History Recap / BlackAdder

[[folder: The Black Adder]]

[[folder: Blackadder II]]

[[folder: Blackadder The Third]]

[[folder: Blackadder Goes Forth]]

[[folder: The Specials]]

!!! Unaired pilot episode, written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, taped in 1982, set in sixteenth-century England

!!! The first series, written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, broadcast in 1983, set in late fifteenth-century England

!!! The second series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1985, set in [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabethan]] England

!!! The third series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1987, set in RegencyEngland

!!! The fourth series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1989, set in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI

!!! One-off special for Comic Relief, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1988, set during the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar
[[Recap/BlackadderSS1TheCavalierYears Blackadder: The Cavalier Years]]
!!! The [[ChristmasEpisode Christmas Special]], written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1988, set in [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria Victorian]] London
[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]]
!!! The last instalment, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, first released in 1999, set in the present and the past
[[Recap/BlackadderSS3BlackadderBackAndForth Blackadder Back & Forth]]

!!! The ChristmasSpecial, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1988, set in [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria Victorian]] London

[[folder: Blackadder Specials]]

''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' (1983–1989) consists of four seasons with six episodes each, along with three specials.

!!! Unaired pilot episode, written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, taped in 1982, set during the sixteenth century

!!! The first series, written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, broadcast in 1983, set during the late fifteenth century

!!! The second series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1985, set in [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabethan]] England.

!!! The third series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1987, set in RegencyEngland.

!!! The fourth series, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1989, set in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

!!! One-off special for Comic Relief, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1988, set during the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar.

!!! The ChristmasSpecial, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, broadcast in 1988, set in [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria Victorian]] London.

!!! The last instalment, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, first released in 1999, set in the present and the past.

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS1TheCavalierYears Blackadder: The Cavalier Years]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS3BlackadderBackAndForth Blackadder Back & Forth]]

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, set during the sixteenth century

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, set during the late fifteenth century

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, set in Elizabethan London.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]] -- Edmund falls for his new servant, Bob, who appropriately turns out to be a woman who has taken to dressing as a man. However, he invites the dashing Lord Flashheart to act as his best man, [[spoiler: and Bob decides to run off with him instead]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E2Head Head]] -- Lord Blackadder is named as the new Lord High Executioner by Elizabeth I. Baldrick, it turns out, is moonlighting as the axe-man. By bringing some executions forward in order to give himself a few days off, Blackadder [[spoiler: has a nobleman beheaded several days before he's actually due for the chop, only for the Queen to change her mind and pardon him]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E3Potato Potato]] -- Edmund, who clearly despises Sir Walter Raleigh, decides to outdo him by going on an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope (from which no man has ever returned alive). For this, he hires the (literally) legless Captain Redbeard "Red" Rum, the only explorer mad enough to go on such a journey.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E4Money Money]] -- Lord Blackadder must pay a debt to the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells, which proves impossible as the Queen is in a notoriously playful mood (wasting Edmund's time and taking what little money he has through a series of practical jokes). Percy turns to alchemy, creating a new substance called 'green'. Edmund's only way out is [[spoiler:to blackmail the Bishop]] with a plan that's so cunning, you could brush your teeth with it.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E5Beer Beer]] -- Edmund challenges Lord Melchett to a drinking contest, which he plans to win by cheating. Unfortunately, this is booked for the same evening as a visit from Lord and Lady Whiteadder, his Puritan relatives, who are in town to discuss his inheritance.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E6Chains Chains]] -- Lord Blackadder and Lord Melchett are kidnapped by master of disguise Prince Ludwig the Indestructible, who plots to overthrow the Queen [[spoiler: and apparently succeeds]].

