British history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been rewritten, reevaluated, and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as the factual history. But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners ... This will be this the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other, arguably the greatest sitcom of all time. With the participation—so far—of Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, and producer John Lloyd, this will be the definitive history of the program. The author will use all existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers themselves, to finally reflect on the full scope of the tale of how the 1970s alumni of three great universities—Oxford, Cambridge, and not Hull, but Manchester—discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece. Published in autumn 2012 for the 30th anniversary of the original pilot. At last Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.