The True History of the Blackadder: The Unadulterated Tale of the Creation of a Comedy Legend

Jem Roberts, the author of The Authorised History of 'I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue' - the antidote to panel games, is now moving on to The Unadulterated True History of THE BLACKADDER.British history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been re-written, re-evaluated and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as the factual history. But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners ... This will be this the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other, arguably the greatest sitcom of all time. With the participation - so far - of Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry and producer John Lloyd, this will be the definitive history of the programme. The author will use all existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers themselves, to finally reflect the full scope of the tale of how the 70s alumni of three great universities - Oxford, Cambridge and not Hull, but Manchester - discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece. Published in autumn 2012 for the 30th anniversary of the original pilot.