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, set in RegencyEngland.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]] -- Parliament and the new Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) are dead-set against the Prince Regent. To protect his interests, the Prince's butler and political fixer Edmund Blackadder rigs the Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election, [[spoiler: which results in Baldrick (whose first name is revealed to be 'Sod Off') becoming an MP, and eventually, a Lord]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E2InkAndIncapability Ink and Incapability]] -- Baldrick apparently burns Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, which is being patronised by Prince George in an attempt to appear "as clever as a stick in a bucket of pig swill". The only available plan to save the situation from Dr. Johnson's clan of manic-depressive writers involves Edmund trying to re-write the Dictionary in one night -- and worse still, the Prince and Baldrick want to help...
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E3NobAndNobility Nob and Nobility]] -- The French Revolution is underway, and Edmund is irritated by the sudden fashion for all things French. Two aristocrats challenge him to emulate TheScarletPimpernel and rescue a French aristocrat, leading to a confrontation in the French Embassy.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E4SenseAndSenility Sense and Senility]] -- Edmund hates the theatre, but the Prince loves it (although he has trouble [[CannotTellFictionFromReality telling the difference between what's real and what's made up]]). After almost being killed by an anarchist's bomb, the Prince asks for the advice of his two favourite actors to make an speech. Meanwhile, Mr. Blackadder grows tired of George and resolves to leave and apply for King of Sardinia, and the Prince mistakes Baldrick for an anarchist.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy and Amiability]] -- Prince George runs out of money, so Edmund must arrange for him to be married. Baldrick, meanwhile, has become obsessed with 'The Shadow', a mysterious highwayman [[spoiler: who turns out to be the woman Edmund's trying to get the Prince married to. After attempting to become a highwayman himself, he ends up turning her in for the reward money]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E6DuelAndDuality Duel and Duality]] -- The Duke of Wellington finds out the Prince Regent has had sex with his nieces, and challenges him to a duel. Against his better judgement, Blackadder is persuaded to change places with the Prince and fight the duel on his behalf. [[spoiler: However, fate will turn against the Prince, and it is Edmund Blackadder who will ascend the throne as 'King George IV']].

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, set in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E1CaptainCook Captain Cook]] -- General Melchett appoints Captain Edmund Blackadder to be the Official War Artist, a perfect opportunity for him to try to leave the trenches.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E2CorporalPunishment Corporal Punishment]] -- A hungry Captain Blackadder shoots General Melchett's pigeon, 'Speckled Jim', and gets court-martialled for it.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E3MajorStar Major Star]] -- Blackadder gets over his dislike of showbiz after taking over the war show, with Baldrick impersonating Creator/CharlieChaplin and George doing a drag act. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: Melchett finds love at first sight with 'Georgina']].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E4PrivatePlane Private Plane]] -- Following an encounter with flying ace Lord Flashheart, Captain Blackadder, Private Baldrick and Lieutenant George get out of the trenches by joining the Royal Flying Corps' 'Twenty Minuters' squadron, thinking that's the time they will spend on air, instead of their life expectancy. Alas, the Captain and his dim-witted Private crash behind enemy lines, meeting the RedBaron in person.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E5GeneralHospital General Hospital]] -- After George gets injured, Edmund visits him at the field hospital. He is also assigned to look for a German spy there, but he woos a nurse instead. [[spoiler: However, she turns out to be the spy.]]
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E6Goodbyeee Goodbyeee]] -- Blackadder, Baldrick, George and Captain Darling are ordered to take part in a full-scale attack. Edmund pretends to be mad so he can escape; [[spoiler: [[NoSell however, Melchett doesn't fall for it]] and he is finally sent 'over the top']].

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS1TheCavalierYears Blackadder: The Cavalier Years]] -- Set during the English Civil War. Sir Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick try to save Charles I from the executioner's block.
#[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]] -- A parody of Dickens' novel, set in VictorianLondon. NiceGuy Ebeneezer Blackadder is taken advantage of by everyone except Baldrick. On Christmas Eve he is visited by the Spirit of Christmas, [[spoiler: who inadvertently persuades him to change his ways, leading to Blackadder getting revenge on everyone but ruining his chances of a peerage by insulting Queen Victoria]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderSS3BlackadderBackAndForth Blackadder Back & Forth]] -- On Millennium Eve, Lord Blackadder bets his friends that he can travel through time. He's playing a trick on them but to his surprise, Baldrick's time machine actually works, leading to a journey through British history. [[spoiler: Blackadder ends up using the time machine to change the course of history to ensure that, after centuries of scheming, the Blackadders finally become the Royal Family. As 'King Edmund III', Blackadder abolishes Parliament and rules as an absolutist monarch, with Baldrick as his puppet Prime Minister]].

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, set during the 16th Century.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E0Pilot Pilot]] -- Edmund tries to use some love letters written by his mother to put his brother Henry to shame and become the next in line to become King.

