Photo: BBC

After years of futile trench warfare, the final scene of Blackadder Goes Forth was a result of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett (Stephen Fry) giving the order for the “big push” — which translates as a suicidal charge across the battlefield towards hundreds of German machine guns. IMHO, it’s probably one of the most powerful and poignant scenes ever depicting the utter futility of war.

Blackadder Goes Forth – Final Scene, the Making Of

As both Veteran’s Day and Remembrance Day (aka Poppy Day) passed in the U.S. and UK last week, one can’t help but think back to the brilliant final scene in Blackadder. Below is footage from a previous BBC documentary explaining how the studio scenes were considered a disaster and it was only in the edit suite later that the idea of slowing down the picture and overlaying a field of poppies was devised:

Here, in our 2010 production for PBS, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen, creator/writer Richard Curtis further explains how the final scene was created.

And, here it is….the final scene from Blackadder Goes Forth.

With all the recent talk of bringing back iconic British comedy series, Blackadder needs to be left as is.