The Cavalier Years

This Episode: Comic Relief 1988 Sketch
Black Adder Overall: Special 2
Airdate: 5 Feb 1988
Written by Ben Elton & Richard Curtis
Directed by Mandie Fletcher

Notes

• This was a 15 minute special broadcast as part of Comic Relief’s “Red Nose Day” on 5 Feb 1988.
• The full special is still available on the Comic Relief Youtube channel (legally) to this day.  I have embedded it on the page below.  The Youtube version appears to be cropped incorrectly, though.
• The episode was filmed on 10 Jan 1988.
• It was filmed at the conclusion of making Series III, but canonically falls in-between the second and third series.  It is said to happen in November 1648.
• The only cast are Rowan Atkinson (Black Adder), Tony Robinson (Baldrick), Stephen Fry (King Charles I), & Warren Clarke (Oliver Cromwell).
• Warren Clarke also appeared in the Series III episode “Amy and Amiability” as Mr. Hardwood.
• Hugh Laurie has an uncredited appearance as one of the guards with Cromwell (“Men come in from the cold, will you”).  Likewise Tim McInnerny is uncredited as a voice in the crowd.
• Stephen Fry is said to have based his version of King Charles I on the now King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales).
• In 2019 a behind the scenes recording of this special was unearthed and uploaded to Youtube here, here, and here. However a significantly longer version was released on the newer physical media releases (including the Blu-Ray I link to below).

Links