Blackadder Empire in 1453, predating the events in the episode by 33 years); this dramatic licence would continue in the subsequent "Blackadders". The filming of the series was highly ambitious, with a large cast and much location shooting. The series also featured Shakespearean dialogue, often adapted for comic effect; the end credits featured the words "Additional Dialogue by William Shakespeare". "Blackadder II" is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), who is portrayed by Miranda Richardson. The principal character is Edmund, Lord Blackadder, the great-grandson of the original Black Adder. During the series, he regularly deals with
George (Blackadder) stationed in the trenches of World War I, retains his enthusiastic naiveté, despite being stuck in the trenches for 3 years, revealing a lack of awareness of the seriousness of his circumstances; Robert Bianco of "USA Today" stated the character "smiles through in the face of certain death". Both men are portrayed as very incompetent, in "Nob and Nobility", it takes Prince George a week to put on a pair of trousers by himself, eventually putting them on his head. George relies heavily on Blackadder in the third (Mr. E. Blackadder) series, even while Blackadder despises George for his immense