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	~~{{Short description\|Character in Blackadder}}~~
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:George (''Blackadder'')}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:George (''Blackadder'')}}
	~~{{Use British English\|date=December 2010}}{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2020}}~~
	{{Infobox character		{{Infobox character
	\|colour = black		\|colour = black
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	{{Blackadder}}		{{Blackadder}}

	~~{{Good article}}~~

	[[Category:Blackadder characters]]		[[Category:Blackadder characters]]

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en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: Removing from Category:Fictional British people in subcat using Cat-a-lot

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Removing from Category:Fictional British people in subcat using Cat-a-lot

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	[[Category:Blackadder characters]]		[[Category:Blackadder characters]]
	~~[[Category:Fictional British people]]~~
	[[Category:Fictional English people]]		[[Category:Fictional English people]]
	[[Category:Fictional princes]]		[[Category:Fictional princes]]

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en>Berserker276: /* References */

2022-01-09T16:56:23Z

References

New page

{{Short description|Character in Blackadder}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:George (''Blackadder'')}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2010}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox character
|colour = black
| image = {{multiple image
| total_width = 300
| align = center
| border = infobox
| image1 = Blackadder 3 george.jpg
| image2 = Blackadder 4 george.jpg
}}
| caption = The Prince Regent (left), Lt. George (right)
| name = George
| series = [[Blackadder]]
| first = {{nowrap|"[[Dish and Dishonesty]]" ([[Blackadder the Third|series 3]])}} {{nowrap|"[[Captain Cook (Blackadder)|Captain Cook]]"}} ([[Blackadder Goes Forth|series 4]])
| last = {{nowrap|"[[Duel and Duality]]" (series 3)}} {{nowrap|"[[Goodbyeee]]" (series 4)}}
| portrayer = [[Hugh Laurie]]
| occupation = {{nowrap|[[Prince regent]] (series 3)}} {{nowrap|[[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] (series 4)}}
| nationality = {{nowrap|[[British people|British]]}} 
| lbl21 = Alma Mater
| data21 = [[University of Cambridge]] (series 4)
}}

'''George''' is a supporting character who appeared in various adaptations of the [[BBC]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Blackadder]]'', played by [[Hugh Laurie]]. Each series saw a different incarnation of the character, because each was set in a different period of history. He was most prominently featured in the [[Blackadder the Third|third]] and [[Blackadder Goes Forth|fourth]] series. The character was added to the series as a replacement for the [[Lord Percy Percy]] character, who did not appear in the third instalment because [[Tim McInnerny]], the actor playing him, feared being [[Typecasting (acting)|typecast]].

The first incarnation of the character was a caricature of '''[[George IV|George, Prince of Wales]]''', serving as one of the three main characters of the third series. The second, '''[[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lt.]] [[The Honourable|The Hon.]] George Colthurst St Barleigh''', was a young officer in the [[British Army]] during [[World War I]], a supporting protagonist in the fourth series. Both portrayals were of "dim-witted upper-class twits",<ref name="hughme" /><ref name="radiotimes" /> who depended greatly on [[Edmund Blackadder]] ([[Rowan Atkinson]]). The character garnered positive responses from critics.

==Personality==
Both Prince George and Lt. George are portrayed as dim-witted "upper class twits".<ref name="hughme">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tm_objectid=16596632&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=a-whole-hugh-me-name_page.html|title=A Whole Hugh Me|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]|author=Fulton, Rick|date=2006-01-18|access-date=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref name="radiotimes">{{cite news|first1=Roland|last1=White|first2=Richard|last2=Curtis|author-link2=Richard Curtis|title=Oh, What an Ugly War|work=[[Radio Times]]|publisher=[[Immediate Media Company]] |location=London, England|pages=4–5|date=23 September 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sara|last=Baxter|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article380047.ece|title=Hugh Laurie hits America's funny bone|newspaper=[[The Times]]|location=London, England|date=10 April 2005|access-date=26 April 2009}}</ref> The son of [[King George III]],<ref name="bite"/> Prince George is represented as a childish, spoiled, bumbling fool who spends money extravagantly (especially on impressive trousers and socks).<ref name="dish"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jan/18/broadcasting.arts|title=In praise of ... Hugh Laurie|author=Staff|date=18 January 2006|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|access-date=26 April 2009}}</ref> Lieutenant George, stationed in the trenches of [[World War I]],<ref>{{cite book|first1=Ian|last1=Stewart|first2=Susan Lisa|last2=Carruthers | title = War, Culture, and the Media: Representations of the Military in 20th Century Britain | publisher = [[Fairleigh Dickinson University Press]]|location=Madison, New Jersey| date = 1996| page = 54| isbn = 0-8386-3702-7}}</ref> retains his enthusiastic naiveté, despite being stuck in the trenches for three years, revealing a lack of awareness of the seriousness of his circumstances; Robert Bianco of ''[[USA Today]]'' stated the character "smiles through in the face of certain death".<ref name="bite">{{cite news|first1=Marco|last1=Della Cava|first2=Robert|last2=Bianco|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-27-hugh-laurie_x.htm|title=Laurie's polite — with a bite|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|location=Mclean, Virginia|date=28 March 2006 |access-date=26 April 2009}}</ref>

