Editing Blackadder (section)

===Series 2: ''Blackadder II''===
{{Main|Blackadder II}}

''Blackadder II'', the second series of ''Blackadder'', was written by Richard Curtis and [[Ben Elton]], the team who would also write the subsequent two series, and originally aired on BBC1 from 9 January to 20 February 1986.<ref name="BaII">{{cite web|title=BBC Programme Index - Blackadder II|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?filt=b006xxw7#top|publisher=BBC|accessdate=10 February 2025}}</ref> The series is set in [[Kingdom of England|England]] during the reign of [[List of Blackadder characters#Queenie|Queen Elizabeth I]] (1558–1603), often referred to as "Queenie", who is portrayed by [[Miranda Richardson]]. The principal character is [[Lord Blackadder|Edmund, Lord Blackadder]] (Rowan Atkinson), the great-grandson of the original Black Adder. During the series, he regularly deals with the [[British monarchy|Queen]], her obsequious [[Lord Chamberlain]] [[List of Blackadder characters#Melchett|Lord Melchett]] ([[Stephen Fry]]; his rival for the Queen's affections), his friend [[List of Blackadder characters#Lord Percy Percy|Lord Percy Percy]] (Tim McInnerny) and the Queen's demented former nanny [[List of Blackadder characters#Nursie|Nursie]] ([[Patsy Byrne]]). Tony Robinson returned as Blackadder's servant [[List of Blackadder characters#Baldrick|Baldrick]]. Guest appearances in the series include [[Tom Baker]] as Captain Redbeard Rum, [[Simon Jones (actor)|Simon Jones]] as [[Walter Raleigh|Sir Walter Raleigh]], [[Ronald Lacey]] as the [[Bishop of Bath and Wells]], and [[Miriam Margolyes|Miriam Margoyles]] as Blackadder's aunt, Lady Whiteadder. The series also features two appearances by [[Hugh Laurie]] (as Simon Partridge, a friend of Blackadder's, in the episode "Beer", and as Prince Ludwig the Indestructible in the series' finale "Chains"), a returning [[Rik Mayall]], this time as [[List of Blackadder characters#Flashheart|Lord Flashheart]], and the first appearance of [[Gabrielle Glaister]] as [[List of Blackadder characters#Bob|Kate/"Bob"]] (a young woman who pretends to be a boy in order to achieve a well-paying job).

Following the BBC's request for improvements (and a severe budget reduction), several changes were made. Ben Elton joined Richard Curtis as co-writer - they would remain ''Blackadder'''s writers from this series onwards - and this second series was the first to establish the familiar Blackadder character: cunning, shrewd and witty, in sharp contrast to the first series' bumbling Prince Edmund.<ref name="Hxba" /> To reduce the cost of production, it was shot with virtually no outdoor scenes (the first series was shot largely on location) and several frequently used indoor sets, such as the Queen's [[throne room]] and Blackadder's front room.

A quote from this series ranked number three in a list of the top 25 television "putdowns" of the last 40 years by the ''[[Radio Times]]'' magazine: "The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr. Brain has long since departed, hasn't he, Percy?"<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-02-26 |title=TV's top 25 put-downs published |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7264321.stm |access-date=2023-04-09}}</ref>