UKTV Gold Celebrates ‘Blackadder’ 40th Anniversary With Two Specials In June
UKTV Gold is celebrating the (and I’m sorry to make you feel this old, but…) 40th Anniversary of the iconic comedy series ‘Blackadder’ with two specials – ‘Blackadder: The Lost Pilot’ & ‘Blackadder: A Cunning Story’, both premiering in June.
‘Blackadder: The Lost Pilot’ sees Sir Tony Robinson on a quest to discover the truth behind the ‘Blackadder’ origin story. Tony’s journey takes him back in time to find out where Blackadder really began, and to uncover the story of the never-before-broadcast ‘Blackadder’ pilot episode.
It’s a personal story for Tony – Baldrick has defined his career and playing the character transformed his life. But Tony didn’t play Baldrick in the pilot. And there’s so much about Blackadder’s beginnings he doesn’t know. Along the way, he speaks to comedy greats including series creator and writer Richard Curtis and co-writer Ben Elton. The climax of the programme is a special screening of the never-before-broadcast pilot.
“One of the interesting things about making the documentary is how every one of my interviews with the team behind the pilot was like a school reunion. We all immediately picked up the relationship we had 40 years ago, rather than having to start afresh. That was very, very strange,” said Sir Tony. “What was evident from the interviews is there’s an awful lot of goodwill towards the pilot. Even though it was very experimental, and it’s not what Blackadder became, you can see how the scaffolding in the pilot built the future series.”
‘Blackadder: A Cunning Story’ looks back at the making of the entire Blackadder series, which first launched in 1983.
One of Britain’s most beloved sitcoms, Blackadder has an enduring legacy, becoming hugely influential for many of today’s biggest comic stars.
The show features new contributions from Blackadder’s biggest fans including Jack Whitehall, Darren Harriott, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O’Hanlon and Nina Wadia. The programme also includes archive interviews with Rowan Atkinson, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Stephen Fry and producer John Lloyd, who share their memories from making the iconic show.
‘Blackadder: The Lost Pilot’ premieres Thursday 15th June 2023 at 9pm, with ‘Blackadder: A Cunning Story’ premiering Friday 16th June 2023 at 9pm, both on UKTV Gold. ‘Blackadder’ Seasons 1 to 4 boxsets are available on Sky, NOW and Virgin.
