Two 2-hour Blackadder specials announced

UKTV Gold has commissioned IMG Media’s Tiger Aspect to produce Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga and Blackadder’s Most Cunning Moments, two specials providing a behind-the-scenes look at the BAFTA-winning comedy series Blackadder, which was on the air from 1983 to 1999.

Each two-hour special, both premiering this July, features candid interviews with cast and crew as they share their personal experience of working on Blackadder. They will feature previously unseen footage of the show’s cast in rehearsals, getting into character during make-up sessions and donning their elaborate costumes.

Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga will include exclusive interviews with writers/creators Richard Curtis, Ben Elton and cast members such as Stephen Fry (QI, BBC Two), Academy Award-nominee Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow) and Tony Robinson (Time Team, Channel 4). BAFTA-winning comedian, David Mitchell (Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look) provides the voiceover, with Howard Goodall rewriting the Blackadder theme tune for the new show.

Blackadder’s Most Cunning Moments will see the cast, crew and a diverse mix of celebrity fans reveal their favorite moments from the series. The special also features regular cast members rating their favorite moments out of ten, including Tim McInnerny (the only other actor alongside Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson to appear in all four seasons), among others.

Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga and Blackadder’s Most Cunning Moments will be executive produced by Jane Rogerson, UKTV’s director of commissioning, factual and factual entertainment, alongside Tiger Aspect’s Ricky Kelehar.

Rogerson said: “Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga is a fascinating show which reveals—for the first time—the greatest comedic geniuses creating the most hilarious series in history. And Blackadder’s Most Cunning Moments is an utterly brilliant accompaniment to it. Tiger Aspect has coming up with a truly cunning plan in bringing these two shows with masses of appeal to UKTV Gold.”