Ink and Incapability
- Episode aired Sep 24, 1987
- TV-PG
- 29m
Baldrick burns the only copy of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and Blackadder has only one weekend to rewrite it.Baldrick burns the only copy of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and Blackadder has only one weekend to rewrite it.Baldrick burns the only copy of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and Blackadder has only one weekend to rewrite it.
Photos
- Edmund Blackadder, butler to the Prince
- (as Mr. Rowan Atkinson)
- Baldrick, a dogsbody
- (as Mr. Tony Robinson)
- The Prince Regent, their master
- (as Mr. Hugh Laurie)
- Dr. Samuel Johnson, noted for his fat dictionary
- (as Mr. Robbie Coltrane)
- Mrs. Miggins, a coffee shoppekeeper
- (as Mifs. Helen Atkinson-Wood)
- Shelley, romantic junkie poet
- (as Mr. Lee Cornes)
- Byron, romantic junkie poet
- (as Mr. Steve Steen)
- Coleridge, romantic junkie poet
- (as Mr. Jim Sweeney)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode is based on a real-life incident from the 19th Century, in which the philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle sent the only copy of his monumental History of the French Revolution to fellow philosopher John Stuart Mill, only to have him return days later to tell him that one of his servants had mistakenly used the manuscript to light a fire. Undaunted, Carlyle proceeded to rewrite the entire work from scratch, and published the completed book in 1837. However, modern consensus is that Mill intentionally burned the manuscript in a fit of jealous rage, having tried and failed to produce a similar work on the Revolution for many years, and concocted the story as a cover.
- GoofsBlackadder declares that Sir Thomas More was 'burned alive' for 'refusing to recant his Catholicism'. More was not burned, but beheaded, and it was for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as the Supreme Leader of the Church of England, not for refusing to renounce his faith.
- Quotes
Dr. Samuel Johnson: [places two manuscripts on the table, but picks up the top one] Here it is, sir. The very cornerstone of English scholarship. This book, sir, contains every word in our beloved language.
Blackadder: Every single one, sir?
Dr. Samuel Johnson: Every single word, sir!
Blackadder: Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafibularities.
Dr. Samuel Johnson: What?
Blackadder: "contrafibularities", sir? It is a common word down our way.
Dr. Samuel Johnson: Damn!
[writes in the book]
Blackadder: Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I'm anaspeptic, phrasmotic, even compunctuous to have caused you such pericombobulation.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008)
Robbie Coltrane guest stars as the pompous Dr Samuel Johnson who has spent 10 years completing his magnificent opus, the English dictionary.
He wants Prince George to be patron of the dictionary. The Prince hopes this would turnaround his reputation of being a thicko. Although the Prince is put out that the book does not have much of a plot.
Blackadder is upset at Johnson because he has not given any feedback to a manuscript that Blackadder sent him. Blackadder has written a story of a lowly butler under a female pseudonym.
When Johnson arrives to see Prince George. Blackadder pokes fun at Johnson by using long words with many syllables. An insulted Johnson rushes out leaving his dictionary behind but proclaiming Blackadder's novel as the greatest ever.
Later Baldrick burns a manuscript which causes consternation for Blackadder. He needs to write a new dictionary pronto.
Series 3 of Blackadder continues with another strong episode. The writers must have raided a dictionary to come up with some of the words that Blackadder uses.
The story still has all the elements of basic sitcom tropes which is cleverly and amusingly done. A switcheroo and a funny dream sequence.
- Prismark10
- Feb 18, 2021
Details
- Runtime29 minutes
- Color