Amy and Amiability (15 Oct. 1987)

When Blackadder discovers that the Prince Regent is completely broke, he devises a plan to restore his fortunes through marriage.

Director:

Mandie Fletcher

Writers:

Richard Curtis (by), Ben Elton (by)

Stars:

Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Rowan Atkinson	...	Edmund Blackadder, butler to the Prince (as Mr. Rowan Atkinson)
Tony Robinson	...	Baldrick, a dogsbody (as Mr. Tony Robinson)
Hugh Laurie	...	The Prince Regent, their master (as Mr. Hugh Laurie)
Helen Atkinson-Wood	...	Mrs. Miggins, a coffee shoppekeeper (as Miss Helen Atkinson-Wood)
Miranda Richardson	...	Amy Hardwood, the elusive Shadow (as Miss Miranda Richardson)
Warren Clarke	...	Mr. Hardwood, her father (as Mr. Warren Clarke)
Barbara Horne	...	Sally Cheapside, a young lady of doubtful virtue (as Miss Barbara Horne)
Roger Avon	...	The Duke of Cheapside, her father (as Mr. Roger Avon)

Storyline

Blackadder discovers that the Prince Regent is completely broke, which puts a dent in his embezzlement ambitions. With parliament growing tired of continually giving the Prince handouts, Blackadder devises a cunning plan to restore their fortunes by marriage into a wealthy family. This plan is hampered by the fact that nobody in their right mind would want to marry the Prince.

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Plot Keywords:

dictation | flintlock pistol | newspaper | magnifying glass | reward | 

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Genres:

Comedy | History

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1987 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a parody of the British film The Wicked Lady as shown by both the basic plot of a woman posing as a male highwayman and the fact that Amy, while pretending to be a man, speaks in an imitation of the voice of James Mason, who starred as Captain Jackson in the original movie.

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Goofs

As confirmed by the credits, the highway robber's victims are the Duke of Cheapside and Miss Cheapside, his daughter. The daughter of a Duke has the title 'Lady' followed by her forename and surname.

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Quotes

Blackadder: Mrs. M, if we were the last three humans on earth, I would be trying to start a family with Baldrick.

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Connections

Featured in Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008)

User Reviews

Not the best of Series 3 - still good, though.

Amy and Amiability proved to be a bit of a letdown. The main problem with the episode was Amy's immense wetness - it made this episode hard to watch, though her father was pretty funny. The squirrel effects in this episode were so hideously cheap and nasty - they were like squeezy toys being dropped from above. The episode was funny, and at least we actually got to see Blackadder as a highwayman, but once again, the ending was a letdown - it was so predictable and easy. The last scene in the bedroom was pretty funny, and did have one half-decent visual effect in which a dropped tray jumped into Blackadder's hands (not quite Matrix stuff, but OK). Overall, the episode was funny, witty, sarcastic and original in parts like the rest of them, but lacked something that made all the other episodes great (I don't quite know what), and wasn't the best. On the whole, I don't think this is an episode to be skipped, but I don't think it's the greatest ever. But it is enjoyable. 8/10