The Black Adder

For the series as a whole, see Blackadder. For the unaired pilot, see The Black Adder (pilot episode).

The Black Adder
Title screen, showing Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, a main location for the series.
Written by
Directed byMartin Shardlow
Starring
Narrated byPatrick Allen
Theme music composerHoward Goodall
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerJohn Lloyd
Running time33 minutes (approx)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkBBC 1
Release15 June (1983-06-15) –
20 July 1983 (1983-07-20)
Related
Unaired pilot
Blackadder II
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd. The series was originally aired on BBC 1 from 15 June 1983 to 20 July 1983, and was a joint production with the Australian Seven Network. Set in 1485 at the end of the British Middle Ages, the series is written as a secret history which contends that King Richard III won the Battle of Bosworth Field, only to be unintentionally assassinated by his nephew's son Edmund and succeeded by said nephew, Richard IV, one of the Princes in the Tower. The series follows the exploits of Richard IV's unfavoured second son Edmund (who calls himself "The Black Adder") in his various attempts to increase his standing with his father and, in the final episode, his quest to overthrow him.[1]

Conceived while Atkinson and Curtis were working on Not the Nine O'Clock News, the series presents medieval issues in Britain in a humorous and often anachronistic manner—witchcraft, royal succession, European relations, the Crusades and the conflict between the Crown and the Church. The filming of the series was ambitious, as it featured a large cast and required extensive location shooting.[2] Shakespearean dialogue is sometimes adapted for comic effect.[3] Despite winning an International Emmy, The Black Adder is regarded by its creators and most critics as the weakest Blackadder series.[4]

A second series, Blackadder II, aired in 1986.

  1. ^ The Black Adder at the BBC Comedy Guide. Retrieved 17 April 2008
  2. ^ Trivia at the Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 17 April 2008
  3. ^ I Have a Cunning Plan—20th Anniversary of Blackadder, BBC Radio 4 documentary broadcast, 23 August 2003. Excerpts available at bbc.co.uk and Blackadder at BBC Two. Retrieved 30 July 2016
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ridesagain was invoked but never defined (see the help page).