From the team behind the Columbo Podcast and the Jonathan Creek Podcast comes the Blackadder podcast, an affectionate retrospective of the iconic BBC comedy series. The show will look at each series of Blackadder, as well as the special episodes, beginning with Blackadder II (don’t worry, we’ll circle around to The Black Adder in due course!). You can hear a short introductory episode below:

The Blackadder Podcast will launch on Wednesday 17th May 2017 with new episodes every other Wednesday.

The post Welcome to the Blackadder Podcast first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Bells was the first episode of Blackadder II as the show returned after the two-and-a-half year hiatus that followed The Black Adder. This series is set in Elizabethan London and re-introduced audiences to Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson in their now-familiar roles as Blackadder and Baldrick. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at the plot, characters, actors and others involved in the creation of Bells as well as some more general thoughts on the series.

Besides Atkinson and Robinson, Bells featured four additional regular characters and some dynamic guest appearances. Miranda Richardson‘s Queen Elizabeth, her wet nurse, Nursie (Patsy Byrne), Lord Melchett (Stephen Fry) and Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny) would all return in future episodes, while Rik Mayall‘s Lord Flashheart and Gabrielle Glaister as Kate/Bob showed up for the only time in Blackadder II.

Supporting the main cast were John Grillo as the homophobic Dr Leech, Edward Jewesbury as Kate’s father (who wishes she would take a different career path), Sadie Shimmin as a Young Crone in Putney and Barbara Miller as a Wise Woman who offers Blackadder three options to resolve his predicament.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Bells was released in 1986. It is 30 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Bells – Episode 1 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Head was the second episode of Blackadder II and features a new course of employment for Lord Blackadder and a couple of cracking impersonations. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at life working on death row in Elizabethan London.

Alongside the six series regulars this episode featured key contributions from Bill Wallis as Gaoler Ploppy, Linda Polan as the unrelated Mrs Ploppy – death row’s cook, responsible for preparing the last meal for the condemned, Holly De Jong as Lady Farrow who successfully persuades the Queen to allow her to meet with her (unfortunately recently executed) husband and Patrick Duncan as Lord Farrow’s brother, who petitions for the commutation of his sibling’s sentence.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Head was released in 1986. It is 26 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Head – Episode 2 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Potato was the third episode of Blackadder II and features an epic voyage of discovery, a remarkable historical figure and a unique, if somewhat eccentric, captain. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at fine wine from distant shores and other such riches.

Only two actors besides the series regulars appeared in this episode. Simon Jones portrayed the returning hero, Sir Walter Raleigh, while Captain Redbeard Rum was memorably brought to life by the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Potato was released in 1986. It is 30 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Potato – Episode 3 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Money was the fourth episode of Blackadder II and features Edmund’s increasingly desperate endeavours to raise enough cash to settle a debt owed to the Bank of the Black Monks. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at a delicious piece of blackmail.

Stealing every scene and chewing every piece of scenery available in this episode was Ronald Lacey as the Bishop of Bath and Wells, while there were supporting roles for Cassie Stuart as Molly, a prostitute familiar with both Blackadder and the Bishop; John Pierce Jones as Arthur the horny sailor; and Barry Craine and Lesley Nicol as Mr & Mrs Pants, who purchase Blackadder’s home.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Money was released in 1986. It is 29 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Money – Episode 4 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Beer was the fifth episode of Blackadder II and features the unfortunate confluence of two wholly incompatible social events. In this podcast Gerry and Iain take a look at a little goblin and his little feet.

Returning to the show after an appearance in The Black Adder was Miriam Margolyes as Edmund’s aunt, the Lady Whiteadder, along with Daniel Thorndike as her husband. Hugh Lawrie made his first Blackadder appearance as Simon Partridge, recruited to pose as a drinking buddy of Edmund’s along with Roger Blake as Geoffrey Piddle and William Hootkins as an inebriated monk.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Beer was released in 1986. It is 29 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Beer – Episode 5 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Chains was the final episode of Blackadder II and features a dramatic escape from the clutches of a ruthless villain. In this podcast Gerry and Iain consider an unfortunate incident with a sheep in the nighttime and look back on the series.

The Blackadder II finale featured appearances from Max Harvey as a torturer and Mark Arden and Lee Cornes as soldiers, but it was ultimately about the return of Hugh Lawrie as the master of disguise, Prince Ludwig, along with an expanded role from the wonderful Stephen Fry as series regular Lord Melchett. Melchy and Blackadder are kidnapped by Ludwig and with the Queen unable to choose which to random, must escape from captivity on their own wits.

Blackadder II was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by Mandie Fletcher. John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Chains was released in 1986. It is 29 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder II can be viewed on Netflix in the UK and Ireland and a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Chains – Episode 6 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.

Dish and Dishonesty was the first episode of Blackadder the Third and features political shenanigans of the highest order. In this podcast Gerry and Iain consider a rotten borough and the ennoblement of a most unlikely Lord.

For the first episode of Blackadder the Third, series regulars Rowan Atkinson (Mr E Blackadder) and Tony Robinson (Baldrick) returned in familiar, if slightly different, roles while a new regular character was introduced in the shape of Hugh Lawrie‘s Prince Regent. Helen Atkinson Wood appeared for the first time as Mrs Miggins, while there were guest roles for Geoffrey McGivern (Ivor Biggun), Simon Osborne (Pitt the Younger), BBC presenter Vincent Hanna (his own great-great-great grandfather), Denis Lill (Sir Talbot Buxomley MP) and Dominic Martelli (Pitt the Even Younger).

Blackadder the Third was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis and all six episodes were directed by the returning Mandie Fletcher. Once again, John Lloyd produced the series and Howard Goodall was responsible for the music.

Dish and Dishonesty was released in 1987. It is 29 minutes long and originally aired on the BBC. Blackadder the Third is sadly not available on Netflix, but a remastered set of the whole series is available on DVD around the world (Region 1) (Region 2).

The post Dish and Dishonesty – Episode 7 first appeared on Blackadder Podcast.