Edmund Blackadder (Rowan "Mr Bean" Atkinson) is now butler to perhaps the most stupidist royal in English history, for this is now 1792, Regency England, King George is a looney in all but name, and his son, the Prince Regent (Hugh Lawrie) is the King-in-waiting and Blackadder is his servant.
Not only does Edmund have to look after the welfare of the Prince but also has to tolerate his own servant, the mouse-brained dogs body, Baldrick (Tony Robinson), who hasn't got two brain cells to call his own. Blackadder is not only frustrated with the fact that he, by his own admission, is wasted amongst this pair of backward imbeciles and tries to trick, threaten, bribe or steal as much money as he can so that he can seek an escape from this lifetime of drudgery.
We are treated to six wonderfully scripted episodes from Blackadder's diary and what a pleasure it is too (very mild spoilers):-
SENSE & SENSIBILITY.
The Prince Regent survives an assassination attempt by an anarchist. Disappointed by this recovery Blackadder suggests the Prince write a speech sympathetic to the poor of his land in order to win popular favour again.
To help his cause, Blackadder hires two very amateur but egotistical actors to train the Prince in being stately, civil but also compassionate to his people. However, the Prince is also very irritated with his butler and insults him once to often before Blackadder decides enough is enough and walks out, leaving the dopey Baldrick in charge. Moments later Baldrick learns that the actors are planning to kill the Prince behind his back. Can the dumb servent save the day without Blackadder?
INK & INCAPABILITY
The Prince wants to expand his mind and become one of the great intellectuals of the time. However, in order to do this miraculous achievement he decide to invite the great wordsmith, Dr Samuel Johnson around for tea in order for the Prince to review & patronise the Doctor's new book.
However, the Prince hasn't quite grasped the fact that the book is in fact an English dictionary. All the Prince is really interested in is if there are any juicy murders in it.
The arrival of the great intellectual is also a source of irritation to Blackadder, who has penned his own auto-biography crammed with "sizzling gypsies" and feels his own book is far more worthier than a tiresome dictionary. So the great Blackadder goes out of his way to mock not only the Doctor's book (which took him 10 years to compile) but also the Doctor himself. Irritated & impatient by these two buffoons, the Doctor stomps out in a huff, forgetting to take his dictionary with him.
When Blackadder learns that Baldrick has burnt the dictionary and there is no copy he panics and decides to follow one of Baldrick's "cunning plans" and rewrites the entire book. The only trouble is that he has only the weekend to write it before the Doctor returns with some of his most admiring friends all swearing bloody murder if the book is not returned.
DISH & DISHONESTY
Remarkably the Prince is on the verge of bankruptcy from a hostile Prime Minister, Pitt The Younger. The only way to avoid this embarrassment is to make sure all the serving MPs vote in favour of retaining the Prince and ignoring the PM.
To be sure of winning an overall majority Baldrick is made an MP but rather than voting for the Prince the dopey Baldrick votes the other way. Only the House of Lords can save the Prince from ignominy and Blackadder's luxury lifestyle off ripping off the Prince. So Blackadder decides to become a Lord himself and hopefully save the day.
AMY & AMIABILITY
The Prince is almost broke thanks to a total misunderstanding in how to play a game of cards for money. As a consequence the only way out is for the Prince to marry a wealthy lady called Amy. Blackadder arranges a blind date but the thickish Prince isn't all that bothered about charming the young girl with sweet nothings, all he wants is to give her some his "German Sausage".
Blackadder learns that Amy is a bit of a thicky herself and her father isn't quite so wealthy after all. The plan of marriage goes badly wrong and so Blackadder has no other choice but to turn to crime as a dashing Highway Man, in order to stave off the wolves(and squirrels) from the Prince's door.
NOB & NOBILITY
Much to the irritation of Blackadder, there is a new hero in town. The great Scarlet Pimpernel, who is saving the heads of all the French aristocrats from the chop as the peasants have revolted against their king.
Denouncing the Pimpernel Blackadder accepts a challenge from some of the Prince's friends. He has to sail to France, rescue an aristocrat and bring him home in order to win the bet.
However, Blackadder has other ideas of rescuing a Frenchie, and it doesn't involve sailing to the "hugely dangerous" country of France.
DUEL & DUALITY
The Prince really puts his foot in it by spending the night with the nieces of the greatest swordsman England has ever seen, the Duke of Wellington.
The Prince thinks the Duke is still at war and will thus never know. But Blackadder reminds him that the war with the French ended six months ago and put it about town that he will duel to the death with anyone who takes advantage of his two nieces.
In a panic the Prince offers Blackadder everything he owns if he will only fight the Duke instead of him. After some thought Blackadder agrees but to complete the masquerade they have to swap clothes and jobs in order for the deception to work.
Six great episodes, all superbly written and performed. The only slight disappointment is the absence of both Stephen Fry & Tim Macinnery. It is true they appear in an episode each here, but unlike Series 2 & 4 where they were regulars, this series somehow isn't quite so complete and thus the comedic jousting between Blackadder, Baldrick and the Prince is rather restricting and repetitive.