Both men are portrayed as very incompetent,<ref>{{cite news|first=Neil|last=Strauss|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/13893076/dr_feelbad_hugh_laurie_became_the_dark_prince_of_prime_time_by_playing_the_best_vicodinaddicted_t|title=Dr. Feelbad|magazine=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media LLC|location=New York City|date=5 April 2007|access-date=4 April 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080620040023/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/13893076/dr_feelbad_hugh_laurie_became_the_dark_prince_of_prime_time_by_playing_the_best_vicodinaddicted_t |archive-date = 20 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> in "[[Nob and Nobility]]", it takes Prince George a week to put on a pair of trousers by himself, eventually putting them on his head.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Nob and Nobility |episode-link=Nob and Nobility |series=Blackadder the Third |credits=Curtis, Richard; Elton, Ben |network=BBC |airdate=1 October 1987 |series-no=3 |number=3}}</ref> George relies heavily on his butler, [[Mr. E. Blackadder]] Esq., even while Blackadder despises George for his stupidity.<ref name="radiotimes" /><ref name="dish">{{cite episode |title=Dish and Dishonesty|episode-link=Dish and Dishonesty|series=Blackadder the Third |series-link=Blackadder the Third |credits=Curtis, Ricard; Elton, Ben |network=[[BBC]] |airdate=17 September 1987 |series-no=3 |number=1}}</ref> While George is considered "moronic" and "idiotic", as well as completely self-absorbed,<ref>{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Salem|title=Belligerent doctor makes House calls; New character for British comedian|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|date=15 November 2004}}</ref> he is helpful and loyal, and is aware he is not very intelligent, describing himself as "thick as a whale omelette".<ref name="Ink">{{cite episode |title=Ink and Incapability|episode-link=Ink and Incapability|series=Blackadder the Third |credits=Curtis, Ricard; Elton, Ben |network=BBC |airdate=24 September 1987 |series-no=3 |number=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Mark|last=Lawson|title=Guilt and the goggle-eyed gargoyle; Embarrassed but unspoilt by his success as upper-class twit, Hugh Laurie is making the best of being a good sort|newspaper=[[The Independent]] |publisher=Independent Print Ltd.|location=London, England|date=12 May 1991 |page=14 }}</ref> In a 2008 retrospective, co-star [[Stephen Fry]] said George's keenness for self-improvement was one of the things he felt made the character likeable.<ref name="ridesagain">{{cite video |people=Cast and Crew of Blackadder |date=25 December 2008 |title=Blackadder Rides Again |medium=Television Broadcast |publisher=[[BBC Two]]}}</ref> In "[[Duel and Duality]]," the final episode of the third series, after a sexual encounter with the Duke of Wellington's nieces, this princely incarnation of George is struck by a point-blank shot from the vengeful Wellington's pistol and killed. George briefly awakes, believing that he may have a cigarillo case on him that deflected the blow, but when he realises that he must have left the case at home, promptly falls dead again in Baldrick's arms; Blackadder, disguised as the Prince Regent in order to take his place in the duel with Wellington, takes George's place to become [[George IV]].

