Top 9 Blackadder episodes ever - and No.1 is a masterpiece

British TV was graced with the creation of back in the eighties and it is still a much-loved staple in the comedy world today. The classic sitcom tells the story of the Blackadder clan, all of whom are played by and named "Edmund," and their adventures through history.

Three more series followed the first - Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth - with each of them being set in a different historical period. It is implied in each series that the Blackadder character is a descendant of the previous one. In 2000, Blackadder Goes Forth ranked at 16 in the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, a list created by the British Film Institute. Meanwhile, in the 2004 TV poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom, all four series of Blackadder were voted the second-best British sitcom of all time - topped by . While the show has had huge recognition for it's comedic value, we take a look at which of the episodes were the best overall.

10 - Private Plane

A number of British comedy icons came together in this memorable episode to have fans splitting their sides with laughter. Rik Mayall re-teamed with his comedy partner Adrian Edmondson. Mayall took on the role of Flashheart, a parody of the stereotypical British war hero, while Edmondson played the German Baron von Richthofen, who was based on a real historical figure.

The episode highlighted the dangers of war as, before getting captured by Edmondson's character, Blackadder and Baldrick try to join the Royal Flying Corps. They then learnt at the last moment that the average life expectancy for a pilot in the air is just twenty minutes.

9 - Money

As the title suggests, this episode revolves around money. Blackadder's session with a prostitute is interrupted by the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells, who sends a warning to the character about repaying his loans. They threaten to do some incredibly gruesome things if the debt is not settled.

But things only go from bad to worse for Blackadder as he is summoned by Queen Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson) who demands the money herself. Much of the humour in this episode comes from Blackadder's interactions with Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny) who attempts to make Blackadder some gold but only succeeds in making "a nugget of purest green."

8 - Head

Blackadder takes on a new gruesome job role in this episode as he dons the role of an executioner. But very quickly things go wrong as he cuts an important prisoner's head off on the wrong day, after the Queen decides to pardon said prisoner, meaning his head risks ending up on the chopping block too.

7 - Ink and Incapability

This episode brought the invention of the dictionary and coined many made-up words. It sees historical figure, Samuel Johnson (Robbie Coltrane) come calling with the big book of words as he urges Prince George (Hugh Laurie) to read it. In hysterical scenes, Blackadder decides to annoy Johnson by making up new words and using them in casual conversation, so he'll think his dictionary isn't complete.

6 - Bells

Love is in the air in the episode of Blackadder named Bells. it sees Kate (Gabrielle Glaister) run away to London and disguise herself as a boy named Bob in order to become a servant, who ends up working for Blackadder. After working out she's actually a woman, Blackadder falls desperately in love with her and even proposes marriage.

Unfortunately, he was left brokenhearted as Kate fell for his chosen best man, Lord Flashheart (Rik Mayall), leaving Blackadder wifeless.

5 - Chains

Chains was another episode which featured huge star Hugh Laurie, with him taking on the role of the evil Prince Ludwig this time. He kidnaps Blackadder and Melchett (Stephen Fry) and holds them for ransom, forcing the two enemies to spend some very unpleasant time together.

The chaotic storyline actually led to the end of season two as Blackadder and Melchett escape their prison cell. Blackadder thinks he's defeated Ludwig after a curious incident with a cow costume, but Lugwig survives - and murders the whole cast.

4 - Amy and Amicability

While season two brought the end of Miranda Richardson's Queen Elizabeth I, the actress returned in the next series as a different character, Amy Hardwood. Amy and Amicability sees the new character appear to be a weak and silly young woman. But then, in a surprise twist, it turns out she's actually a ruthless highwayman.

Blackadder is very attracted to Amy, even though she's promised to Prince George, and the two plan to run away together. But when Amy stabs Blackadder in the back and steals his money, Blackadder has no qualms whatsoever about turning her in.

3 - Corporal Punishment

This episode saw Stephen Fry take on the terrifying role of General Melchett - a complete madman who had the power of life and death over all the soldiers in the World War I trenches. Blackadder ends up in the firing line of the General when he shoots Melchett's pet pigeon and is very nearly executed for it.

However, a poignant message was delivered in the episode, as before shooting the bird, Blackadder points out that thousands of men are getting killed every day, so who would miss a pigeon? Plus, he only killed it to eat it, because of the lack of food. It highlights just how difficult the war really was.

2 - Beer

In Beer, one of the funniest episodes of the series, Blackadder accidentally schedules a drinking contest at the same time as a meeting with his fiercely Puritan aunt, Lady Whiteadder (Miriam Margolyes). It sees him wearing a pair of false breasts on his ears - much to his aunt's disgust. All of the cast are incredibly funny in this episode.

1 - Goodbyeee

One episode that went down in history was Goodbyeee. After many episodes of dodging death, Blackadder and company finally had to face it in the very last episode of the show. The British soldiers were ordered to go "over the top" and attack the Germans, and they knew that doing so was more or less a death sentence.

It was one of British television's finest, and saddest, hours as all of the characters who audiences had come to know and love climb out of the trenches and are tragically gunned down. In a final, poignant scene, the screen fades to a field of poppies - the flower that symbolizes the dead of World War I.