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
Performance (UK TV series) Branagh, Elizabeth McGovern, Jeremy Irons, Judi Dench, Hugh Grant, Alec Guinness, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson, Ian Holm, Bill Nighy, John Gielgud, and Juliet Stevenson. Performance (UK TV series) Performance is a UK television anthology series produced by Simon Curtis for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Twenty-six episodes aired on the BBC from 1991–98, almost all of which were productions of classic and contemporary plays, including "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov, "A Doll's House" and "Hedda Gabbler" by Henrik Ibsen, "Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Luigi Pirandello, "King Lear" by William Shakespeare, and "The Deep Blue Sea" by