler in the employ of an incredibly stupid Crown Prince of England.

Plot Keywords:

England | Servant | King | France | Historically Inaccurate

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Edmund Blackadder, butler to the Prince (6 episodes, 1987)
Tony Robinson	...	Baldrick - a dogsbody / ... (6 episodes, 1987)
Hugh Laurie	...	The Prince Regent - their master / ... (6 episodes, 1987)
Helen Atkinson-Wood	...	Mrs. Miggins, a coffee shoppekeeper (6 episodes, 1987)

Also Known As:

Blackadder 3 (UK) (alternative title)
Blackadder III (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Ireland:15 | Australia:PG | UK:15 | Singapore:PG

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

This series of Blackadder marked a change in the traditional line-up of characters. The two previous series, "The Black Adder" (1983) and "Blackadder II" (1986) included different historical incarnations of Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), Baldrick (Tony Robinson) and Lord Percy (Tim McInnerny). This time round the character of Lord Percy wasn't in at all, his role as the foppish fool of the group being replaced by the character of George, Prince Of Wales/The Prince Regent. McInnerny was actually offered the part of George but turned it down as he feared that he would become typecast. He did appear in one episode, playing Lord Topper, The Comte d'Frufru in Nob And Nobility. Hugh Laurie eventually got the part of George, having played two characters in the previous series Blackadder II (Simon Partridge in "Beer" and Prince Ludwig in "Chains").

Quotes:

Blackadder: Stick the kettle on, Baldrick
Baldrick: What? Aren't we going to France?
Blackadder: Of course we're not going to France! It's incredibly dangerous!
Baldrick: Well, how you gonna win your bet?
Blackadder: Simple, Baldrick. By the use of the large thing between my ears.
Baldrick: Ohhh. Your nose.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Little Britain: Biggest House of Cards (#1.5)" (2003)

Intelligent sarcastic humour – the best of British!

In England 1790-1815 we follow the continued annals of the Blackadder family. Edmund Blackadder is now butler to Prince George – a man who is as `thick as a whale omelette'. Over 6 episodes his lot goes from the dizzying heights of ruin to disaster to opportunity with little or no help from his dogsbody the `mouse brained' Baldrick.

The third in the Blackadder series is not the best (although it's a very close). The scripts are very sharp and typically British. Every word is hilarious and Blackadder is given plenty of juicy lines to throw at his below-average-intelligence master. The plots are ludicrous but inventive – Baldrick accidentally elevated to the house of lords, Blackadder saving the Scarlet Pimpernel, the destruction of the world's first dictionary etc, but they're all carried off with style and great humour.

Rowan Atkinson is hilarious – Blackadder is one of his finest hours and he fits the character perfectly. Tony Robinson is cursed forever to be remembered for Baldrick (no matter how many Time Teams he does) and he is brilliant in a thankless role. Hugh Laurie is superb as the stupid Prince and brings inbred stupidity to life! But each episode is also underpinned by a wealth of talent including Helen Atkinson Wood, Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth Moore, Chris Barrie, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry etc. The casting is great.

Overall Blackadder is one of the finest British comedy series for decades – it deserves to be up there with Monty Python and the like. Anyone who loves to laugh at intelligent sarcastic humour will love this. One of the best comedy series I've ever seen.