!!! Written by Richard Curtis and Creator/RowanAtkinson, set during the Wars of the Roses.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E1TheForetelling The Foretelling]] -- Edmund arrives late at the Battle of Bosworth Field and inadvertently kills Richard III (his great-uncle). With his father succeeding to the throne as King Richard IV, Edmund becomes a Prince and decides to reinvent himself as the Black Adder. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, he's haunted by the ghost of the dead King and is also secretly sheltering Henry Tudor, his family's sworn enemy.]]
#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E2BornToBeKing Born to be King]] -- A remake of the pilot. With the King away crusading, Edmund enlists the help of Lord [=MacAngus=] (whose father apparently had an affair with the Queen) so that he can discredit his older brother Harry and thus become King.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E3TheArchbishop The Archbishop]] -- The ongoing struggle between church and crown turns lethal, leading the King to name one of his sons as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Unfortunately for Edmund, it's him. This actually gets him into the King's good books for once, but later the King [[spoiler: inadvertently sends two knights to kill him]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E4TheQueenOfSpainsBeard The Queen of Spain's Beard]] -- The King's ruthless approach to international relations forces him to make an alliance with Spain by marrying his younger son to the Spanish Infanta. Alas, the stories of her beauty are somewhat wide of the mark, and Edmund spends much time trying to avoid this unwanted union [[spoiler: up to and including ordering Baldrick to spend the night with the Infanta and her crazed interpreter.]]
#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E5WitchsmellerPursuivant Witchsmeller Pursuivant]] -- An outbreak of the Black Death leads to the court calling in the titualar witchsmeller, who is able to convince everyone that Edmund is guilty of witchcraft.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E6TheBlackSeal The Black Seal]] -- Tiring of Edmund's antics, King Richard disowns him (removing all of his titles except Warden of the Royal Privvies). Reaching his breaking point, Edmund determines to overthrow his father, replacing Baldrick and Percy with the six most evil men in the kingdom (collectively known as the titular Black Seal) for this purpose. [[spoiler: Later, they turn on him.]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E3Potato Potato]] -- Edmund, who clearly despises Sir Walter Raleigh, decides to outdo him by going on an expedition to the Cape of No Hope (from which no man has ever returned alive). For this, he hires the (literally) legless Captain Redbeard "Red" Rum, the only explorer mad enough to go on such a journey.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E3Potato Potato]] -- Edmund, who clearly despises Sir Walter Raleigh, decides to outdo him by going on an expedition to the Cape of No Hope (from which no man has ever returned alive). For this, he hires the (literally) legless Captain Redbeard Rum, the only explorer mad enough to go on such a journey.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]] -- Parliament and the new Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) are dead-set against the Prince Regent. To protect his interests, the Prince's butler and political fixer Edmund Blackadder rigs the Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election, [[spoiler: which results in Baldrick (whose first name is revealed to be 'Sod Off') becoming an MP]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E2InkAndIncapability Ink and Incapability]] -- Baldrick apparently burns Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, which is being patronised by Prince George. The only available plan to save the situation involves Edmund trying to re-write the Dictionary in one night - and worse still, the Prince and Baldrick want to help.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E4SenseAndSenility Sense and Senility]] -- Edmund hates the theatre, but the Prince loves it (although he has trouble telling the difference between what's real and what's made up). After almost being killed by an anarchist's bomb, the Prince asks for the advice of his two favourite actors to make an speech. Meanwhile, Mr. Blackadder grows tired of George and resolves to leave.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]] -- Parliament and the new Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) are dead-set against the Prince Regent. To protect his interests, the Prince's butler and political fixer Edmund Blackadder rigs the Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election[[spoiler:, which results in Baldrick (whose first name is revealed to be 'Sod Off') becoming an MP]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E2InkAndIncapability Ink and Incapability]] -- Baldrick apparently burns Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, which is being patronised by Prince George. The only cunning plan to save the situation involves Edmund trying to re-write the Dictionary in one night - and worse still, the Prince and Baldrick want to help.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy and Amiability]] -- George runs out of money, so Edmund must marry him off. Baldrick, meanwhile, has become obsessed with 'The Shadow', a mysterious highwayman [[spoiler: who turns out to be the woman Edmund's trying to get the Prince married to. After attempting to become a highwayman himself, he ends up turning her in for the reward money]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E6Goodbyeee Goodbyeee]] -- Blackadder, Baldrick, George and Captain Darling are ordered to take part in a full-scale attack. Edmund pretends to be mad so he can escape[[spoiler:; [[NoSell however, Melchett doesn't fall for it]] and he is finally sent 'over the top']].

