A new portrait of Rowan Atkinson's beloved sitcom character, Edmund Blackadder, has been unveiled at an English Heritage tourist site – to mark 40 years since the show first aired.
The timeless comedy series has been voted the funniest sitcom of all time, according to 71% of Brits – with the titular character named the nation's favourite character, by 81% of the 2,000 adults polled.
And his hapless sidekick, Baldrick, took second place on the list of favourite sitcom characters, with 62% of Brits in agreement.
So it was only fitting that Tony Robinson – who portrayed the “cunning” Baldrick in every episode of the much-loved show – was the one to unveil the new oil painting of Blackadder at Audley End House, in Saffron Walden, Essex.
Video footage saw visitors to the historic, Jacobean mansion examining the new portrait – only to realise with a start that the actor was stood beside them, also admiring the work of art.
The painting was created by renowned artist Tom Croft, and shows the much-loved Rowan Atkinson character in his Elizabethan attire, painted in a classical oil on canvas style and completed with an ornate gold frame.
Tom painted the portrait across 60 hours, after rewatching series two of Blackadder repeatedly for reference.
And the stunt was orchestrated by TV channel Gold, which is marking the 40th anniversary of the TV series with a month-long celebration of the much-loved series.
The celebration includes two brand new documentaries, “Blackadder: A Cunning Story”, and “Blackadder: The Lost Pilot” – which marks the first TV outing for the original Blackadder pilot.
Paying homage to Blackadder, Tony Robinson said: “What an honour to have been asked to unveil this incredible painting – and what a cunning plan to have it installed by Gold in such an extraordinary location, to celebrate 40 years of Blackadder.
“Tom Croft did an amazing job at capturing Edmund’s witty expression, and I know Baldrick would be thrilled to see his hero hanging at Audley End House.”
Peter Moore, English Heritage’s Curator of Collections and Interiors at Audley End House, added: “At English Heritage we care for a remarkable collection of paintings, and the walls of Audley End House are hung with masterpieces by the likes of Hans Holbein and Sir Anthony Van Dyck.
“We also have an extensive collection of royal portraits, including Elizabeth I herself – so it seems only fitting that her court nobleman, Edmund Blackadder, should be displayed alongside her. After all, he’s been TV royalty in his own right for the past 40 years!”
Despite Blackadder still remaining so beloved after all these years, the footage did show some visitors to Audley End House puzzling over who the portrait depicted.
Guesses included Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, King James VI – and even King Henry VIII.
However, the poll found that nine in ten Brits (89%) still find the show just as funny and enjoyable to watch now, as it was 40 years ago when it aired.
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Seven in ten (69%) agree that Blackadder is the most iconic show from the 80s, and 46% said that, even all these years later, they still quote the series on a regular basis.
The funniest scene from the sitcom, according to 41% of those polled, is the moment when Blackadder taunts Samuel Johnson with his vocabulary.
The scene sees Johnson, played by the late Robbie Coltrane, marvelling in his completion of the first ever dictionary – only for Edmund to offer him his “enthusiastic contrafibularities”.
Gerald Casey, Gold channel director, said: “40 years on since the show began, the nation still loves Blackadder just as much.
“From Edmund’s wit to Baldrick’s cunning plans, we knew we wanted to celebrate the iconic show in a way that celebrated its humour and history.
“This portrait is an incredible tribute to a much-loved character, and we’re so thankful to have had Tony Robinson help us to unveil it.
“We’re excited for comedy fans across the UK to celebrate this momentous anniversary with us on Gold, and enjoy the brand-new documentaries that show Blackadder as you’ve never seen it before.”
Over half of Brits (56%) also admitted to being likely to binge watch the classic series.
And luckily for those fans, they can catch all episodes of Blackadder from the start on Gold from today, ahead of the 40th anniversary on June 15.
Plus, the new documentaries “Blackadder: The Lost Pilot”, and “Blackadder: A Cunning Story”, will air on June 15 and June 16, respectively, at 9pm, only on Gold.
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