Sense and Senility (8 Oct. 1987)

Following a failed assassination attempt, the Prince Regent hires two actors to tutor him in public speaking.

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)
Hugh Paddick	...	Keanrick, thespian (as Mr. Hugh Paddick)
Kenneth Connor	...	Mossop, thespian (as Mr. Kenneth Connor)
Helen Atkinson-Wood	...	Mrs. Miggins, a coffee shoppekeeper (as Miss Helen Atkinson-Wood)
Ben Elton	...	Anarchist (as Mr. Ben Elton)

Storyline

The Prince Recent attends the theater, where he narrowly survives an assassination attempt. Shocked to learn that he is not loved by everyone in the country, he dispatches Edmund Blackadder to hire actors to educate him in speech and deportment. Blackadder is rightly worried about the consequences of this meeting, as the Prince seems incapable of understanding the concept of acting.

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Plot Keywords:

assassination attempt | roar | applause | bowl of fruit | spring cleaning | 

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Genres:

Comedy | History

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1987 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character names of Mossop and Keanrick refer to three famous thespians of the 18th and 19th century: the Irish actor Henry Mossop (1729-1744), the English actor Edmund Kean (1789-1833), and the English actor David Garrick (1717-1779).

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Goofs

When Blackadder and George are at the theatre watching "Julius Caesar", electric lights can clearly be seen along the floor at the front of the stage.

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Quotes

Prince George: Are you sure we can even trust these acting fellows, Blackadder? Last time we went to the theater three of them murdered Julius Caesar. And one of them was his best friend, Brutus!
Blackadder: As I have told you about eight times, the man playing Julius Caesar was an actor called Kemp.
Prince George: Really?
Blackadder: Yes?
Prince George: Thundering gherkins! Well, Brutus must have been pretty miffed when he found out!
Blackadder: What?
Prince George: That he hadn't killed Caesar after all, just some poxy actor called Kemp! What do you think he did, go 'round to Caesar's ...

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Connections

References Sense and Sensibility (1971)

User Reviews

The actors are revolting!

Edmund is less than thrilled that he and the thicky, George, are going to the theater. Part of this is due to the actors' overacting but most is that George is so dim he thinks it's all real--at one point yelling out in the middle of "Julius Caesar" to "look behind you, Julius!" when the actor is about to get stabbed! Unexpectedly, however, in the middle of the play an anarchist makes an attempt on the thicky's life. So the Regent decides to make a nice speech to show the common people that he loves them. But, as he's a thicky and can barely talk, the plan is to have a couple famous actors help coach him on how to deliver his speech.

When the actors arrive, they are pompous and annoying. Not surprisingly, Edmund hates them--and vice-versa. So, when the two actors begin rehearsing a play involving regicide and Baldrick and George think they are plotting to kill the Regent, Edmund takes advantage of this to make a few pounds AND rid himself of the annoying actors.

Overall, a very funny episode--one of the better ones of season three. Silly, funny and well-written. Plus the actors are such trolls that when bad things happen to them, the audience is left laughing!