George's incarnation as Lieutenant [[The Honourable#United Kingdom|The Honourable]] George Colthurst St. Barleigh [[Military Cross|MC]], in ''Blackadder Goes Forth'', is a frontline officer. His character draws a lot of similarities to the naive 2nd Lt. Raleigh from [[R C Sherriff]]'s 1928 play ''[[Journey's End]]''; as well as being strongly reminiscent in both manner and personality of [[Bertie Wooster]] (as whom Laurie would [[Jeeves & Wooster|later go on to appear]]). George joined the army on the first day of World War I, along with nine other students at [[Cambridge University]].<ref name="finale"/> The ten men named themselves the [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity College]] [[tiddlywinks]], or the "Trinity Tiddlers".<ref>{{cite news|first=Sue|last=Montgomery|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-the-week-nicholls-has-to-stay-a-jump-ahead-469548.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229204708/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-the-week-nicholls-has-to-stay-a-jump-ahead-469548.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 December 2010|title=Racing: The week Nicholls has to stay a jump ahead|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|publisher=Independent Print Ltd.|location=London, England|date=12 March 2006|access-date=26 April 2009}}</ref> It is revealed later, in the fourth series' finale, that George is the only surviving member of the group.<ref name="finale">{{cite episode |title=Goodbyeee|episode-link=Goodbyeee|series=Blackadder Goes Forth|series-link=Blackadder Goes Forth|credits=Curtis, Ricard; Elton, Ben |network=BBC |airdate=2 November 1989 |series-no=4 |number=6}}</ref> Although he lacks any kind of skill, competence, or authority as an officer, his upper-class status and educational background meant he went straight into the commissioned ranks upon enlisting.<ref name="radiotimes" /> George is shown to have a special friendship with [[General Melchett]] (Fry), an old family friend with whom he shares his public school "tally-ho" attitude towards the war.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Corporal Punishment|episode-link=Corporal Punishment (Blackadder)|series=Blackadder Goes Forth |credits=Curtis, Ricard; Elton, Ben |network=BBC |airdate=5 October 1989 |series-no=4 |number=2}}</ref> Melchett even offers George a way out of the trenches for the "final push", which he refuses, much to Blackadder's incredulity. Although George is shown to have benefited from his background of privilege, he still remains a generally kind and hopeful individual, and shortly before the big push at the end of the final episode George finally expresses some genuine fear and sadness that he may indeed die.<ref name="finale"/>

In the 1989 sketch [[List of Blackadder episodes|Shakespeare Sketch]] Laurie portrays a very George-like [[William Shakespeare]]. [[Lord Blackadder]] is his agent and manages to persuade him to condense his new play ''[[Hamlet]]''.

===Awards and decorations===

In the series, Lieutenant George is seen wearing the following ribbons:
{| style="margin: 1em auto;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Military cross BAR.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon - 1914 Star.png|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto; text-align: center;"
|[[Military Cross]]
|[[1914 Star]]
|[[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de Guerre (France)]]
|}

==Development==
[[Tim McInnerny]], who had starred in ''[[The Black Adder]]'' and ''[[Blackadder II]]'' as [[Lord Percy Percy]], was afraid to be typecast in comedic roles and decided not to appear in the third instalment of ''Blackadder'',<ref name="radiotimes"/><ref name = "No more Percy">{{cite web |title = More bite than Blackadder |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/374343.stm | author = Staff | publisher = [[BBC News]]|location=London, England|date = 21 May 1999 |access-date = 26 April 2009}}</ref> though he did appear in the episode "[[Nob and Nobility]]", as Lord Topper, a snobbish aristocrat who claims to be [[The Scarlet Pimpernel]], and returned in the fourth series playing [[Captain Kevin Darling]]. The Prince George character was created as a new "incompetent sidekick" for the title character.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ross|last=Haneke|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/house-call-aids-cut-price-blues/2005/07/05/1120329440419.html|title=House call aids cut Price blues|newspaper=[[The Age]]|publisher=Fairfax Media|location=Melbourne, Australia|date=7 June 2005|access-date=27 April 2009}}</ref> He was modeled after [[George IV of the United Kingdom]], who served as [[Prince Regent]] between 1811 and 1820.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Norman |last1=McCord |first2=Bill |last2=Purdue |first3=A. William |last3=Purdue |title=British history 1815–1914 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford, England|date=2007 |page=55 |isbn=978-0-19-926164-2}}</ref> Laurie had previously guest starred in the final two episodes of ''Blackadder II'',<ref name="radiotimes"/> and the producers decided to cast him in the role of Prince George.<ref name="ridesagain" /> Laurie's physical appearance differed significantly from that of George IV, who was obese during the time of his regency.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hibbert |first=Christopher |title=George IV (1762–1830) |journal=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford, England|date=2004 }}</ref> Writers [[Ben Elton]] and [[Richard Curtis]] were unfazed by this, referring to George as "a fat, flatulent [[wikt:git|git]]", an appropriate description for the real Prince rather than Laurie.<ref name="dish"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadderthethird/|title=Blackadder the Third|publisher=BBC|access-date=2009-04-27}}</ref>

