Gold channel to broadcast 40-year-old programme

The pilot episode of Blackadder is to be broadcast for the first time.

TV channel Gold will broadcast the show, which has never been publicly available before, as part of its programming to mark the 40th anniversary of the historical comedy next month.

It will be screened after a new 80-minute documentary  in which Tony Robinson tells the story of the pilor. Although he became famous as Baldrick, the actor did not appear in the test episode, where the role was instead taken by Philip Fox.

So  in Blackadder: The Lost Pilot, Sir Tony interviews writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton to fill in facts about Blackadder’s beginnings that he doesn’t know.

Sir Tony said: ‘Blackadder holds a special place in the nation’s heart and in mine too. I’m delighted to be part of its 40th Birthday celebrations on Gold. It’s been wonderful to journey back to where it all began and chat to some of the biggest names in comedy who made it all happen.’

 Gold’s parent company  UKTV  has also commissioned a two-hour documentary Blackadder: A Cunning Story, about all the instalments of the Rowan Atkinson comedy. It will feature contributions from celebrity fans including Jack Whitehall, Darren Harriott, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O’Hanlon and Nina Wadia.

Gerald Casey, Gold’s channel controller, said: ‘It’s such a thrill to be celebrating one of the UK’s best-loved series with this huge milestone. Blackadder is beloved by our Gold audience and still going strong on the channel, and I’m so happy to bring them something really special.’

The Lost Pilot is being made by Red Sauce, whose   creative director  Tom Edwards, said: "As a lifelong Blackadder fan, craving new material since it ended 30 years ago, I was beyond excited to learn of the existence of the lost pilot.

‘We’re so thrilled to share that in full with viewers, along with the thoughts and feelings of an amazing cast of stars, as well as Tony’s own very personal perspective.’

Recently Sir Tony has been teasing a possible return of Blackadder in some format, having successfully revived Baldrick to read a story for Comic Relief’s recent Red Nose Day.

These are not the first retrospective Gold has commissioned about the comedy. In 2018, it aired the two-parter  Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga. The channel will dedicate the month of June to the shows 40th anniversary. 

Published: 21 Apr 2023