Writers Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson end series one of The Black Adder on a high with The Black Seal, which features the greatest Adder one-liners to be cooked up by the duo, and introduces six of their most outrageous characters, who team up with Prince Edmund to try and seize the throne of England: there's villainous Sir Wilfred Death (John Hallam); treacherous Three Fingered Pete; evil Guy of Glastonbury (Patrick Malahide); lecherous Friar Bellows (Paul Brooke); Sean, The Irish Bastard (no description necessary); and diminutive killer Jack Large (played by Big Mick, who is anything but), the bull-buggering beast killer of no fixed abode.
As if that wasn't enough, The Young Ones' Rik Mayall turns up in an uncredited and hilarious role as Mad Gerald, a wild haired crazy man who has been locked up in prison for 20 years (with only Mr. Rat and Mr. Key for company), and Patrick Allen, the series' narrator, makes an appearance as The Hawk, Edmund's lifelong arch enemy, who also wants to be king.
The Black Seal also sets the precedent that the last episode of each series sees Atkinson's character die, often along with the rest of the cast (although Series 3 provides an unusual twist on this idea): in this case, Edmund gets his from a nasty piece of torture equipment equipped with a rotating device called a 'codling grinder'. Ouch!
As if that wasn't enough, The Young Ones' Rik Mayall turns up in an uncredited and hilarious role as Mad Gerald, a wild haired crazy man who has been locked up in prison for 20 years (with only Mr. Rat and Mr. Key for company), and Patrick Allen, the series' narrator, makes an appearance as The Hawk, Edmund's lifelong arch enemy, who also wants to be king.
The Black Seal also sets the precedent that the last episode of each series sees Atkinson's character die, often along with the rest of the cast (although Series 3 provides an unusual twist on this idea): in this case, Edmund gets his from a nasty piece of torture equipment equipped with a rotating device called a 'codling grinder'. Ouch!