Synopses & Reviews
British history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been re-written, re-evaluated and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as fact. But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners.
The True History of the Blackadder is the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other -- arguably the greatest sitcom of all time -- not to mention the first historical investigation into the lives of the Blackadder family, one of the nation's most villified dynasties.
Using existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers including John Lloyd, Tony Robinson, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed; Rowan Atkinson and many more, J. F. Roberts relates the full scope of the tale of how the 70s alumni of three great universities -- Oxford, Cambridge and not Hull, but Manchester -- discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece.
At last Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.
Review
"A rather elegant overview of Eighties British TV comedy. . . . If you have any interest in comedy, you will love this book. . . . [Roberts'] research has been assiduous, his judgments are sound and his puppyish enthusiasm encouraged his interviewees to give their best." —Daily Mail
Review
"A brilliant read for any fan of Edmund Blackadder, as well as a great introduction into the history of the contemporary comedy scene." —BookGeeks
Synopsis
JEM ROBERTS is a life long fan of Blackadder and author of the acclaimed Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. He lives in Bath, where he runs the comedy sketch troupe The Unrelated Family, and plays the ukulele very badly.
Synopsis
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They had a cunning plan.
A few decades ago, three young grads from England's greatest universities - Oxford, Cambridge, and Hull (actually, Manchester) - came up with a historical comedy series. Few thought it would live long in the memory.
Today, Blackadder is a timeless comic masterpiece, and its stars have gone on to glittering careers. The True History of the Black Adder is the first ever history of one of Britain's greatest and most unique sitcoms, from its medieval beginnings to its legendary tragic finale.
Informed by exclusive - and hilarious - interviews with essential figures like Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed and many more, this the definitive account of how a British institution came to be, as well as a fascinating look into how this classic comedy was almost very different - and a compendium of brilliantly funny anecdotes from a team of Britain's most celebrated comedians.
British history is a patchwork of questionable stories, constantly rewritten, re-evaluated and ridiculed; final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners...
At last, Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.
Synopsis
Jem Roberts, the author of
The Authorised History of 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' -- the antidote to panel games, is now moving on to
The Unadulterated True History of THE BLACKADDER.
British history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been re-written, re-evaluated and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as the factual history.
But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners... This will be the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other, arguably the greatest sitcom of all time. With the participation -- so far -- of Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry and producer John Lloyd, this will be the definitive history of the programme. The author will use all existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers themselves, to finally reflect the full scope of the tale of how the 70s alumni of three great universities -- Oxford, Cambridge and not Hull, but Manchester -- discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece.
Synopsis
The complete history of the series, with the cooperation of writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, producer John Lloyd, and cast and crew. Hitherto unseen material includes extracts from a previously unseen and unproduced Christmas special.This is the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other—arguably the greatest sitcom of all time—not to mention the first historical investigation into the lives of the Blackadder family, one of the UK's most vilified dynasties. Using existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers including John Lloyd, Tony Robinson, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Rowan Atkinson, and many more, this history relates the full scope of the tale of how the 1970s alumni of three great universities—Oxford, Cambridge, and not Hull, but Manchester—discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece. At last Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.
About the Author
J. F. Roberts is the author of The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.