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IMDbPro

Blackadder Goes Forth

  • TV Series
  • 19891989
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 2h 55m
IMDb RATING
8.8/10
54K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,248
198
Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
ComedyWar
Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.
IMDb RATING
8.8/10
54K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,248
198
  • Stars
    • Rowan Atkinson
    • Tony Robinson
    • Stephen Fry
  • Stars
    • Rowan Atkinson
    • Tony Robinson
    • Stephen Fry
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 80User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated TV #64
    • Won 2 BAFTA Awards

    Episodes6

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season
    1989

    Photos111

    Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Miranda Richardson and Hugh Laurie in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Hugh Laurie and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnerny, and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Hugh Laurie and Tim McInnerny in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Rik Mayall in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson, Adrian Edmondson, and Tony Robinson in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
    Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rowan Atkinson
    Rowan Atkinson
    • Captain Edmund Blackadder
    Tony Robinson
    Tony Robinson
    • Private S Baldrick
    Stephen Fry
    Stephen Fry
    • General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett
    Hugh Laurie
    Hugh Laurie
    • Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst St. Barleigh
    Tim McInnerny
    Tim McInnerny
    • Captain Kevin Darling
    Gabrielle Glaister
    Gabrielle Glaister
    • Driver Parkhurst
    Miranda Richardson
    Miranda Richardson
    • Nurse Mary
    Rik Mayall
    Rik Mayall
    • Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart
    Geoffrey Palmer
    Geoffrey Palmer
    • Field Marshal Haig
    Jeremy Hardy
    Jeremy Hardy
    • Corporal Perkins
    Adrian Edmondson
    Adrian Edmondson
    • Baron von Richthoven
    Stephen Frost
    Stephen Frost
    • Corporal Jones
    Bill Wallis
    • Brigadier Smith
    Hugo Blick
    • Lieutenant von Gerhardt
    Lee Cornes
    Lee Cornes
    • Private Fraser
    Paul Mark Elliott
    • Private Robinson
    Jeremy Gittins
    Jeremy Gittins
    • Private Tipplewick
    Russell Brook
    • British Solider
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tim McInnerny's character was originally named Captain Cartwright. Stephen Fry had the idea to change it to Darling (named after a boy at his school) and created a running gag which is frequently used throughout the series.
    • Goofs
      Throughout the series, Blackadder and George, both front-line officers in the trenches, are show with their rank insignia displayed on their cuffs, whereas Melchett and Darling, staff officers, are shown with their rank insignia on their shoulders. In reality, this would have been reversed: Cuff insignia was the standard, but front-line officers were allowed to wear theirs on their shoulders to make them less conspicuous to snipers. Shoulder insignia eventually became an army-wide personal option in 1917, and made permanent in 1920 when the cuff insignia was abolished completely.
    • Quotes

      Lieutenant George: But this is brave, splendid and noble...

      [Blackadder doesn't react - there's a long pause]

      Lieutenant George: ...Sir

      Captain Blackadder: Yes, Lieutenant.

      Lieutenant George: I'm scared, sir

      Private Baldrick: I'm scared too, sir

      Lieutenant George: I'm the last of the tiddly-winking leapfroggers from the golden summer of 1914. I don't want to die... I'm really not over keen on dying at all, sir.

      Captain Blackadder: How are you feeling, Darling?

      Captain Darling: Ahm- not all that good, Blackadder. Rather hoped I'd get through the whole show, go back to work at Pratt and Sons, keep wicket for the Croydon Gentlemen, marry Doris. Made a note in my diary on the way here. Simply says: "Bugger".

      Captain Blackadder: Well, quite.

      [Outside: "Stand to, stand to, fix bayonets"]

      Captain Blackadder: Come on, come on, let's move.

      [at the door, Blackadder turns to George]

      Captain Blackadder: Don't forget your stick Lieutenant

      Lieutenant George: Rather, sir. Wouldn't want to face a machine gun without this.

      [they walk into the misty trench, waiting for the off - suddenly there is silence - the machine guns stop]

      Captain Darling: I say, listen - our guns have stopped.

      Lieutenant George: You don't think...

      Private Baldrick: Perhaps the war's over. Perhaps it's peace.

      Captain Darling: Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.

      Captain Darling, Private Baldrick, Lieutenant George: Hip hip hooray!

      Captain Blackadder: I'm afraid not. The guns have stopped because we are about to attack. Not even our generals are mad enough to shell their own men. They feel it's more sporting to let the Germans do it.

      Lieutenant George: So, we are, in fact, going over. This is, as they say, it?

      Captain Blackadder: Yes, unless I can think of something very quickly.

      [a voice shouts 'Company, one pace forward.' They all step forward]

      Private Baldrick: There's a nasty splinter on that ladder, sir. A bloke could hurt himself on that.

      [another call: "Stand ready" - they put their hands on the ladders ready to climb]

      Private Baldrick: I have a plan, sir.

      Captain Blackadder: Really Baldrick? A cunning and subtle one?

      Private Baldrick: Yes, sir.

      Captain Blackadder: As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?

      Private Baldrick: Yes, sir.

      [another call: "On the signal, Company will advance"]

      Captain Blackadder: Well, I'm afraid it's too late. Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan to get out of here by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here?

      [a whistle blows he looks at Baldrick]

      Captain Blackadder: Good luck, everyone.

      [Blackadder blows his whistle, there is a roar of voices as everyone leaps up the ladders, meeting the machine gun fire]

    • Crazy credits
      In the opening credits, Captains Blackadder and George lead a battalion in parade past General Melchett and Captain Darling (with Private Baldrick in the marching band playing a triangle). The closing credits are a grainy 1920s newsreel of the same battalion heading into battle, with Melchett and Darling walking casually but quickly in the other direction...
    • Connections
      Featured in The Story of Bean (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      British Grenadier
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      (incorporated in the theme)

    User reviews80

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Fine sitcom
    Probably the best of the four series, although the last three are all on a par really. The usual excellent one-liners, witticisms and comic characters are there, but with a very serious, tragic context. There is an added pathos, particularly in the last episode, "Goodbyeeee", which is one of the finest half-hours of comedy no less. The second episode, "Corporal Punishment" is surely one of the very best Blackadders, with Blackadder murdering Melchett's pigeon, Speckled Jim... A hilarious episode there. Yes, maybe the plots are more consistent and original in series 2, but this series makes the best use of the historical period, which is, of course, World War 1. Special mention must be made of Rowan Atkinson's consistently excellent portrayal of the cynical Blackadder, Stephen Fry gives one of the finest caricatured performances you'll ever see as the insane Gen. Melchett and the excellent Hugh Laurie impresses as the ever-optimistic yet idiotic Bertie Wooster-type, Young George. A must-see, even if you've seen it so many times before... If you haven't yet seen it, a veritable feast awaits. Rating:- ***** (out of *****)
    helpful•23
    3
    • HenryHextonEsq
    • Feb 21, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 28, 1989 (United Kingdom)
      • United Kingdom
      • BBC (United Kingdom)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex, England, UK
    • Production company
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 55 minutes
      • Color
      • Stereo

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