Black Adder the Third (1987– )

In the 19th century Regency era, Mr E. Blackadder serves as butler to the foppish numskull Prince George amidst the fads and crazes of the time.

Stars:

Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
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)

Storyline

During the Regency period, the insane King George III's stark raving mad son, George, is the Prince Regent of Wales. Vulgar and staggeringly slow-and-dim-witted, George exhausts the country's money and would surely be dead by know were it not for his dry, angry, bitter, arrogant and cynical butler, Edmund Blackadder, Esq. Blackadder is an ex-aristocrat who has lost his family fortune and been reduced to servant-hood, and full of loathing knowing he should have a better position then serving a lunatic. Sod-Off Baldrick is his dirty, smelly peasant servant, and Mrs. Miggins is an annoying cheerful coffee-shoppe owner who is too stupid to understand most of Mr. Blackadder's insults.

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Plot Keywords:

servant | 19th century | england | king | cult tv | 

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Taglines:

Sausage!

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Genres:

Comedy | History

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1987 (UK)

Also Known As:

Blackadder III

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (6 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Though this is fictitious, Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Prince George is reportedly accurate. Prince George was made regent in the absence of his father (George III) and was immediately hated by his people. He reportedly lived only for pleasure and didn't care about the public who through taxes had to foot the bill.

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Quotes

Blackadder: I have come up with a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, Blackadder roams amongst bookcases. He pulls out books from time to time, upon the spines of which the opening credits are written. Finally, he pulls out a book (upon which the series title is inscribed)... then with a sly wink, he reveals the book is hollow and contains a dirty romance novel.

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Connections

Follows The Black Adder (1983)

User Reviews

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.