Blackadder II
Blackadder II | |
---|---|
Written by | |
Directed by | Mandie Fletcher |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | BBC 1 |
Release | 9 January 20 February 1986 | –
Related | |
Blackadder II is the second series of the
The series is the successor to
A third series, Blackadder the Third, aired in 1987.
Plot
The series is set during the
Throughout the series, Blackadder's chief rival is
The series finale episode, "Chains" sees Blackadder and Melchett being kidnapped by two guards working for Prince Ludwig the Indestructible (Hugh Laurie) who holds them prisoner in a dungeon, Ludwig demanding a ransom be paid in exchange for having one of them released but after receiving a message informing them Queenie has decided to ignore saving them in favor of holding a big party which later becomes a costume party, the two men whose original death sentences are later changed to life imprisonment work together to successfully outwit Ludwig's guards and return to England, arriving at the palace in time to stop Ludwig from killing Queenie and fulfilling his goal of becoming King of England which was revealed to have been brought on the fact that as a child, he had dirty hair, spots and was forced to wear shorts by his mother, earning him ridicule from his classmates who also gave him the nickname, "Shorty Greasy Spot-Spot" which Ludwig despises so much so that he flies into a rage if it's mentioned in his presence. Upon being exposed, Ludwig attempts to flee while swearing he'll return and get his revenge but is presumably killed or wounded off-screen by a dagger that Blackadder throws at him, ending his threat. However, after the end credits have been shown, Ludwig is revealed to have survived the attack, returning to murder the original Queenie and after stealing her identity, also gone on to kill Blackadder, Melchett, Nursie, Baldrick and Percy, Ludwig presumably going on to rule England for many years, disguised as Queenie.
Lord Percy remained similar in character to the original series, as a foolish sidekick in Blackadder's plots and predicaments. In this respect, McInnerny said the character resembled
Episodes
The series aired for six episodes broadcast on Thursdays on
"Head" was originally intended to be the first episode and was first to be filmed.
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Recorded date | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | 1 | "Bells" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 13 June 1985[7] | 9 January 1986 | |
Blackadder gains a new young servant, Bob , and somehow falls for him. When he discovers that Bob is a girl named Kate, he wishes to marry her, much to Queenie's confusion.
Guest appearances by Rik Mayall as Lord Flashheart and Gabrielle Glaister as Bob. | |||||||
8 | 2 | "Head" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 9 June 1985[8] | 16 January 1986 | |
Blackadder relishes his new position as the Queen's head executioner, until a change to the execution schedule leads to catastrophic results when prisoner Lord Farrow's wife wishes to visit him and the Queen decides to pardon him, despite his having been executed two days earlier. | |||||||
9 | 3 | "Potato" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 23 June 1985[9] | 23 January 1986 | |
Attempting to impress the Queen in the wake of Sir Walter Raleigh's return from his round-the-world voyage, Blackadder announces his plan to sail to the dangerous Cape of Good Hope , and enlists the services of the insane Captain Redbeard Rum to help him do so.
Guest appearances by Simon Jones as Sir Walter Raleigh and Tom Baker as Captain Rum. | |||||||
10 | 4 | "Money" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 30 June 1985 | 6 February 1986 | |
Blackadder owes £1,000 to the Bank of the Black Monks, and the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells threatens to shove a hot poker into his bowels if he does not repay the money. Blackadder's attempts to raise the money are thwarted when he has to pay his earnings to the Queen each time, so he resorts to blackmailing the Bishop. Guest appearance by Ronald Lacey as "The Baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells". | |||||||
11 | 5 | "Beer" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 7 July 1985[10] | 13 February 1986 | |
Blackadder discovers that his ludicrously Puritan , but very wealthy, Aunt and Uncle Whiteadder are coming to visit him on the same night he is hosting a party and high-stakes drinking contest with Lord Melchett. Meanwhile, a curious Queenie intends to find out what happens at said parties.
