Blackadder meeting between Richard Curtis and comedian Ben Elton led to the decision to collaborate on a new series of Blackadder. Recognising the main faults of the first series, Curtis and Elton agreed that "Blackadder II" would be a studio-only production (along with the inclusion of a live audience during recording, instead of showing the episodes to an audience after taping). Besides adding a greater comedy focus, Elton suggested a major change in character emphasis: Baldrick would become the stupid sidekick, while Edmund Blackadder evolved into a cunning sycophant. This led to the familiar set-up that was maintained in the following
Blackadder: Back & Forth programme, with the exception of the original series producer, John Lloyd. Due to the increased budget, it is the only "Blackadder" story to be shot entirely on film and with no laugh track, although one was added for the BBC One broadcast in 2002. It is also the only "Blackadder" to be filmed in widescreen; 2.20:1 aspect ratio for cinema showings, and (1.77:1) for the DVD and television screenings. The film was co-financed by Sky and the BBC, with sponsorship from, among others, Tesco, with Blackadder trying to offer his loyalty card to Queenie. The opening sequence features various depictions