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
Blackadder the Third decided not to continue playing the character of Lord Percy for fear of being typecast, although he appeared in a guest role in episode three. In addition to McInnerny, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson, who had played major parts in "Blackadder II", appeared in guest roles. Fry and McInnerny would return as regular performers for the fourth series of "Blackadder". The opening theme is this time a minuet played on a harpsichord, oboe and cello over close-ups of Blackadder searching a bookcase. The credits and title appear on the books' spines, and each has a condition and script to match