Episode 1, Series 1 of The Black Adder starts the classic TV comedy in fine form with cunning Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh (Rowan Atkinson), arriving late for The Battle of Bosworth Field (having overslept), where he accidentally chops off the head of Richard III (Peter Cook) when he sees the king trying to take his horse.
This unfortunate incident turns out rather well for Edmund, who becomes the new prince of England when his father (Brian Blessed) is crowned as Richard III's successor. If only Richard's bloody ghost didn't keep popping up to torment him...
Atkinson's first starring role after the excellent satirical comedy Not The Nine O'Clock News, The Black Adder is the perfect character for the comedian, whose trademark gangly limbs, rubber face and versatile voice are used to maximum effect to bring slimy toad Edmund to life. Conniving, traitorous, and cowardly, he really is a thoroughly loathsome creature, but also extremely funny thanks to a wonderful script co-written by Atkinson and his old pal Richard Curtis (with a little help from a certain William Shakespeare).
This very entertaining first adventure, which boldly rewrites history, derives plenty of laughs through a slick combination of witty dialogue and slapstick gore, whilst also coining a few classic Blackadder catchphrases in the process ("I have a cunning plan"). The amazing thing is, as funny as this episode is, it's still not generally considered to be one of the best, which speaks volumes about the very high quality of the series as a whole!