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS1TheCavalierYears The Cavalier Years]] -- Set during the English Civil War. Sir Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick try to save Charles I from the executioner's block.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E1TheForetelling The Foretelling]] -- Edmund arrives late at the Battle of Bosworth Field and inadvertently kills Richard III (his great-uncle). With his father succeeding to the throne as King Richard IV, Edmund becomes a Prince and decides to get more assertive, reinventing himself as the Black Adder. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, he's also secretly sheltering Henry Tudor, his family's sworn enemy.]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E4TheQueenOfSpainsBeard The Queen of Spain's Beard]] -- The King's ruthless approach to international relations forces him to make an alliance with Spain by marrying his younger son to the Spanish Infanta. Edmund subsequently spends much time trying to avoid this unwanted union [[spoiler: up to and including ordering Baldrick to spend the night with the Infanta and her crazed interpreter.]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E4SenseAndSenility Sense and Senility]] -- Edmund hates the theatre, but the Prince loves it (although he has trouble telling the difference between what's real and what's made up). After almost being killed by an anarchist bomb, the Prince asks for the advice of his two favourite actors to make an speech. Meanwhile, Mr. Blackadder grows tired of George and resolves to leave.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy and Amiability]] -- George runs out of money, so Edmund must marry him off. Baldrick, meanwhile, has become obsessed with 'The Shadow', a mysterious highwayman [[spoiler:who turns out to be the woman Edmund's trying to get the Prince married to; after attempting to become a highwayman himself, he ends up turning her in for the reward money]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E6DuelAndDuality Duel and Duality]] -- The Duke of Wellington finds out the Prince Regent has had sex with his nieces, and challenges him to a duel. Blackadder is persuaded to change places with the Prince and fight the duel on his behalf. [[spoiler: However, fate will turn against the Prince, and it is Edmund Blackadder who will ascend the throne as 'King George IV']].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E3MajorStar Major Star]] -- Blackadder gets over his dislike of showbiz after taking over the war show, with Baldrick impersonating Creator/CharlieChaplin and George doing a drag act. Unfortunately, Melchett finds love at first sight with 'Georgina'.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E4PrivatePlane Private Plane]] -- Captain Blackadder, Private Baldrick and Lieutenant George get out of the trenches by joining the Royal Flying Corps' 'Twenty Minuters' squadron, thinking that's the time they will spend on air, instead of their life expectancy. Alas, the Captain and his dim-witted Private crash behind enemy lines, meeting the RedBaron in person.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E5GeneralHospital General Hospital]] -- Edmund visits George at the field hospital. He is also assigned to look for a German spy there, but he woos a nurse instead. [[spoiler: However, she turns out to be the spy.]]

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS3BlackadderBackAndForth Blackadder Back & Forth]] -- On Millennium Eve, Lord Blackadder bets his friends that he can travel through time. To his surprise, Baldrick's time machine actually works, leading to a journey through British history. [[spoiler: Blackadder ends up using the time machine to change the course of history to ensure that the Blackadder dynasty becomes the Royal Family. As 'King Edmund III', Blackadder abolishes Parliament and rules as an absolutist monarch, with Baldrick as his puppet Prime Minister]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]] -- Edmund falls for his new servant, Bob, who appropriately turns out to be a woman who has taken to dressing as a man. However, he invites Lord Flashheart to act as his best man[[spoiler:, and Bob decides to run off with him instead]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E2Head Head]] -- Lord Blackadder is named as the new Lord High Executioner by Elizabeth I. Baldrick, it turns out, is moonlighting as the axe-man. By bringing some executions forward in order to give himself a few days off, Blackadder [[spoiler: beheads a man the day before he is pardoned, and has to somehow cover up his mistake]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]] -- A parody of Dickens' novel, set in VictorianLondon. NiceGuy Ebeneezer Blackadder is taken advantage of by everyone except Baldrick. On Christmas Eve he is visited by the Spirit of Christmas, [[spoiler: who inadvertently persuades him to change his ways, leading to Blackadder getting ]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E2Head Head]] -- Lord Blackadder is named as the new Lord High Executioner by Queenie. Baldrick, it turns out, is moonlighting as the axe-man. By bringing some executions forward in order to give himself a few days off, Blackadder [[spoiler: beheads a man the day before he is pardoned, and has to somehow cover up his mistake]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E4Money Money]] -- Lord Blackadder must pay a debt to the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells, which proves impossible as the Queen is in a notoriously playful mood (wasting Edmund's time and taking what little money he has through a series of practical jokes). Percy turns to alchemy, creating a new substance called 'green'. Edmund's only way out is to come up with a plan that's so cunning, you could brush your teeth with it.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E6Chains Chains]] -- Lord Blackadder and Lord Melchett are kidnapped by master of disguise Prince Ludwig the Indestructible, who plots to overthrow Queenie [[spoiler: and apparently succeeds]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]] -- With Parliament and the new Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) dead-set against the Prince Regent, butler Edmund fixes the Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election to protect his interests[[spoiler:, with Baldrick (whose first name is revealed to be 'Sod Off') becoming an MP]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]] -- Edmund falls for his new assistant, Bob, who appropriately turns out to be a woman who has taken to dressing as a man. However, he unwittingly invites Lord Flashheart to act as his best man.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E4Money Money]] -- Lord Blackadder must pay a debt to the baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells, which proves impossible as the Queen is in a notoriously playful mood that day (taking all of Edmund's money through a series of tricks). Edmund's only way out is to come up with a plan that's so cunning, you could brush your teeth with it.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E5Beer Beer]] -- Edmund challenges Lord Melchett to a drinking contest. Unfortunately, this is booked for the same evening as a visit from Lord and Lady Whiteadder, his Puritan relatives, who are in town to discuss his inheritance.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E3Potato Potato]] -- Edmund, who clearly despises Sir Walter Raleigh, decides to outdo him by going on an expedition to the Cape of No Hope (from which no man has ever returned alive). For this, he hires the (literally) legless Captain Redbeard Rum.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E1DishAndDishonesty Dish and Dishonesty]] -- With Parliament and the new Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) dead-set against the Prince Regent, butler Edmund fixes the Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election to protect his interests [[spoiler:, with Baldrick (whose first name is revealed to be 'Sod Off') becoming an MP]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy and Amiability]] -- George runs out of money, so Edmund must marry him off. However, his attempts are thwarted by 'The Shadow', a mysterious highwayman[[spoiler: who turns out to be the woman Edmund's trying to get the Prince married to; he ends up turning her in for the reward money]].
#[[Recap/BlackadderS3E6DuelAndDuality Duel and Duality]] -- The Duke of Wellington finds out the Prince Regent had sex with his nieces, and challenges him to a duel. Blackadder is persuaded to change places with the Prince and fight the duel on his behalf. [[spoiler: However, fate will turn against the Prince, and it is Edmund Blackadder who will ascend the throne as 'King George IV']].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E1CaptainCook Captain Cook]] -- General Melchett appoints Edmund as Official War Artist, a perfect opportunity for him to try to leave the trenches.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS4E4PrivatePlane Private Plane]] -- Captain Blackadder, Private Baldrick and Lieutenant George get out of the trenches by joining the Royal Flying Corps' 'Twenty Minuters' squadron, thinking that's the time they will spend on air, instead of their life expectancy. Alas, the Captain and his dim-witted Private crash into enemy lines, meeting the RedBaron in person.

