Blackadder was the hit period comedy show that had a total of 26 episodes and four seasons, with two special episodes released.
Overview
Rowan Atkinson is the legendary actor behind prolific comedic roles like Mr Bean and Johnny English. But for British television viewers of the 1980s, before his success as the aforementioned characters, he was Edmund Blackadder, the comical time travelling-character who moved between various periods of British history.
The comedic 1980s show, Blackadder, had a total of four seasons with two special episodes released. In total, 26 episodes of the show are available for fans to binge-watch and relive the magic that was this hit British comedy show.
Rowan Atkinson on the continued success of Blackadder
To date, there are a total of four seasons of Blackadder. However, fans are still calling for a fifth season despite the show ending with season four airing on BBC One in 1989.
Co-creator of the series, Ben Elton, has been adamant that there will be no new season of the show, while Atkinson suggested that it is “certainly not impossible.”
Atkinson believes that the key to the longevity of the show is the fact that despite the show focusing on various periods of British history, the title character had contemporary sensibilities, even in the humour of the show.
How many episodes of Blackadder were there?
Blackadder had a total of 26 episodes and four seasons, with two additional episodes. As highlighted before, every season focused on a different period in British history, with the title character, Edmund Blackadder, adopting a position of seniority in every period he was in.
The first season featured Rowan Atkinson playing Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, and the premise of the series was, “In the Middle Ages, Prince Edmund the Black Adder constantly schemes and endeavors to seize the crown from his father and brother.”
The first season has a total of six episodes that were released in June 1982. However, in light of the first season’s success, the original pilot episode, originally shot in June 1982, was also released, making season one the only season with seven episodes.
Below is a list of subsequent seasons and their premises.
Blackadder ll
Blackadder ll was the second season of the BBC hit show. The season started airing between January and February 1986.
There was a total of six episodes in this season, which standardised their six episodes per season format of the period farcical sitcom.
The second season was set in the Elizabethan era, and the premise was, “In the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, Lord Edmund Blackadder strives to win Her Majesty’s favour while attempting to avoid a grisly fate should he offend her.”
Miranda Richardson played the character of Queen Elizabeth l.
Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third was the playful title of the third season, which, needless to say, endeavoured to indicate that the season was the third.
But it was also a play on the period that Atkinson and the cast of the season were focusing on – the Regency era. In this season, Atkinson played the character of Edmund Blackadder, butler to the prince, McAdder.
Airing between September and October 1987, the premise of the season was, “In the Regency era, Mr E. Blackadder serves as butler to the foppish numskull Prince George amidst the fads and crazes of the time.”
Blackadder Goes Forth
Blackadder Goes Forth was the fourth and final season of the show, the cherished season marked the last of the Blackadder rollout as a show.
The season focused on the dark time of the first war, World War I, hence, in this season Rowan Atkinson adopted the character of Captain Edmund Blackadder.
The premise of the season was, “Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.” This season, like the rest, had a total of six episodes.
Final thoughts
Blackadder: Back and Forth marked the last release of the new (at the time) Blackadder special episode in 1999, which was in celebration of the 10-year anniversary since the release of the last season of the show.
The premise was, “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.”
The special marked the last release from the show. To date, almost four decades after thehilarious sitcom first premiered on BBC One, fans still hopefully await confirmation of the fifth season, which seems unlikely, but that does not mean fans should not hold out hope.