Blackadder Back & Forth (1999)

Director:

Paul Weiland

Writers:

Richard Curtis (written by) &
Ben Elton (written by)
(more)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | History | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The final episode in the saga of the Blackadder family, who have forever been at the very center of British history and society.

Plot:

At a New Millennium Eve party Blackadder and Baldrick test their new time machine and ping pong through history encountering famous characters and changing events rather alarmingly....

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Time Machine | Millennium | Con | Gullible

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Lord Edmund Blackadder / King Edmund III / Blackaddercus (All Blackadders)
Tony Robinson	...	Sod-Off Baldrick / Baldrickus (All Baldricks)
Stephen Fry	...	Bishop Flavius Melchett / Melchett / General Melchecus (All Melchetts) / Wellington
Hugh Laurie	...	Viscount George Bufton-Tufton / Georgius
Tim McInnerny	...	Archdeacon Darling / Duc de Darling / Duke of Darling (All Darlings)
Miranda Richardson	...	Lady Elizabeth / Queen Elizabeth (All Elizabeths)
Tyrannosaurus Rex	...	Dinosaur
Patsy Byrne	...	Nursie
Colin Firth	...	William Shakespeare
Rik Mayall	...	Robin Hood
Kate Moss	...	Maid Marian
Crispin Harris	...	Friar Tuck
Simon Russell Beale	...	Napoleon (as Simon Russell-Beale)
Hordes of Scots	...	Scottish Hordes
Jennie Bond	...	Royal Reporter (as Jenny Bond)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sacha Bennett	...	Will Scarlett (uncredited)
Amanda Jane Manning	...	Lady in waiting (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Weiland

Writing credits
Richard Curtis		(written by) &
Ben Elton		(written by)
Richard Curtis		television series "The Black Adder", "Blackadder II", "Blackadder the Third" and "Blackadder Goes Forth" (uncredited) &
Rowan Atkinson		television series "The Black Adder" (uncredited) &
Ben Elton		television series "Blackadder II", "Blackadder the Third" and "Blackadder Goes Forth" (uncredited)

Produced by
Peter Bennett-Jones	....	executive producer
Sophie Clarke-Jervoise	....	producer
Marigo Kehoe	....	line producer
Geoffrey Perkins	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Howard Goodall

Cinematography by
Tony Pierce-Roberts		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Guy Bensley

Casting by
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard

Production Design by
Andrew Howe-Davies

Art Direction by
Tom Bowyer
Nic Pallace

Costume Design by
Hazel Pethig

Makeup Department
Beverley Binda	....	makeup artist
Françoise Cresson	....	makeup artist (as François Cresson)
Lizzie Lawson	....	makeup artist
Jan Sewell	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Egerton	....	first assistant director
Liz Legum	....	second assistant director
Julian Richards	....	third assistant director

Art Department
David Butt	....	stand-by art director
Cathy Cosgrove	....	prop buyer
Kevin Day	....	stand-by props
Simon Drew	....	dressing props
Giovanni Giacotto	....	stand-by painter (as Giovanni Giaccotto)
Peter Hallam	....	prop master
Nina Howe-Davies	....	art department runner
Paul Michel	....	charge hand dresser
Sarah Pasquali	....	calligraphy
Martin Phipps	....	stand-by rigger
Brian Smith	....	stand-by carpenter
Paul Stamp	....	stand-by props
James Stanley	....	dressing props
Paul Wolstencroft	....	stagehand