Laurie was supposed to wear a [[monocle]] as Lt. George, the character's second incarnation, but eventually decided against it after it kept falling out of his eye.<ref name="radiotimes"/> Laurie reprised the role of Prince George in the Christmas special ''[[Blackadder's Christmas Carol]]'', and portrayed a new character, Lord Pigmot, set in the distant future.<ref>{{cite news|title=Blackadder Gives Dickens Classic a Twist|page=SC5|newspaper=[[Sacramento Bee]]|publisher=[[The McClatchy Company|McClatchy]]|location=Sacramento, California|date=23 December 1989|author=Staff}}</ref> He also appeared in the millennium special ''[[Blackadder: Back & Forth]]'', playing the Roman Consul Georgius and the modern day Major George Bufton-Tufton, The Viscount Bufton-Tufton.<ref>{{cite news|title=From Baldrick to The Buzzcocks, from Mr Darcy to Siouxie Soux, the latest DVD releases capture the best of British culture, says Darryl Webber|newspaper=[[Essex Chronicle|Essex Chronicle Series]]|publisher=[[Local World]]|location=Essex, England|date=7 October 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Matthew|last=Wright|title=Baldrick's Maid up for Millenium|newspaper=[[Daily Mirror|The Mirror]]|location=[[London, England]]|date=25 September 1999}}</ref> Although no new series or specials were made, the creators of the series have commented on various proposals over the years;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1228/blackadder-returns.html |title=Blackadder Returns |magazine=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |publisher=[[Time Out Group]]|location=London, England|date=20 June 2006 |author=Staff |access-date=27 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505131509/http://www.timeout.com/film/news/1228/blackadder-returns.html |archive-date= 5 May 2009}}</ref> one possibility was a film in which the main characters return as a 1960s' rock band, with George playing the guitar and keyboard.<ref>{{cite news|first=Rick|last=Fulton|title=They're Backadder; Film takes Blackadder and Baldrick to the 60s.|magazine=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|The Daily Record]] |publisher=[[Reach plc]]|location=[[Glasgow, Scotland]]|date=22 January 2000}}</ref> Curtis later said Laurie's international success with ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' would make a new ''Blackadder'' installment difficult.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/index.aspx?jp=cweycwcwsney |title=Hopes dashed for Blackadder fans |newspaper=[[Evening Echo]] |publisher=[[Thomas Crosbie Holdings]]|location=Cork, Ireland|date=30 January 2006 |access-date=27 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720012139/http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/index.aspx?jp=cweycwcwsney |archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref>

==Reception==
George, as well as Laurie, drew positive responses from critics. Tara Ariano and [[Sarah Bunting]] of [[Television Without Pity]] considered Laurie one of the best actors in the series' cast.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Tara|last1=Ariano|first2=Sarah|last2=Bunting| title = Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) about TV | publisher = [[Quirk Books]]|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|date = 2006| page = 32| isbn = 978-1-59474-117-3}}</ref> Richard Barber of ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' lauded Laurie's performance as George as "hilarious" and "brilliant".<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Richard|last=Barber|title=Star Chat: Plastic surgery?|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|location=New York City|date=17 April 2005}}</ref> David Smith of ''[[The Guardian]]'' highlighted the [[pathos]] of the performance, writing that Laurie's performance as Lt. George, as he was about to go over the top to his death, "elicited tears of both laughter and grief".<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Smith|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/apr/24/comment.broadcasting|title=Doctor Hugh|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|date=24 April 2005|access-date=27 April 2009}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Blackadder}}

{{Good article}}

[[Category:Blackadder characters]]
[[Category:Fictional British people]]
[[Category:Fictional English people]]
[[Category:Fictional princes]]
[[Category:Fictional lieutenants]]
[[Category:Fictional World War I veterans]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of George IV]]
[[Category:Fictional viscounts and viscountesses]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]
[[Category:Participants of the Christmas truce of 1914]]

George (Blackadder) - Revision history

Kurt at 01:14, 25 February 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: Removing from Category:Fictional British people in subcat using Cat-a-lot

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Berserker276: /* References */