Apart from that minor grumble this third series is quality comedy, although I personally rank it third behind series 4 and series 2 respectively.
****/*****
Not only does Edmund have to look after the welfare of the Prince but also has to tolerate his own servant, the mouse-brained dogs body, Baldrick (Tony Robinson), who hasn't got two brain cells to call his own. Blackadder is not only frustrated with the fact that he, by his own admission, is wasted amongst this pair of backward imbeciles and tries to trick, threaten, bribe or steal as much money as he can so that he can seek an escape from this lifetime of drudgery.
We are treated to six wonderfully scripted episodes from Blackadder's diary and what a pleasure it is too (very mild spoilers):-
SENSE & SENSIBILITY.
The Prince Regent survives an assassination attempt by an anarchist. Disappointed by this recovery Blackadder suggests the Prince write a speech sympathetic to the poor of his land in order to win popular favour again.
To help his cause, Blackadder hires two very amateur but egotistical actors to train the Prince in being stately, civil but also compassionate to his people. However, the Prince is also very irritated with his butler and insults him once to often before Blackadder decides enough is enough and walks out, leaving the dopey Baldrick in charge. Moments later Baldrick learns that the actors are planning to kill the Prince behind his back. Can the dumb servent save the day without Blackadder?
INK & INCAPABILITY
The Prince wants to expand his mind and become one of the great intellectuals of the time. However, in order to do this miraculous achievement he decide to invite the great wordsmith, Dr Samuel Johnson around for tea in order for the Prince to review & patronise the Doctor's new book.
However, the Prince hasn't quite grasped the fact that the book is in fact an English dictionary. All the Prince is really interested in is if there are any juicy murders in it.
The arrival of the great intellectual is also a source of irritation to Blackadder, who has penned his own auto-biography crammed with "sizzling gypsies" and feels his own book is far more worthier than a tiresome dictionary. So the great Blackadder goes out of his way to mock not only the Doctor's book (which took him 10 years to compile) but also the Doctor himself. Irritated & impatient by these two buffoons, the Doctor stomps out in a huff, forgetting to take his dictionary with him.
When Blackadder learns that Baldrick has burnt the dictionary and there is no copy he panics and decides to follow one of Baldrick's "cunning plans" and rewrites the entire book. The only trouble is that he has only the weekend to write it before the Doctor returns with some of his most admiring friends all swearing bloody murder if the book is not returned.
DISH & DISHONESTY
Remarkably the Prince is on the verge of bankruptcy from a hostile Prime Minister, Pitt The Younger. The only way to avoid this embarrassment is to make sure all the serving MPs vote in favour of retaining the Prince and ignoring the PM.
To be sure of winning an overall majority Baldrick is made an MP but rather than voting for the Prince the dopey Baldrick votes the other way. Only the House of Lords can save the Prince from ignominy and Blackadder's luxury lifestyle off ripping off the Prince. So Blackadder decides to become a Lord himself and hopefully save the day.
AMY & AMIABILITY
The Prince is almost broke thanks to a total misunderstanding in how to play a game of cards for money. As a consequence the only way out is for the Prince to marry a wealthy lady called Amy. Blackadder arranges a blind date but the thickish Prince isn't all that bothered about charming the young girl with sweet nothings, all he wants is to give her some his "German Sausage".
Blackadder learns that Amy is a bit of a thicky herself and her father isn't quite so wealthy after all. The plan of marriage goes badly wrong and so Blackadder has no other choice but to turn to crime as a dashing Highway Man, in order to stave off the wolves(and squirrels) from the Prince's door.
NOB & NOBILITY
Much to the irritation of Blackadder, there is a new hero in town. The great Scarlet Pimpernel, who is saving the heads of all the French aristocrats from the chop as the peasants have revolted against their king.
Denouncing the Pimpernel Blackadder accepts a challenge from some of the Prince's friends. He has to sail to France, rescue an aristocrat and bring him home in order to win the bet.
However, Blackadder has other ideas of rescuing a Frenchie, and it doesn't involve sailing to the "hugely dangerous" country of France.
DUEL & DUALITY
The Prince really puts his foot in it by spending the night with the nieces of the greatest swordsman England has ever seen, the Duke of Wellington.
The Prince thinks the Duke is still at war and will thus never know. But Blackadder reminds him that the war with the French ended six months ago and put it about town that he will duel to the death with anyone who takes advantage of his two nieces.
In a panic the Prince offers Blackadder everything he owns if he will only fight the Duke instead of him. After some thought Blackadder agrees but to complete the masquerade they have to swap clothes and jobs in order for the deception to work.
Six great episodes, all superbly written and performed. The only slight disappointment is the absence of both Stephen Fry & Tim Macinnery. It is true they appear in an episode each here, but unlike Series 2 & 4 where they were regulars, this series somehow isn't quite so complete and thus the comedic jousting between Blackadder, Baldrick and the Prince is rather restricting and repetitive.
Apart from that minor grumble this third series is quality comedy, although I personally rank it third behind series 4 and series 2 respectively.
****/*****