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Royal Mail today announced the launch of 12 Special Stamps being issued to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic British sitcom, Blackadder.
From the mists of medieval England to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, from the glamour of the Georgian era to the grim trenches of the First World War, the stamps pay tribute to one of the pillars of British comedy.
Launched in 1983 by writer Richard Curtis and star Rowan Atkinson – with the vital assistance of BBC producer John Lloyd and co-author Ben Elton – the series went on to win an International Emmy Award and is regularly named among the finest sitcoms of all time – while its scheming, amoral hero has become one of our most adored TV characters.
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Iron Maiden icon in stamp spotlight
The eight stamps in the main set capture moments spanning four series of the classic British sitcom and feature some of the show’s best-loved characters, played by familiar names including Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Brian Blessed, and the late Patsy Byrne.
In addition a further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, celebrate the main character, Edmund Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, in his various guises over each of the four series of the classic sitcom.
Blackadder co-creator, Richard Curtis, said: “We’re very amused and delighted. It’s a great relief for Blackadder to have his head on a stamp, instead of on a stake.”
John Lloyd, Producer, Blackadder, said: “The entire team behind Britain’s leading situation tragedy is deeply honoured by Royal Mail’s magnificent stamps of approval. In the words of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC KCB; ‘Let’s give them a damn good licking!’”
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail, said: “The epic saga of Blackadder spans six centuries of British history and four decades of British television and is still loved and revered by audiences old and new. We are delighted to mark the 40th anniversary of Blackadder with a set of special stamps.”
The Black Adder
Penned by university friends Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson – who also starred as the title character, the devious Prince Edmund – The Black Adder was set in the 15th century during the fictional reign of King Richard IV, a time of poverty, plague, religious hysteria and bloody battles over the royal succession.
Blackadder II
Moving the action forward a century and with Ben Elton on scriptwriting duties alongside Richard Curtis, Blackadder II tracks the shifting fortunes of Lord Edmund Blackadder, an ambitious courtier to the giddy young Queen Elizabeth I with a bumbling retinue of blockheaded sidekicks.
Blackadder the Third
Set in the early 19th century during the Regency of the impressively trousered royal heir, Prince George, Blackadder the Third follows the adventures of crafty butler Mr E Blackadder, who spends his days tormenting his lice-infested minion Baldrick and cooking up cunning plans to improve his social standing.
Blackadder Goes Forth
The final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, takes us to the mud-swamped trenches of the First World War, where Captain Blackadder and his doomed cadre of fellow soldiers try every trick they can think of to evade the inevitable order to go ‘over the top’. The final scene is one of the most haunting and memorable endings in TV history.
The stamps are available to pre-order from today (May 12) at www.royalmail.com/blackadder, by telephone on 03457 641 641 and at 7000 Post Office branches across the UK. A presentation pack including all 12 stamps in the set is priced at £19.60.
The stamps go on general sale on May 17.
About Royal Mail Special Stamps
For more than 50 years Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 60 million stamp collectors worldwide.
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