Blackadder's best bits from comedy breasts to sombre finale as show celebrates milestone
Blackadder first hit screens 41 years ago in June 1983 and the hit British sitcom was full of hilarious moments.
Blackadder aired on the BBC across four sitcoms and a number of one-off instalments before its grand finale in 1989. The comedy starred Rowan Atkinson as the title character and Tony Robinson as Baldrick.
Each series took place in a different period of history, with a number of guest stars such as Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie joining the two protagonists along the way. In 2004, the series was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time, just behind Only Fools and Horses, in Britain's Best Sitcom poll.
Last year, UKTV Gold broadcast the never-before-seen pilot as part of an 80-minute special hosted by Tony Robinson for the show's 40th anniversary. He also returned for a Baldrick special as part of Red Nose Day 2023.
Sadly no reboot has been planned, despite speculation from avid fans of the series. However, there is still ample opportunity to reminisce over the show's best bits.
Express.co.uk has listed just a few of the show's highlights, from the hilarious to the poignant.
Episode five of Blackadder II sees Edmund facing a predicament to entertain two relatives on the same night that Melchett (Stephen Fry) challenges him to a drinking contest.
First, he accidentally wears a pair of comedy breasts to the dinner table, and to make matters worse he must explain away the presence of a drunk who vomits in his fireplace.
(Image: BBC)
The show's final episode is one of the greatest sitcom moments of all time.
Baldrick informs Blackadder he has a plan, but it is too late to avoid what was always going to happen.
The final episode ends with a slow-motion sequence of the characters pushing forward, before the picture fades to a field of poppies.
(Image: BBC)
Lord Melchett was known for giving some solid advice as he told Blackadder: "Never ignore a pooh-pooh."
"I knew a Major, who got pooh-poohed, made the mistake of ignoring the pooh-pooh. He pooh-poohed it! Fatal error!
"'Cos it turned out all along that the soldier who pooh-poohed him had been pooh-poohing a lot of other officers who pooh-poohed their pooh-poohs.
"In the end, we had to disband the regiment. Morale totally destroyed... by pooh-pooh!”
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Samuel Johnson (Robbie Coltrane) is keen to make the Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie) patron of his new manuscript – The Dictionary.
But when it is used for firewood, Edmund must rewrite it and there are certainly some questionable entries.
(Image: BBC)
Blackadder tries to join the Flying Corps and one of the highlights of the episode is Lord Flashheart's (Rik Mayall) return as the commander of the “Twenty Minuters” squadron.
A beloved character, Flash stole the show with his hilarious antics including shooting Baron Von Richtoven (Adrian Edmondson).
(Image: BBC)