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 baronets the title. The preacher's son Colonel John Blackadder later became governor of Stirling Castle. Blackadder baronets The Blackadder Baronetcy, of Tulliallan in the County of Perth, was a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 28 July 1626 for John Blackadder. He was a profligate spender, and impoverished the estates and title, eventually moving to the continent and dying in America. He married a daughter of John Graham, 6th Earl of Menteith and had issue, but owing to the bankruptcy of the honour it was never claimed and the title remained dormant after Sir John's death.