Blackadder Series Five

[thechase]

The stars of Blackadder have reportedly agreed to reunite for a new episode or series, after having met up in London to discuss the idea of bringing back the hit sitcom.



The Sun reports Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie agreed on a return, after meeting together at the Soho House members club in London.



A source told the newspaper: "They were all having a great laugh and they are all old friends. So they just said, 'Yes, let's do it'. It is being written now. Rowan has been saying he is extremely excited."



The new series will reportedly be set in the modern day, with Blackadder as a university lecturer.



Speaking in a recent newspaper interview, co-writer Richard Curtis said: "The thing about Blackadder was, it was a young man's show criticising older people, saying how stupid those in authority were. So I did once think, 'If we ever did anything again, it should be Blackadder as a teacher in a university, about how much we hate young people'."



The Sun's source commented: "It will be in the modern day. Blackadder will be a lot older, of course, so they've come up with the ageing university lecturer idea. Curtis and Atkinson have discussed guest appearances from stars such as Tom Hardy and Russell Brand."



Blackadder started in 1983, with the critically acclaimed fourth series airing in 1989. The one-off special Blackadder Back & Forth was made in 2000. Richard Curtis has been working on the film Yesterday, whilst co-writer Ben Elton has been working on a return to stand-up, and writing BBC sitcom Upstart Crow.



It should be noted the characters returning has not been officially confirmed by anyone involved, and it is not the first time that a fifth series has been reported but then nothing has appeared. Should it be going ahead, official news will be announced in due course.

www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5399/blackadder_series_5/

[BlackoutCreature]

I love the Blackadder shows, but I'm not sure how much enjoyment I'd really get out of a series of "Grandpa Blackadder complains about millennials and them always being on their darn phones".

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Speaking in a recent newspaper interview, co-writer Richard Curtis said: "The thing about Blackadder was, it was a young man's show criticising older people, saying how stupid those in authority were. So I did once think, 'If we ever did anything again, it should be Blackadder as a teacher in a university, about how much we hate young people'."

So...

"Here's what we did which was awesome, so we're going to come back and do the opposite".

Well, that's me off the hype train.

Shall we run a pool on how long it takes Avacado toast to be mentioned?

[Deleted]

This sounds dreadful.

Wright Way 2.0

[I'm Team Bayley and Indi]

I always remember rumours/talks of a 5th series that was to be called The Blackadder Five, about a 60's rock band, think even something about Baldrick becoming Bald Rick

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Jun 30, 2019 14:18:47 GMT -5 @returnofthestryker said:

This sounds dreadful.

Wright Way 2.0

Or John Cleese complaining about London changing.

Or the Red Dwarf episode "Timewave"

It shouldn't, but it's always a bit more disappointing to me when it's comedy writers who turn into "kids these days" sorts.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2019 14:22:52 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Jun 30, 2019 14:18:47 GMT -5 @returnofthestryker said:

This sounds dreadful.

Wright Way 2.0

Or John Cleese complaining about London changing.

Or the Red Dwarf episode "Timewave"

It shouldn't, but it's always a bit more disappointing to me when it's comedy writers who turn into "kids these days" sorts.

Somewhere they become the thing they once parodied and mocked. Stephen Fry and Richard Curtis in particular in recent years seem to have really bought into their own respective hype.

[BorneAgain]

If we were going chronologically forward from the last series, I always wanted to see a series 5 set in the Cold War spy era. Blackadder as a lowly ranked worker at the SIS putting up with incompetent MI6 heads played by Fry and/or Laurie could be really fun. Throw in McInnerny as blatant Russian spy fooling everyone but Blackadder and you get some good episodes out of it.

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Jun 30, 2019 14:27:21 GMT -5 @returnofthestryker said:

Jun 30, 2019 14:22:52 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Or John Cleese complaining about London changing.

Or the Red Dwarf episode "Timewave"

It shouldn't, but it's always a bit more disappointing to me when it's comedy writers who turn into "kids these days" sorts.

Somewhere they become the thing they once parodied and mocked. Stephen Fry and Richard Curtis in particular in recent years seem to have really bought into their own respective hype.

I suppose because it's the nature of a young comedian to be subversive, then as that brings them success they become part of the status quo they were taking shots at.

I remember John Lloyd telling a story of when he knew they had to stop doing Not the Nine O'Clock News. After years of skewering The Two Ronnies for being old fashioned etc. They were talking about a script with a gag about Ronnie Corbett, and Griff Rhys Jones said they should cut it, because he'd gotten to know him, and thought it was a bit mean to go after a nice guy like that.

