Introduction

Blackadder Goes Forth is the fourth and final series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 02 November 1989 on BBC One.

The series placed the recurring characters of Blackadder, Baldrick and George in a trench in Flanders during World War I, and followed their various doomed attempts to escape from the trenches to avoid death under the misguided command of General Melchett. The series references famous people of the time and criticises the British Army’s leadership during the campaign, culminating in the poignant ending of its final episode.

Despite initial concerns that the comedy might trivialise the war, it was acclaimed and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Series in 1989. In 2000 it was placed 16th by industry professionals in a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute. However, some historians and politicians have criticised it for presenting an oversimplified view of the war, reinforcing the popular notion of “lions led by donkeys”.

Outline

Blackadder Goes Forth is set in 1917 on the Western Front in the trenches of World War I. Captain Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is a professional soldier in the British Army who, until the outbreak of the Great War, has enjoyed a relatively danger-free existence fighting natives who were usually “two feet tall and armed with dried grass”. Finding himself trapped in the trenches with another “big push” planned, his concern is to avoid being sent over the top to certain death. The series thus chronicles Blackadder’s attempts to escape the trenches through various schemes, most of which fail due to bad fortune, misunderstandings and the general incompetence of his comrades. The aforementioned comrades are his second-in-command, idealistic upper-class Edwardian twit Lieutenant George St Barleigh (Hugh Laurie) and their profoundly stupid but dogged batman Private S. Baldrick (Tony Robinson).

Rather than the Germans, who remain generally unseen (with the exception of “Private Plane”, where they are a means to escape the trenches), Blackadder’s nemeses come in the form of his superior, the eccentric General Melchett (Stephen Fry) who rallies his troops from a French château 35 miles (56 km) from the front, and Melchett’s bureaucratic assistant, Captain Kevin Darling (Tim McInnerny). Despite the two being of equal rank, Blackadder treats Darling with contempt – while the former is on the front line, the latter is “folding the general’s pyjamas”. Their animosity is mutual, largely as a result of Blackadder exploiting the comic potential of Darling’s surname at every opportunity. Although Blackadder and Darling are both Captains, Darling has seniority because he’s a ‘Staff’ Officer. This is signified by the red tabs on the collar of his uniform and the red band on his service cap.

Blackadder Goes Forth Series

• Episode 01: Captain Cook.
• Episode 02: Corporal Punishment.
• Episode 03: Major Star.
• Episode 04: Private Plane.
• Episode 05: General Hospital.
• Episode 06: Goodbyeee.

Production & Filming Details

• Creators: Richard Curtis and Ben Elton.
• Producer: John Lloyd.
• Music: Howard Goodall.
• Original Network: BBC.
• Release Date: 28 September 1989 to 02 November 1989.
• Running Time: 30 minutes.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

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