"The Black Adder" The Queen of Spain's Beard (1983)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Martin Shardlow

Writers:

Richard Curtis (written by) and
Rowan Atkinson (written by) ...

TV Series:

"The Black Adder" (1983)

Original Air Date:

6 July 1983 (Season 1, Episode 4)

Genre:

Comedy | History

Plot:

To dominate Northern Europe, King Richard arranges a marriage between his son Edmund and the Spanish Infanta.

Plot Keywords:

King Richard III | Shakespeare | Cult Favorite | Great Britain | Cunning Plan

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh
Brian Blessed	...	King Richard IV
Elspet Gray	...	The Queen
Robert East	...	Harry, Prince of Wales
Tim McInnerny	...	Percy
Tony Robinson	...	Baldrick
Miriam Margolyes	...	Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain
Jim Broadbent	...	Don Speekingleesh, An Interpreter
Jane Freeman	...	Mrs. Applebottom
John Rapley	...	Rev. Lloyd
Howard Lew Lewis	...	Mr. Applebottom
Stephen Tate	...	Lord Chiswick
Kenn Wells	...	1st Messenger
Richard Mitchley	...	2nd Messenger
David Nunn	...	3rd & 4th Messengers

Country:

UK

Colour:

Colour

Quotes:

Baldrick: [as Edmund and Percy are dressing him up] Please my lord, I need you to reconsider...
Prince Edmund: Baldrick, if there was any other way, you know I'd take it!
Baldrick: But I'll die in there.
[meaning the room that Infanta is in]
Prince Edmund: Don't worry. We'll give you a hero's funeral, bury you at sea, say you died in combat, with an enemy vessel.

"The Queen of Spain's Beard" - the best yet!

"In 24 hours I'll be married to a walrus!"

"The Queen of Spain's Beard" is perhaps the funniest Blackadder Series 1 episode yet, but is bettered by Witchsmeller Pursuivant and The Black Seal. The humour is more funny this time - the Spanish translator's role was probably one of the funniest in the whole episode. Baldrick's intelligence was once again a main point in the episode (Balders actually kills someone after 20 minutes of the episode - when a certain cunning plan is put into action), and the hideous Edmund is back at his best. His best line in this episode is when he says sarcastically to Baldrick: "Little boy with big job to do!"

"The Queen of Spain's Beard" misses out on a 10 due to the slightly poor ending, but you can't have everything, and it is only a comedy. It is funny, well done, well acted, and with better deliveries of humorous lines from all the characters. I therefore give it a 9, and recommend it strongly.