Bells

Blackadder II is perhaps the best of the four series. Why this should be, I'm a little unsure. It could be the maniacal energy brought to the role of Queen Elizabeth I by Miranda Richardson, or the fact that the dippy nonsense of Tony Robinson's Baldrick now more fully developed. Everywhere Blackadder turns he is surrounded by incompetent fools (the Queen apart). Melchett (Stephen Fry) thinks he's clever, but he's most certainly not, Nursie (Patsy Byrne) is quite lovable, but a fool nevertheless and as for Percy...

In the first episode, Bells, we meet Kate (Gabrielle Glaister) and her father. He wants her to become a prostitute as they are destitute. She has no such plans, so disguises herself as a boy and rushes off to London to seek fame and fortune. There she has the good luck to find herself a position with one Edmund Blackadder and after convincing him that Kate is actually short for 'Bob' settles down to life in Blackadder's house.

Blackadder finds 'Bob' strangely compelling company and is concerned that he might need 'curing' of ths affliction. So he visits Dr Leech who prescribes... a course of leeches. Not happy with this suggestion, he then visits the Wisewoman. After careful consideration she advises him to sleep with 'Bob' or failing that kill either 'Bob', himself or 'everybody in the whole world'. He does none of these, but instead confesses his feelings for 'Bob' to 'Bob'. Of course, 'Bob' can now reveal herself as Kate. And in a classic non-reinvention of the wheel, Blackadder borrows again from Shakesepeare, 'Kiss me, Kate.'

The wedding is arranged, Baldrick gets to be bridesmaid and wear a dress. Blackadder gets to insult him by describing him as 'a dung ball in a dress...'. Percy even gets to kiss him. Now that's revolting! Eventually, they troop off to the palace for the wedding ceremony, Blackadder nervously awaiting his best man, Flasheart (an on form Rik Mayall). Of course there is good reason for Blackadder's nervousness about Flashheart, as he steals away his bride, thus leaving Blackadder to marry his bridesmaid...