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Rank 154Down 4
#15 in Sitcoms
of 16 ranked entries
Blackadder
Richard Curtis & Rowan Atkinson · 1983–1989
Curtis and Atkinson rebuilt the show from scratch after a costly first series, moving Edmund from feudal fool to scheming courtier, and each subsequent series reset the setting while keeping the venom intact. Recorded specifics: premiered 1983, creator Richard Curtis & Rowan Atkinson, seasons 4. Panel highlighted a near-total creative reinvention after a shaky first series, atkinson and Fry’s verbal sparring and the Goes Forth finale is one of British comedy’s great gut-punches. The reservation on record is the first series is a genuinely weak entry point.
Multi-cameraEnsemble
Score breakdown
How Blackadder earned 73.4
Each criterion is scored independently, then combined using the weights published on Sitcoms.
- Joke density & hit rateweight 30%
- 74.1
- Ensemble chemistryweight 25%
- 75.5
- Cultural impactweight 25%
- 71.2
- Rewatchabilityweight 20%
- 72.7
On the record
Recorded detail
| Premiered | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Creator | Richard Curtis & Rowan Atkinson |
| Seasons | 4 |
| Rating | 8.7 |
Panel verdict
Strengths and reservations
What it gets right
- A near-total creative reinvention after a shaky first series
- Atkinson and Fry’s verbal sparring
- The Goes Forth finale is one of British comedy’s great gut-punches
Where it gives ground
- The first series is a genuinely weak entry point
1 appearance
Where this entry ranks
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