Guest appearances by Hugh Laurie and Miriam Margolyes. | |||||||
12 | 6 | "Chains" | Mandie Fletcher | Richard Curtis & Ben Elton | 14 July 1985 | 20 February 1986 | |
Blackadder and Melchett are kidnapped and held for ransom by the German mastermind Prince Ludwig the Indestructible. The Queen must then decide which of the men she will save. Guest appearance by Hugh Laurie. |
Production
Development
Due to the high cost of the first series,
Rowan Atkinson did not wish to continue writing for the second series, so writer and
Filming
To make the show more cost-effective, it was principally filmed on specially designed small sets at
Cast
The size of the principal cast was reduced compared to the previous series, with a fixed number of characters appearing in every episode. Richard Curtis has been quoted as saying that due to the familiar cast, the series was the happiest for him to work on, comparing it to a "friendly bunch of school chums".[2]
- Lord Edmund Blackadder
- Lord Percy Percy, Heir to the Duchy of Northumberland
- Tony Robinson as Baldrick
- Queen Elizabeth I of England
- Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett, the Lord Chamberlain
- Nursie
The series also featured at least one significant
Music and titles
The opening titles are accompanied by a mock-Elizabethan arrangement of
The closing titles use a different arrangement of the theme, sung by countertenor Jeremy Jackman,[12] with lyrics (usually insulting Blackadder) that reflect the events of the preceding episode. The song is played over a shot of Blackadder strolling through a formal garden and being annoyed by the lute-wielding minstrel (Tony Aitken). This sequence was incorporated as a separate subplot, with Blackadder constantly attempting to apprehend the musician each time with limited success. At the end of the final episode, Blackadder catches the minstrel and repeatedly dunks him in a fountain.[13]
Releases
The complete series of Blackadder II is available as a
VHS releases
- In about October 1989, BBC Enterprises Ltd released all six episodes of Blackadder II on two single videos; they were re-released on 7 September 1992 in 'Complete', a double-VHS box set. All six episodes were re-released on a single video on 2 October 1995.
VHS video title | Year of release/BBFC rating | Episodes |
---|---|---|
Blackadder II- Parte the Firste (BBCV 4298) | 2 October 1989 (PG) | Bells, Head, Potato |
Blackadder II- Parte the Seconde (BBCV 4299) | 2 October 1989 (15) | Money, Beer, Chains |
The Complete Blackadder II (Double Pack) (BBCV 4785) | 7 September 1992 (15) | TAPE 1: Bells, Head, Potato TAPE 2: Money, Beer, Chains |
Blackadder II- The Entire Historic Second Series (BBCV 5712) | 2 October 1995 (15) | same as 'The Complete Blackadder II' but with all 6 episodes on a single video: Bells, Head, Potato, Money, Beer, Chains |
DVD releases
DVD Title | DVD Content | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blackadder II | Complete second series, no extras. | 26 June 2001 | 22 October 2001 | 28 February 2002 |
The Complete Blackadder | All four series, no extras. | 12 November 2001 | 3 October 2002 | |
Blackadder – The Complete Collection | All four series and specials, no extras. | 26 June 2001 | 3 October 2005 | |
Blackadder Remastered – The Ultimate Edition | All four series and specials remastered, plus Blackadder Rides Again documentary, audio commentaries on selected episodes and interviews with cast. | 20 October 2009 | 15 June 2009 | 1 October 2009 |
References
Notes
- ^ The single word "Blackadder" is hyphenated across two lines as
- "Black-
- adder II"
- on the title screen.
Citations
- ^ a b c d Lewisohn, Mark, Blackadder II at the former BBC Guide to Comedy. Retrieved 17 March 2007
- ^ a b I Have a Cunning Plan – 20th Anniversary of Blackadder, BBC Radio 4 documentary broadcast 23 August 2003. Excerpts available at bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/interviews/
- ^ a b c d e Britain's Best Sitcom – Blackadder, 2004 BBC Television documentary, presented by John Sergeant
- ^ Bells at bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2007
- ^ a b c d Blackadder Hall.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2008
- ^ a b Trivia at IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 March 2007
- ^ https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/blackadder-ii-bells Filming date included with description(s).
- ^ https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/blackadder-ii-head Filming date included with description(s).
- ^ https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/blackadder-ii-potato Filming date included with description(s).
- ^ https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/blackadder-ii-beer Filming date included with description(s).
- ^ UKTV Gold.co.uk, retrieved 2 April 2007
- ^ Biography Archived 14 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Jeremy Jackman. Retrieved 29 January 2011
- ^ Credits at IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 March 2007
External links
- Blackadder II (1986) at IMDb
- Blackadder II at the former BBC Guide to Comedy (archive)