Editing Blackadder II (section)

==Plot==
The series is set during the [[Elizabethan era]] (1558–1603). The principal character, [[Edmund, Lord Blackadder]] ([[Rowan Atkinson]]), is the great-grandson of the [[Prince Edmund (Blackadder)|original Black Adder]] and is now a member of the London aristocracy. Unlike his forefather, he is both dashing and intelligent, although he is still scheming and cynical in his outlook. The series follows his attempts to win the favour of the childish [[Queenie (Blackadder)|Queen Elizabeth I]] ([[Miranda Richardson]]). As before, he is aided, and often hindered, by two less-than-intelligent sidekicks, his servant [[Baldrick#Blackadder II|Baldrick]] ([[Tony Robinson]]), and [[Lord Percy Percy]] ([[Tim McInnerny]]), heir to the [[Duke of Northumberland|Duchy of Northumberland]], with whom Blackadder has a grudging friendship.

Throughout the series, Blackadder's chief rival is [[List of Blackadder characters#Melchett|Lord Melchett]] ([[Stephen Fry]]), the Queen's pretentious and grovelling [[Lord Chamberlain]]. Melchett fears upsetting the Queen, and thus attempts to outdo Blackadder by supporting the Queen in whatever current fad she is interested in. [[Comic relief]] in the Court is provided by the Queen's demented former [[nanny]], [[Nursie]] ([[Patsy Byrne]]) who often reveals embarrassing stories about Queenie's past.

The series finale episode, "Chains" sees Blackadder and Melchett being kidnapped by two guards working for Prince Ludwig the Indestructible ([[Hugh Laurie]]) who holds them prisoner in a dungeon, Ludwig demanding a ransom be paid in exchange for having one of them released but after receiving a message informing them Queenie has decided to ignore saving them in favour of holding a big party, which later becomes a costume party, the two men, whose original death sentences are later changed to life imprisonment, work together to successfully outwit Ludwig's guards and return to England, arriving at the palace in time to stop Ludwig from killing Queenie and fulfilling his goal of becoming King of England, which was revealed to have been brought on the fact that as a child, he had dirty hair, spots and was forced to wear shorts by his mother, earning him ridicule from his classmates who also gave him the nickname, "Shorty Greasy Spot-Spot" which Ludwig despises so much so that he flies into a rage if it is mentioned in his presence. Upon being exposed, Ludwig attempts to flee while vowing he will return and get his revenge, but is presumably killed or wounded off-screen by a dagger that Blackadder throws at him, ending his threat. However, after the end credits have been shown, Ludwig is revealed to have survived the attack, returning to murder the original Queenie and after stealing her identity, also gone on to kill Blackadder, Melchett, Nursie, Baldrick and Percy, Ludwig presumably going on to rule England for many years, disguised as Queenie.

[[Baldrick#Blackadder II|Baldrick]], who in the first series was the most intelligent of the main trio, became more stupid, an idea proposed by [[Ben Elton]] to make him "the stupidest person in the history of...human beings", and to act as a foil to Blackadder's new-found intelligence.<ref name="Cunning plan">''I Have a Cunning Plan – 20th Anniversary of Blackadder'', [[BBC Radio 4]] documentary broadcast 23 August 2003. Excerpts available at [https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/interviews/ bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/interviews/]</ref> The series was also the originator of Baldrick's obsession with the [[turnip]], although this apparently arose from a [[botanical]] error on the part of Elton, who confused the vegetable with the "[[Unusually-shaped vegetable|amusingly shaped]]" [[parsnip]].<ref name="Britain's Best Sitcom"/>

Lord Percy remained similar in character to the original series, as a foolish sidekick in Blackadder's plots and predicaments. In this respect, McInnerny said the character resembled [[Sir Andrew Aguecheek]] in [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Twelfth Night]]''.<ref name="Britain's Best Sitcom"/> As with ''The Black Adder'', the series featured many [[tongue-in-cheek]] references to [[Shakespeare's plays]]; Shakespeare is mentioned as a contemporary Elizabethan, and his famous quotations are twisted for comic effect.<ref name="Britain's Best Sitcom">''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/advocate_blackadder.shtml Britain's Best Sitcom – Blackadder]'', 2004 BBC Television documentary, presented by [[John Sergeant (journalist)|John Sergeant]]</ref> The first episode "[[Bells (Blackadder)|Bells]]", follows a similar plot to ''[[Twelfth Night]]''.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/epguide/two_bells.shtml Bells] at bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2007</ref>