Captain Blackadder

Captain Edmund Blackadder was the main character in the fourth and final series of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. He was played by Rowan Atkinson.

The fourth series was set in the trenches of the First World War. Naturally, Blackadder spends most of his time trying to get out of the trenches before the insane General Melchett gives him the order to 'climb out of the trenches and walk very slowly towards the enemy' which means certain death. Blackadder's attempts to escape are usually opposed by General Melchett, who does not seem to realise the futility of sending men to their certain deaths, and Captain Darling, who does. As a result of the mutual personal distaste between Darling and Blackadder, Darling would gladly see Blackadder mown down by German machine guns. The two bury the hatchet without saying a word when Darling is posted to the front line in the final episode.

Captain Blackadder claims to have joined the army in 1888, when Britain was still fighting colonial wars during the Scramble for Africa, and when 'the prerequisite for any battle was that the enemies should under no circumstances carry guns'. He described it as having been 'little more than a travel agency for men with unusually high sex drives'. He was hailed as the 'Hero of Mboto Gorge' in 1892, where he had faced 'ten thousand Watutsi warriors armed to the teeth with kiwi fruit and dry guava halves'. He even saved the life of Douglas Haig (later Field Marshal Douglas Haig) when he was nearly killed by a pygmy woman with a seriously sharpened mango. Needless to say, Blackadder was more than a little shocked when 500,000 very large, very German, Germans 'hove into view'.

Blackadder was, as always, accompanied by Private S. Baldrick, and also Lieutenant George. The lack of appreciation for their predicament, and general incompetence of George and Baldrick acts as a major hindrance to Blackadder's escape attempts, and generally ruin his experience of the war.

Edmund's attempts to avoid going over the top include posing as Italian chefs, with Baldrick as cook (thereby nearly poisoning Melchett and Darling); joining the Royal Flying Corps under Lord Flashheart; accepting capture by Baron von Richthofen so as to escape through the 'humiliating' punishment of spending the rest of the war teaching nuns how to boil eggs; working in a British field hospital under "Operation Winkle" (ie:to winkle out the spies); organising a music-hall performance with Lieutenant George as the drag act "The Beautiful Georgina" (this plan was aborted when General Melchett fell madly in love with Georgina and Blackadder was forced to fake her death); shooting a homing pigeon (an act which almost results in his death by firing squad); and sticking two pencils up his nose, putting his underpants on his head and saying 'Wibble' (Blackadder admits this plan was particularly stupid. Soberingly, he adds 'who'd notice another mad-man around here?').

In the final scene of the series, Blackadder shows the first (and, so far, only) sign of genuine bravery from any Blackadder in the entire series. Finally deciding it would be futile to keep running, he accepts his fate and leads Captain Darling, Lieutenant George and Private Baldrick over the top of the trench and out into No man's land for the 'Big Push'. Blackadder's final recorded words (before "CHARGE!"), standing in the trench with Darling, George and Baldrick, were "Good luck, everybody". These words from someone who, over the space of four series spanning several centuries, had become known to the public as an egotistical, self-centered, cynical, blunt, sly, thieving, corrupt, villainous, yet curiously likable character, went a long way to underline the serious, sobering mood of this episode. In these last few moments of this momentous sitcom all the clever put-downs, the witty one-liners, the slapstick and the turnip jokes, were, with this one line, effectively pushed to one side, and the viewers realised that this was no longer a comedy, but a harsh, cruel and grim statement of fact.

It is believed that Captain Blackadder was killed 'going over the top' in 1917.

At the dinner party at the beginning of "Blackadder Back And Forth" (1999), a portrait of Captain Blackadder from "Blackadder Goes Forth" (1989) is positioned on the wall behind the present Blackadder. See Blackadder Hall