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''Blackadder II'' is the second series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'',〔The single word "Blackadder" is hyphenated across two lines as ::"Black- :: adder II" :on the title screen〕 written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), and sees the principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder, as a Tudor courtier attempting to win the favour of the Queen while avoiding execution by decapitation, a fate that befell many of her suitors. The series saw a number of significant changes from the format of ''The Black Adder'', notably Ben Elton replacing Rowan Atkinson as the second writer, filming in studio sets, rather than on location, the introduction of the more familiar Machiavellian "Blackadder" character and a less intelligent Baldrick.〔Lewisohn, Mark, (''Blackadder II'' ) at the former BBC Guide to Comedy. Retrieved 17 March 2007〕 ==Plot== The series is set during the Elizabethan era (1558–1603). The principal character, Edmund, Lord Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), is the great-grandson of the original Black Adder, and is now a member of the London aristocracy. Unlike his forefather, he is both dashing and intelligent, although he is still scheming and cynical in his outlook. The series follows his attempts to win the favour of the childish Queen Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson). As before he is aided, and often hindered, by two less-than-intelligent sidekicks, his servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson), and Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny), heir to the Duchy of Northumberland, with whom Blackadder has a grudging friendship. Throughout the series, Blackadder's chief rival is Lord Melchett (Stephen Fry), the Queen's pretentious and grovelling Lord Chamberlain. Melchett is himself in fear of upsetting the Queen, and thus attempts to outdo Blackadder by supporting the Queen in whatever current fad she is interested in. Comic relief in the Court is provided by the Queen's rather demented former nanny, Nursie (Patsy Byrne). Baldrick, who in the first series was the most intelligent of the main trio, became more stupid, an idea proposed by Ben Elton to make him "the stupidest person in the history of...human beings", and to act as a foil to Blackadder's new-found intelligence.〔''I Have a Cunning Plan - 20th Anniversary of Blackadder'', BBC Radio 4 documentary broadcast 23 August 2003. Excerpts available at (bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/interviews/ )〕 The series was also the originator of Baldrick's obsession with the turnip, although this apparently arose from a botanical error on the part of Elton, who confused the vegetable with the "amusingly shaped" parsnip.〔 Lord Percy remained similar in character to the original series, as a foolish sidekick in Blackadder's plots and predicaments. In this respect, McInnerny has stated that the character bears a resemblance to Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Shakespeare's ''Twelfth Night''.〔 Indeed, as with ''The Black Adder'', the series featured many tongue-in-cheek references to Shakespeare's plays; Shakespeare is mentioned a number of times as a contemporary Elizabethan, and many of his famous quotations are twisted for comic effect.〔''(Britain's Best Sitcom - Blackadder )'', 2004 BBC Television documentary, presented by John Sergeant〕 In particular the first episode "Bells", follows a similar plot to ''Twelfth Night''.〔(Bells ) at bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2007〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blackadder II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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