Maybe because I am not British or anywhere near UK, I didn't know how phenomenal of a comedian Peter Cook is until very recently. Peter Cook was the inspiration for John Cleese Who made Fawlty Towers and Fawlty Towers / John Cleese was the inspiration for Blackadder back in the day.

Hi everyone, my name is Kate and I'm a social journalist at Metro. We recently interviewed Richard Curtis, and spoke about whether he'd ever bring Blackadder back, and I wanted to share it here!

Blackadder might have not been on our screens for 24 years, but Richard has teased some exciting plans after speaking to our Entertainment Reporter Tori Brazier:

‘Well, oddly, Rowan and I have a plan for something we might do which would just be a bit of fun sometime in the next few years,’ he shared.

‘I’d love to work with Rowan one more time on something.’

You can read Tori's interview in full here: https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/17/richard-curtis-confirms-future-blackadder-plans-24-years-final-episode-22202175/

In this episode, we are joined once again by our old friends Paul and Pank to chat about the second half of our Newbie List, featuring our voters’ two favourite episodes from Blackadder Goes Forth and their favourite episode of all: Ink & Incapability from Blackadder III. We talk about the love of language at the heart of Blackadder and the sheer emotional punch packed by that final episode. And Paul recalls what it was like to "hobnob" with Rik Mayall.

Our Scene Stealer this time around is John Grillo, who gives a memorably unpleasant turn as the schoolmasterish Doctor Leech in the evergreen Series Two episode Bells and who, it is safe to say, would probably have his own column in the Daily Mail today.

Also, stay tuned for a very special Christmas episode of Lord Of Adders Black which will be out in time for Christmas. Humbug, Mr Baldrick?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1H9oYOdbTNYC1fuT9VDm3Y?si=MGbrR5uXRZm3SP9HEaaQuQ

Just a clip from our most recent episode ... here, we are waxing lyrical about "Bells" from Blackadder II with two old friends of the show, Paul and Pank.

I got some beans. I've also got some beans. Can anyone help me with what that makes ?

Did this sub really write a poem about how lovely I am?

The Scene Stealer for our thirteenth episode is the force of nature that is Miriam Margoyles as Lady Whiteadder, just one of the memorable roles she brought to life throughout the Blackadder saga. We talk about her slap-happy rehearsal methods, her portrayal of Edmund’s fiercely puritanical aunt and the disastrously low tolerance for alcohol that seems to run in the family genes.

As our scheduled ‘newbie’ was forced to cancel, we have been joined by two ‘oldies’ instead – that is … two old friends of the show, Paul and Pank. During the first of a two-part interview, they discuss the six episodes on our Newbie List with us, cherry-picking their favourite moments and revealing how Blackadder has been a constant presence in their lives.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/55rv7hkIwLOK9Eaag1s3S1?si=XL4Cqh8cR5uLhKwVIOWGCQ

Which quotes have become cultural touchstones?

What have you done to him!

I’m just watching a video on American compared to British comedy and am curious how Americans feel about Blackadder. I appreciate there are a lot of Americans who like British humour but I’d feel like 70% of Blackadder is very British coded if that makes sense, as in there’s a bunch of farce and slapstick but you know, heavy on history, dry delivery, sarcasm, etc

Especially in Bkackadder Gose Forth.

The Flashheart dynasty is a British aristocratic family. Less numerous than the Blackadders, Melchetts, or Darlings, they have entered into the nation’s memory as a parade of narcissistic womanisers. Their catchphrase is “woof”, whilst thrusting suggestively. They used innuendo in everyday conversation, such as “Am I pleased to see you, or did I just put a canoe in my pocket?!”

Lord Flashheart (Elizabethan Era)

The first Flashheart on record appears during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. A caricature of the Elizabethan swashbuckler, Flashheart was an old friend of Edmund, Lord Blackadder, and was invited to Edmund’s wedding as the best man, after Edmund repeatedly rejected Lord Percy. However, Flashheart was immediately taken by Edmund’s fiancée Katherine, and, having quickly seduced her, ran off with her and left a stunned Edmund at the altar.

Major the Lord Flasheart

The second Flashheart appeared about three and a half centuries later during the Great War. Like his Elizabethan ancestor, Major the Lord Flasheart was a caricature himself, this time one of the First World War flying ace. Flasheart crash-landed near the trench of Edmund, Lord Blackadder’s descendant Captain Edmund Blackadder, decking him in the face under the assumption he had landed in a German trench. After Blackadder explained that “I’m not a Boche, this is a British trench”, Flasheart called for General Melchett’s driver and sat himself down (with Blackadder’s batman Private Baldrick as a foot stool) and yarned about himself until the car came. Flasheart then seduced Melchett’s driver, Bobbie Parkhurst. Flasheart would later rescue Blackadder and Baldrick from the Red Baron.

The Darling dynasty is a Franco-British aristocratic family. Like the Melchett family, whom they would frequently assist, Darlings have populated Britain’s government, military, and intellectual community.

A Tale of Two Darlings

In contrast to their long-standing colleague or rivals the Blackadder, Baldrick, and Melchett families, Darlings have only been recorded for more than two centuries. The first known Darlings appeared during the Napoleonic Wars, specifically at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. The Duc de Darling served as aide-de-camp to Emperor Napoleon I. Darling questioned why France desired to invade Britain, to which Napoleon replied that he disagreed with Britain’s superiority complex and believed the British were not in the favour of God, who would deliver France a decisive victory at Waterloo. At the same time, the Duke of Darling was aide-de-camp to Arthur Wellesley, later the 1st Duke of Wellington. Darling would distribute Wellesley’s cunning battle tactic to the troops, ultimately winning the battle for Britain and ending the Napoleonic Wars.

Darling Goes Forth

The Darling family would reappear a century later in the trenches of the First World War. Captain Kevin Darling MC was the sycophantic adjutant to General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett VC KCB. Captain Darling’s name was often used comedically, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Captain Darling was suspected by his rival, Captain Edmund Blackadder, of being a German spy, which was later confirmed to have been false. Darling and Blackadder ultimately made their peace with each other when Darling was sent by Melchett to the front for the Big Push, which may well have claimed his life and most, if not all, of Blackadder’s men. However, Blackadder survived by taking cover in the next trench.

Archdeacon Darling and Beyond

The final main Darling was Archdeacon Darling, a late twentieth century cleric in the Church of England and assistant to Archbishop Melchett. Apparently, Darling donated a kidney to Captain Blackadder’s grandson Lord Edmund Blackadder, who revealed the kidney operation to be a practical, yet not well received, joke.

Finally, the last Darling is Sir Osmond Darling-Blackadder, Keeper of the Lawn Sprinklers. Despite his being a Darling, Sir Osmond resembled the Blackadders, and appeared to have inherited their distinctive cynicism.