Blackadder's 40th anniversary celebrated with new stamps

The 40th anniversary of BBC comedy series Blackadder is being celebrated with a special set of stamps.

The classic sitcom, which spanned hundreds of years of British history over four series, was first broadcast on 15 June 1983.

Four decades later the show, which launched the careers of some of the UK's most recognisable actors, remains a favourite with British viewers.

Now some of its most famous scenes have made it on to eight new stamps.

A further four stamps depict Edmund Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, in his various guises.

Writer Richard Curtis said he was "very amused and delighted" to see his creation on the stamps

"It's a great relief for Blackadder to have his head on a stamp, instead of on a stake," he added.

Producer John Lloyd said: "The entire team behind Britain's leading situation tragedy is deeply honoured by Royal Mail's magnificent stamps of approval.

"In the words of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC KCB: 'Let's give them a damn good licking!"'

Oxford University friends Curtis and Atkinson co-wrote the first series, called The Black Adder, which was set in medieval England. It won an international Emmy but was not a huge commercial success.

Ben Elton was drafted in to write with Curtis on the second series, set in Tudor times and starring Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth I.

Over the next three series, Atkinson played the scheming, cruel, caustically funny Blackadder opposite Sir Tony Robinson's naïve, uneducated Baldrick.

When Baldrick had a "cunning plan", Blackadder always had a scathing, hilarious retort.

The stamps, which go on sale on 17 May, also feature characters played Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Brian Blessed and the late Patsy Byrne.

The 40th anniversary of the series is also being marked with a special programme about the "lost" Blackadder pilot episode in which Sir Tony Robinson did not play Baldrick.

Blackadder: The Lost Pilot will see Sir Tony find investigate the comedy show's origin, and end with a special screening of the episode. It will be broadcast on UKTV Gold in June.