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	dubbing mixer
Tony Bell	....	sound maintenance engineer
Glenn Calder	....	adr recordist
Paul Davies	....	dubbing editor
Neil Kingsbury	....	sound recordist
Jeremy Price	....	dialogue editor
Barnaby Smyth	....	dubbing assistant (as Barnaby Smith)
Graeme Stoten	....	foley editor
Philip Meehan	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Hollow	....	special effects supervisor
Colin Shulver	....	art finisher (uncredited)
Colin Shulver	....	creature sculptor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Helen Ball	....	digital artist
Angus Cameron	....	digital artist
Matthew D'Angibau	....	motion control programmer
Max Dennison	....	digital artist (as Max Dinnison)
José Granell	....	model supervisor
John Grant	....	scanning and recording
Robin Huffer	....	digital artist
Antony Hunt	....	visual effects supervisor (as Anthony Hunt)
Andrew Jeffery	....	digital coordinator
Rick Mietkowski	....	motion control cameraman
John Murphy	....	model maker
Daniel Pettipher	....	digital supervisor
Andy Stevens	....	camera technician (as Andrew Stevens)
Sean Danischevsky	....	digital compositor: Magic Camera Company (uncredited)
Max Dennison	....	digital matte artist (uncredited)
Sarah Lockwood	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Andy Stevens	....	visual effects camera assistant: Millfilm (uncredited)

Stunts
Marc Cass	....	stunt performer (as Mark Cass)
Joss Gower	....	stunt performer
Steve Griffin	....	stunt performer (as Steve Street Griffin)
Richard Hammatt	....	stunt coordinator (as Richard Hammett)
Paul Heasman	....	stunt coordinator
Tony Lucken	....	stunt performer
Lee Sheward	....	stunt coordinator
Joss Gower	....	stunt double: Rowan Atkinson (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Benbow	....	opening title stills (as Steve Benbow - Calorific)
Sam Bloor	....	rigger
Roy Branch	....	electrician
Steve Costello	....	gaffer
Ted Deason	....	focus puller
Chris Dowling	....	rigger
Warren Evans	....	gennie operator
Sam Goldie	....	camera trainee
Rawdon Hayne	....	focus puller
Robert Hind	....	still photographer
Mark Hutton	....	rigger
Paul Kemp	....	electrician
Richard Kendall	....	still photographer
Dave Moore	....	best boy
Neil Munro	....	electrician
Spencer Murray	....	clapper loader
Nick Ray	....	grip
Andrew Shields	....	CCTV operator (as Andy Shields)
Philip Sindall	....	camera operator
Ken Slater	....	stand-by lighting rigger
Paul Stewart	....	rigging gaffer
Spike Watson	....	still photographer
Rawdon Hayne	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Spencer Murray	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Andrew Shields	....	video playback operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fiona Coutts	....	wardrobe assistant
Philip Lester	....	wardrobe supervisor
Phill Tarling	....	wardrobe assistant (as Phil Tarling)

Editorial Department
Lalit Goyal	....	assistant film editor
Peter Hunt	....	colour grader

Music Department
Kit Turnbull	....	composer: additional music
Giles Underwood	....	performer: title song

Other crew
Chris Allies	....	opening title sequence
Adam Browne	....	location manager
Ewan Bush	....	floor runner
Sue Calverley	....	production coordinator
Peppy Dickinson	....	stand-in (as Poppy Dickinson)
Simon Giles	....	closing title sequence (as Simon Giles -Film Factory)
Simon Giles	....	title designer: closing title sequence
Don Grant	....	opening title sequence
Guy Holdsworth-Hunt	....	production runner
Paul Jackson	....	health and safety
Charles Jimenez	....	stand-in
Paul Kirkby	....	stand-in
Nathaniel McCullagh	....	floor runner
Nigel Neads	....	location accountant
Susan Roberson	....	script supervisor (as Susie Roberson)
Renee St. Jean	....	production secretary (as Renee St Jean)
Peter Winstanley	....	production accountant
Gavin Charlton	....	sous chef (uncredited)
Paul Mortimer	....	unit paramedic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Millennium Experience Company
• Sky (in association with)
• Tiger Aspect Productions (in association with) (as tigeraspect PRODUCTIONS)

Distributors

• BBC Enterprises
• British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)
• Sky TV
• VCI Distribution

Special Effects

• Aztec (model makers)
• Crawley Creatures (model makers)
• Gorton & Painter (model makers) (as Gorton and Painter)
• Magic Camera Company, The (visual effects) (as Magic Camera)

