The Foretelling
The Black Adder begins with a rewritten history of 1485.
"The Foretelling" is the debut episode of the BBC sitcom The Black Adder, the first series of the long-running comedy programme Blackadder. It introduces Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder and features the first appearances of Baldrick and Percy, with Peter Cook guest starring as King Richard III. The episode establishes the alternate history premise that Henry Tudor did not become king in 1485 and that the "real story" involves King Richard IV.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Blackadder
- Writer
- Rowan Atkinson
- Richard Curtis
- (with additional dialogue from; William Shakespeare)
- Air date
- 15 June 1983
- Guests
- Peter Cook, Peter Benson
Facts from the source article.
Plot
A prologue introduces the episode with a narrative describing the Tudor King Henry VII as one of history's greatest liars, alongside Nicolaus Copernicus and Joseph Goebbels, and establishes the show's premise that he rewrote history. The narrator dispels the popular depiction of King Richard III as a scheming murderer; he appears as a villainous hunchback hobbling towards his young nephews with a dagger, but the dagger is revealed to be a toy and the hunchback a sack of presents. A close-up of one child fades to a shot of the bearded Richard, Duke of York, roaring with laughter, as the narrator declares that he grew up to be "a big, strong boy" and was crowned king after winning the Battle of Bosworth Field, not Henry. The story opens in England in 1485 on the eve of the battle. A feast is held at the castle of King Richard III as his court prepares for battle with Henry Tudor's forces. The King gives a speech parodying the opening of Shakespeare's play. A young lord's overzealous cheering raises the King's attention, who asks Richard, Duke of York, about the cheerer's identity. Richard does not recognise him but his eldest son, Harry, informs him that it is his second son, Edmund – though Richard never calls him that, instead calling him other names such as "Edna", starting a running gag. He asks Edmund if he will participate in the battle; Edmund's buffoonish answer makes the King uneasy, but Richard promises to place Edmund far away. Edmund and his friend Lord Percy Percy are joined by a servant Baldrick, who with flattery wins enough favour to be chosen as Edmund's squire. The next day, both Edmund and Baldrick oversleep. Once woken by Edmund's mother, Gertrude of Flanders, they rush to the battlefield. Edmund is initially eager to fight but, observing the combatants from afar, realises that fighting could lead to death. He decides to remain a spectator and hides behind a bush to relieve himself.
Production
Veteran comedian Peter Cook guest starred as Richard III. Cook had previously worked with Rowan Atkinson in The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) and Peter Cook & Co (1980). Cook was very nervous about playing the part, as recalled by producer John Lloyd and co-star Brian Blessed. Cook was not fond of adhering to a script and his lines contained many improvisations. Parts of his performance took the form of a mock-heroic parody of Laurence Olivier's portrayal of the king in the 1955 film version of Shakespeare's play.
References to Shakespeare
The first episode of The Black Adder is packed with nods to Shakespeare, and its end credits thank "William Shakespeare" for "additional dialogue." The script borrows heavily from Richard III while also poking fun at several other plays. The prologue initially presents King Richard III as a hunchbacked Shakespearean villain, but then reveals him to be a friendly, uncle-like figure who jokingly pretends to have a hump for his young nephews. This makes Prince Edmund the real villain instead. Richard’s queen, and Edmund’s mother, is named Gertrude of Flanders, a direct echo of Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude of Denmark. During the opening banquet, King Richard delivers a speech that mimics his own famous "Now is the winter of our discontent" soliloquy from Richard III. Before the Battle of Bosworth, he rallies his troops with "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more," lifted straight from Henry V. After the battle, Peter Cook’s King Richard cheerfully shouts "A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!" in a silly, anticlimactic way, as if calling a pet. When Prince Harry finds Richard’s headless body, he gives a sorrowful speech that mixes Mark Antony’s "O! pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth" from Julius Caesar with Horatio’s "And flights of angels sing thee to their rest" from Hamlet. The ghost of Richard III later haunts Prince Edmund at the victory banquet, closely following how Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth. In the final scene, Edmund meets three witches who predict he will be king, a clear parody of the three witches in Macbeth. The episode’s credits name these witches Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, the daughters from King Lear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Foretelling?
The Foretelling was written by Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis and William Shakespeare).
When did The Foretelling first air?
The Foretelling first aired on 15 June 1983.
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