Donderdag 25/12, 23.30 – BBC1 en donderdag 1/1, 23.00 – BBC2.Naar aanleiding van de 25e verjaardag van Blackadder maakte de BBC een documentaire over de klassieke komische reeks, waarin hoofdrolspeler Rowan Atkinson voor het eerst spreekt over zijn personage. Om op te warmen zetten wij alvast de 25 meest bijtende quotes van Sir Edmund Blackadder op een rij.

25 I thought you were the least convincing female impressionist since Tarzan went through Jane’s handbag and ate her lipstick.

24 A man may fight for many things. His country, his friends, his prin-ciples, the glistening ear on the cheek of a golden child. Personally, I’d mud-wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sack of French porn.

23 Whatever it was, I’m sure it was better than my plan to get out of this by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here?

22 Your services might be as useful as a barber’s shop on the steps of a guillotine.

21 They do say that verbal insults hurt more than physical pain. They are wrong, as you will soon discover when I stick this toasting fork into your head.

20 I’m as poor as a church mouse, that’s just had an enormous tax bill on the very day his wife ran off with another mouse, taking all the cheese.

19 It started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better, but apart from that it was excellent.

18 I find his films about as funny as getting an arrow through the neck and discovering there’s a gas bill tied to it.

17 This is a crisis, a large crisis. It’s a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeted through-out; twenty-four hour porterage and an enormous sign on the roof saying ‘This is a Large Crisis’.

16 This will be the greatest moment in art since Mona Lisa walked into the studio and said, I’m feeling a little odd today.

15 We’ve been sitting here since Christmas 1914, and we’ve advan-ced no further than an asthmatic ant with some heavy shopping.

14 As a special reward, Baldrick, take a short holiday. (Pauzeert) Did you enjoy it?

13 He’s about as effective as a cat flap in an elephant house.

12 To you Baldrick, the rennaissance was just something that happened to other people, wasn’t it?

11 She is famous for having the worst personality in Germany, and as you can imagine, that’s up against some pretty stiff competition.

10 Baldrick, you wouldn’t see a subtle plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord, singing, ‘subtle plans are here again!’

9 The eyes are open, the mouth moves but Mr. Brain has long since departed, hasn’t he, Percy?

8 Your brain is so minute that if a hungry cannibal cracked your head open there wouldn’t be enough inside to cover a small water biscuit.’

7 Baldrick, let us not forget you tried to solve the problem of your mother’s low ceiling by cutting off her head.

6 The guns have stopped because we are about to attack. Not even our generals are mad enough to shell their own men. They feel it’s more sporting to let the Germans do it.

5 Baldric, go forth into the streets and announce that Lord Blackadder wishes to sell his house. Percy, just go forth into the streets.

4 That is the worst plan since Abe Lincoln said to his wife, I’m sick of sitting around the house, let’s catch a show.

3 The girl is wetter than a haddock’s bathing costume.

2 We’re in a sticky situation all right. This is the stickiest situation since Sticky the Stick insect got caught on a sticky bun.

1 I have a plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.

(S.W.)