Blackadders Christmas Carol

This Episode: 1988 Christmas Special
Black Adder Overall: Special 3
Airdate: 23 Dec 1988
Written by Ben Elton & Richard Curtis
Directed by Richard Boden

Notes

• This was the only Christmas special produced for the Black Adder series. It aired on 23 Dec 1988.
• This was released in audio format on a BBC Radio CD on 4 Nov 1996.  It is still available in the used market on Amazon here.
• Denis Lill played “Beadle” here (the leader of the “enormous orphans”).  Lill was in Series III’s “Dish & Dishonesty” as Sir Tolbert Buxomly.
• Erkan Mustafa played one of the three “enormous orphans” (I don’t believe they have individual names).  He was known to me for playing the character of “Otto” in series 1 of Lenny Henry’s “Chef!” sitcom.
• Nicola Bryant plays Millicent, Blackadder’s goddaughter.  She’s most well known for being Peri Brown in Doctor Who. She also played “Lana” in the two parter “To Boldly Go” in the web series “Star Trek Continues“.
• Pauline Melville played “Mrs. Scratchit” here.  She was in the Red Dwarf episode “Backwards” as an unnamed bartender.
• Robbie Coltrane plays the Spirit of Christmas here.  He also played Dr. Johnson in the Series III episode “Ink and Incapability“.
• Mariam Margolyes & Jim Broadbent play Queen Victoria & Price Albert respectively.  The pair appeared together (as different characters) in the Series I episode “The Queen of Spain’s Beard“.
• This special has many prior cast members from prior series of Black Adder in this as variants of their established characters. But the best part is that they remounted the sets from Series II & III and filmed new sequences as if they were part of those series. It was glorious – including all the relevant actors.  This includes Rowan Atkinson (Black Adder and variants), Tony Robinson (Baldrick & variants), Stephen Fry (Melchett and variants), Hugh Laurie (George and variants), Miranda Richardson (Queen Elizabeth and future variant), & Patsy Byrne (Nursie & Bernard).
• Hugh Laurie was the special’s overall narrator as well.
• In Series I & II, there were lyrics in the closing credits.  For this special, those lyrics returned, although in the opening credits this time.

Opening Credits Lyrics

He’s kind and generous to the sick
He’d never spread a nasty rumour
He never gets on people’s wick
And doesn’t laugh at toilet humour.

Blackadder, Blackadder,
He’s sickeningly good.
Blackadder, Blackadder,
As nice as Christmas pud.

(the third verse was played on the closing credits)

Blackadder, Blackadder,
????
Blackadder, Blackadder,
????  (unfortunately I couldn’t make out the last verse, and there’s no subtitles)

Links

[ Wikipedia | Blackadder Wiki | IMDB | BBC Website | BBC Alternate | Amazon US DVD | Amazon UK Blu-Ray ]