[Ultimo Gallos]

I am just happy there is going to be more Black Adder. Rather not judge,and condemn,the show before I see even a clip.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2019 14:33:43 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Jun 30, 2019 14:27:21 GMT -5 @returnofthestryker said:

Somewhere they become the thing they once parodied and mocked. Stephen Fry and Richard Curtis in particular in recent years seem to have really bought into their own respective hype.

I suppose because it's the nature of a young comedian to be subversive, then as that brings them success they become part of the status quo they were taking shots at.

I remember John Lloyd telling a story of when he knew they had to stop doing Not the Nine O'Clock News. After years of skewering The Two Ronnies for being old fashioned etc. They were talking about a script with a gag about Ronnie Corbett, and Griff Rhys Jones said they should cut it, because he'd gotten to know him, and thought it was a bit mean to go after a nice guy like that.

I've heard that before.

Also heard and read various things about it being Ronnie Barker who they had more of an issue with. Ronnie was 'the don' when it came to BBC comedy and in true wrestling fashion, did a lot to hold down the alternative comedians, trying to sabotage them and make sure they didn't get good timeslots. It's one of the reasons they went after the 2 Ronnies so hard in the early episodes.

It's a situation they still have now to a point. Michael McIntyre was the don for a while, hence why Stewart Lee and others who have poked fun at him have received semi threatening messages from his management about it.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

Jun 30, 2019 14:15:42 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

Speaking in a recent newspaper interview, co-writer Richard Curtis said: "The thing about Blackadder was, it was a young man's show criticising older people, saying how stupid those in authority were. So I did once think, 'If we ever did anything again, it should be Blackadder as a teacher in a university, about how much we hate young people'."

So...

"Here's what we did which was awesome, so we're going to come back and do the opposite".

Well, that's me off the hype train.

Shall we run a pool on how long it takes Avacado toast to be mentioned?

"We're going to mock how you can't be politically correct anymore by making a show that's politically incorrect and putting it on television!"

[eJm]

Jun 30, 2019 16:51:41 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

Jun 30, 2019 14:15:42 GMT -5 Futureraven: Beelzebruv said:

So...

"Here's what we did which was awesome, so we're going to come back and do the opposite".

Well, that's me off the hype train.

Shall we run a pool on how long it takes Avacado toast to be mentioned?

"We're going to mock how you can't be politically correct anymore by making a show that's politically incorrect and putting it on television!"

“And since it’s done by people who’ve done successful projects for said company, we’re going to get a nice platform to show it on!

But it’s much harder to do that these days then it was in my day!”

[Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill]

Old people complaining about the young folks is only funny if the old folks are portrayed to be in the wrong. Like, have the series have be about how Blackadder and his crew are a bunch of miserable old shits who are constantly outsmarted and humiliated by the level-headed college students they keep complaining about.

[4real]

I mean I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued but I’m wary of how bad this could be.

But then what good U.K. Comedy is there nowadays? It can’t be any worse than Mrs Brown’s Boys, Miranda or Citizen Kahn can it?

[James Fabiano]

Fawlty Towers is the only show that didn't"sell out" and come back, isn't it?

P.S. BBC, Mongrels is right there for a series 3 and more.

[Clint Bobski]

Jun 30, 2019 18:33:35 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Fawlty Towers is the only show that didn't"sell out" and come back, isn't it?

P.S. BBC, Mongrels is right there for a series 3 and more.

Gordon Brittas never got his third series, WHERE'S THE JUSTICE IN THAT?

[Clint Bobski]

Should just leave well alone. The end of Blackadder Goes Forth was about as perfect as the ending of a series could be. No need to resurrect it now.

[FinalGwen]

Ok, yeah, count me in as not liking the 'we're the establishment, yay' tone. Also the best thing about Blackadder was having sitcom tropes in historical settings and exploring them in unconventional ways. If I want stuff set in the modern day, there's lots of options out there. The closest I'd see is back in the 80s when they started, looking at Cold War stuff, or something.

[James Fabiano]

Jun 30, 2019 18:57:03 GMT -5 Clint Bobski said:

Jun 30, 2019 18:33:35 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Fawlty Towers is the only show that didn't"sell out" and come back, isn't it?

P.S. BBC, Mongrels is right there for a series 3 and more.

Gordon Brittas never got his third series, WHERE'S THE JUSTICE IN THAT?

I see you're pretending the post- Fegen/Norriss never happened?