Rowan Atkinson turns 60 today. Here in the United States he is best known for his fumbling, mostly-mute character Mr. Bean, but Atkinson first struck gold in England with four series of Blackadder and subsequent specials. His titular character Edmund Blackadder gave British audiences a hilarious history lesson rife with kings, queens, wars, and wordplay.
If you aren’t British, then you likely didn’t see get Blackadder when it was originally broadcast. But these days many clips and full episodes exist on the endless time-suck of YouTube, which means you now have no excuse to miss seeing Colin Firth get punched in the face and Hugh Laurie wearing a blonde wig.
Here are six of the best clips to get you started:
1. The Black Adder
Set during the Middle Ages, Blackadder‘s initial series introduces the character as a scheming ex-Duke. Desperate to escape his past, he settles on a new identity and gets a horrifyingly awful bowl cut.
2. Witty, Wordy Sex Jokes
When Blackadder accidentally executes the wrong person, he impersonates the deceased in order to avoid the executioner’s ax. By doing so, he almost kinda sorta gets a blow job.
3. Especially When Those Witty, Wordy Sex Jokes Involve Translation
Blackadder attempts to get out of marrying the Spanish king’s daughter by ordering a conspirator to deflower her. Throughout the skit, her attendant translates her commentary before, during, and after the act.
4. Punching Shakespeare
Before Colin Firth won an Oscar, he played William Shakespeare in the holiday special Blackadder Back & Forth. After Blackadder encounters the playwright, he asks for the literary legend’s signature and punches him in the face.
5. And Calling Him “Shakey”
Atkinson and series regular Hugh Laurie appeared on stage at an AIDS benefit concert in 1989. The result? Laurie playing Shakespeare as a blonde, bratty, and spoiled celebrity. (By the way, I’d totally watch King Lear for the “avocado monologue.”)
6. Meeting The Guys
During the show’s fourth and final series, Captain Blackadder finds himself scheduled for execution in the midst of World War I. To cheer him up, his firing squad pays him a visit before the big day.