Other Companies

• Angel Recording Studios  music recorded at (as Angel Studios Islington)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Television  special thanks (as BBC Television)
• British Museum  opening title stills (as The British Museum)
• Capital Medical Services  medics
• Cool Music  musicians contracted by (as Cool Music Ltd)
• Fujicolor  film on stock by
• Gee-Whiz Transport Services  prop transport (as Gee Whizz Transport)
• Harbottle & Lewis  legal services (as Harbottle and Lewis)
• Lays International  camera car
• Lee Lighting  lighting supplied by (as Lee Lighting Ltd)
• Limolux Transportation  artiste cars & minibuses
• Mike Fraser  negative cutting (as Mike Frasers Ltd)
• Mike Pia Video & Film Company  video playback equipment
• Mobile Mouthful  catering
• National Portrait Gallery  opening title stills (as National Portrait Gallery, London)
• On Set Location Services  facilities vehicles
• One8Six  video playback equipment (uncredited)
• Reading Borough Council  opening title stills
• Reading Museum Service  opening title stills
• Road Runner Film Services  construction transport
• Salon  editing facilities
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services (uncredited)
• Shepperton Construction  construction
• Southern Film Services  facilities vehicles
• Torribles Insurance Brokers  insurance (as Torribles Insurance Brokers Ltd)
• Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, London  opening title stills
• Victoria and Albert Picture Library  opening title stills (as V&A Picture Library)
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  dubbing facilities (as Videosonics Cinemasound)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

33 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS 70 mm (as dts Digital Sound)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG (video rating) (2000) (2001)

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

New Millennium Experience Company

Trivia:

Regarding Blackadder's cunning plan to become king, Baldrick asks if it is as 'cunning as a fox what used to be Professor of Cunning at Oxford University, but has moved on and is now working for the UN at the high commission of International Cunning planning?'. This is building on a line delivered by a previous Blackadder to his Baldrick in "Blackadder Goes Forth: Goodbyeee (#1.6)" (1989), involving a plan 'as cunning as fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University'

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Blackadder walks down the stairs showing Leonardo Da Vinci's sketchbook, we hear him talking about it, but his lips don't move.

Quotes:

Blackadder:[punches Shakespeare] That is for every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the next 400 years! Have you any idea how much suffering you're going to cause? Hours spent at school desks trying to find ONE joke in "A Midsummer's Night Dream", wearing stupid tights in school plays and saying things like, "What ho, my Lord," and, "Oh, look, here comes Othello talking total crap as usual."
[kicks Shakespeare]
Blackadder:And THAT is for Ken Branagh's endless, four-hour version of Hamlet.
William Shakespeare:Who's Ken Branagh?
Blackadder:I'll tell him you said that, and I think he'll be rather hurt...

Movie Connections:

References Hamlet (1996)

Soundtrack:

Robin Hood

A mixed bag

As nice as it is to see a reunion of the entire cast of the Blackadder franchise, this is only so-so entertainment(and poor Byrne, getting such forgettable lines). It's interesting to see this as produced as something other than a sit-com, with well-done cinematography, special effects and editing. The plot isn't bad, and the concept allows for the writers to mock time periods that they hadn't before, and while this freedom puts the pressure on them to utilize it, they do so most of the time. The story does drive this one so much that little room is left for laughs, unfortunately. Pacing is solid. The production values are quite high. Everything looks great and we believe that we are where and when we are told to be visiting. Acting is all good. The "guests" are magnificent. Atkinson is marvelous as always as the cynical, greedy and self-righteous Edmund. The comedy is fair. Too much reliance on sight gags, and silly, occasionally violent, humor(even some of the gross-out material of the latest season, what gives?), though, and so little(though there is still a note-worthy amount) of the verbal comedy that we know and love this series for. As we are by now used to from these, the shortcomings throughout history is poked fun at through matter-of-factly stating in a satirical manner. This has some of the clever wit of previous productions, but not as much as we're used to. On the plus side, the excellent theme song returns, with a new, fitting text. The DVD comes with the Cavalier Years and Baldrick's Video Diary, that expands into a making-of featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, interviews(with every performer, very cool) and deleted scenes. It's fairly informative. A final goodbye to those that we've come to know and love, but could have been rather a bit better. I recommend this to all fans of the title character. Just don't expect the greatness as we've become used to from his side. 7/10