Blackadder from this series ranked number three in a list of the top 25 television "putdowns" of the last 40 years by the "Radio Times" magazine: "The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr. Brain has long since departed, hasn't he, Percy?" "Blackadder the Third" is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. In the series, Edmund Blackadder Esquire is the butler to the Prince Regent, the Prince of Wales (the prince is played by Hugh Laurie as a complete fop and idiot). Despite Edmund's respected intelligence and abilities, he has no
Money (Blackadder) the Queen. Lord Percy tries to make them money by alchemy, without success, only producing a green substance, which he seems convinced is valuable. Blackadder manages to bully a couple into buying his house for 1100 pounds, but is again tricked out of the money by the Queen. Finally, Blackadder drugs the Bishop and has a painting made of him in a highly compromising position. He uses this to successfully blackmail the Bishop into writing off the debt and giving him enough money to buy back his house and live in comfort. The Bishop is impressed by his treachery, but