#[[Recap/BlackadderSS1TheCavalierYears The Cavalier Years]] -- Set during the English Civil War. Lord Edmund Blackadder tries to save Charles I from the exectioner's block.
#[[Recap/BlackadderSS2BlackaddersChristmasCarol Blackadder's Christmas Carol]] -- A parody of Dickens' novel, set in Victorian England. NiceGuy Ebeneezer Blackadder gets visited by the Spirit of Christmas, who inadvertently persuades him to change his ways.
#[[Recap/BlackadderSS3BlackadderBackAndForth Blackadder Back & Forth]] -- On Millennium Eve, Baldrick makes a time machine, leading Lord Blackadder to travel through history - meeting the likes of Robin Hood and Elizabeth I on the way. [[spoiler: He ends up changing history to ensure that the Blackadder dynasty becomes the British Royal Family, with 'King Edmund III' abolishing Parliament and ruling as an absolutist monarch, with Baldrick as his puppet Prime Minister]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E2BornToBeKing Born to be King]] -- A remake of the pilot. With the King away crusading, Edmund enlists the help of Lord [=MacAngus=] (whose father apparently had an affair with the Queen) so that he can discredit his brother Harry and thus become the King.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E4TheQueenOfSpainsBeard The Queen of Spain's Beard]] -- The King's ruthless approach to international relations forces him to make an alliance with Spain by marrying his younger son to the Spanish Infanta. Edmund subsequently spends much time trying to avoid this unwanted union.

#[[Recap/BlackadderS1E6TheBlackSeal The Black Seal]] -- Tiring of Edmund's antics, King Richard disowns him (removing all of his titles except Warden of the Royal Privvies). Reaching his breaking point, Edmund determines to overthrow his father, replacing Baldrick and Percy with the six most evil men in the kingdom for this purpose. Later, they [[spoiler:turn on him]].

#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E1Bells Bells]] -- Edmund falls for his new assistant, Bob, who appropriately turns out to be a woman. However, he unwittingly invites Lord Flashheart to act as his best man.
#[[Recap/BlackadderS2E2Head Head]] -- Lord Blackadder is named Lord Executioner by Queenie. Baldrick, it turns out, is moonlighting as the axe-man. By bringing some executions forward in order to give himself a few days off, he [[spoiler:beheads a man the day before he is pardoned]].