The unaired Blackadder pilot episode
If you watched the Rowan Atkinson brilliance during the Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics, hopefully, you have the performance etched somewhere in the deep recesses of your personal mind palace as it seems as though the copyright police have systematically wiped the video from its virtual existence on the planet.
I guess the idea of the potential of millions of views around the world would severely diminish those same millions from buying the DVD of the Opening Ceremonies since they would have already seen Atkinson lending his musical and comedic talents to a very funny Chariot’s of Fire segment so let’s not let anyone see it. Personally, my thought is not a good decision in the 21st century.
Thankfully, however, there are individuals out there that understand the promotional value of videos that go viral and understand that the upside far outweighs the downside. Probably not news to most Blackadder fans, but to some, it may be surprising that there exists an unaired pilot episode that, while featuring Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder and Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy, does feature a different Baldrick (Philip Fox), a different Harry (Robert Bathurst), a different King (John Savident). Recorded in 1982,
Fortunately, for us all, aside from the brilliant additions of Tony Robinson and Brian Blessed for the actual series, both Atkinson and co-writer, Richard Curtis, were there from the beginning. With all the unsubstantiated rumors of a possible Blackadder V series, seeing this unaired pilot makes me want to savor the comedy greatness that is Blackadder I-IV again and again.
