Series Description

The Black Adder TV show was a 30 minute British comedy series on BBC1 with a sci-fi/fantasy twist about two charachters who travel throughout time in a time machine. They typically interfere with the course of events and discover that they have caused their present time to change somehow upon their return. It starts out in the 15th Century and continues on through World War I. One of the best examples of British humor ever on television and especially nice if you like the sci-fi twist!

Black Adder Cast

Rowan Atkinson .... Prince Edmund - Duke of Edinburgh - Lord Black Adder
Tony Robinson .... Baldrick
Robert East .... Prince Harry - Prince of Wales
Tim McInnerny .... Lord Percy - Duke of Northumberland
Peter Cook .... Richard III
Brian Blessed .... King Richard IV
Elspet Gray .... Queen

Black Adder Trivia:

At the end of the first season of Black Adder, the BBC decided that the cost of producing the TV series was too high and told writer Richard Curtis to scale down the scripts. As it turned out, it became not only cheaper to produce after that, but also became a much better program!

Rowan Atkinson went immediately from Black Adder to starring in "Mr. Bean (1990)". The last episode of Black Adder aired in November of 1989 and the first of Mr. Bean aired just 2 months later!

The first season is set in medieval England. The second is in England from 1558 through 1603. Third is England from 1760 through 1815. Fourth is on the western front of World War I in 1917.

Black Adder - Back and Forth was commissioned for the Millenium Dome in London. It was a joint venture between the BBC, Sky Television, Tiger Aspect, and the New Millenium Experience Company. It was shown at the Millenium Dome throughout the year 2000. At the end of the credits the statement appears: "Black Adder Back and Forth 2 ... Coming ... Summer 3000!"

Theme Song

Title: "The Black Adder"

Written & Performed By: "Howard Goodall"

The sound of hoofbeats cross the glade,
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter,
Beware the deadly flashing blade,
Unless, you want to end up shorter,

Black Adder!
Black Adder!
He rides a pitch-black steed,
Black Adder!
Black Adder!
He's very bad indeed,

Black, his gloves of finest mole,
Black, his codpiece made of metal,
His horse is blacker than his vole,
His pot is blacker than his kettle,

Black Adder!
Black Adder!
With many a cunning plan,
Black Adder!
Black Adder!
You horrid little man!