George (Blackadder) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George
Blackadder character
The Prince Regent (left), Lt. George (right)
First appearance	"Dish and Dishonesty" (series 3) "Captain Cook" (series 4)
Last appearance	"Duel and Duality" (series 3) "Goodbyeee" (series 4)
Portrayed by	Hugh Laurie
Information
Occupation	Prince regent (series 3) Lieutenant (series 4)
Nationality	British
Alma Mater	University of Cambridge (series 4)

George is a funny character from the BBC TV show Blackadder. He was played by actor Hugh Laurie. George appeared in two different parts of the show. This is because each series was set in a different time in history.

He was a main character in the third series, Blackadder the Third. He was also a supporting character in the fourth series, Blackadder Goes Forth. The character of George was added to the show to replace Lord Percy Percy. The actor who played Lord Percy, Tim McInnerny, didn't want to be stuck playing only one type of role.

The first George was a funny version of George, Prince of Wales. He was one of the three main characters in the third series. The second George was Lt. The Hon. George Colthurst St Barleigh. He was a young officer in the British Army during World War I.

Both versions of George were shown as "silly upper-class people". They relied a lot on Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson). Critics really liked the character of George.

George's Personality

The first George, Prince George, was the son of King George III. He was shown as a childish, spoiled, and clumsy person. He spent a lot of money, especially on fancy clothes.

Lieutenant George was in the trenches during World War I. He stayed very cheerful and innocent, even after three years of war. He didn't seem to understand how serious his situation was. One reviewer said he "smiles through in the face of certain death".

Clumsy and Dependent

Both Georges were shown as very clumsy. In one episode, it took Prince George a whole week to put on his trousers by himself! He even ended up putting them on his head.

George depended a lot on his butler, Mr. E. Blackadder. Even though Blackadder often disliked George for his silliness, George needed him. George knew he wasn't very smart. He once said he was "thick as a whale omelette".

Prince George's Fate

In the last episode of the third series, "Duel and Duality", Prince George was shot. He briefly woke up, thinking a cigar case might have saved him. But when he realized he left it at home, he died in Baldrick's arms. Blackadder, who was pretending to be the Prince, then took George's place and became King George IV.

Lieutenant George's War Experience

Lieutenant George Colthurst St. Barleigh, in Blackadder Goes Forth, was a frontline officer. He was a lot like other innocent young officers from stories about World War I.

George joined the army on the first day of World War I. He joined with nine other students from Cambridge University. They called themselves the "Trinity Tiddlers". Later, in the final episode, it's shown that George is the only one left alive from that group.

Even though George wasn't very skilled as an officer, his rich background meant he became an officer right away. George had a special friendship with General Melchett. Melchett was an old family friend. They both had a cheerful, "tally-ho" attitude about the war. Melchett even offered George a way to avoid the big final battle. But George refused, which surprised Blackadder.

George benefited from his wealthy background. But he was still a kind and hopeful person. Just before the final battle, George finally showed real fear and sadness. He realized he might actually die.

Shakespeare Connection

In a 1989 comedy sketch, Hugh Laurie played a character like George. This character was William Shakespeare. Lord Blackadder was his agent. He tried to get Shakespeare to make his new play Hamlet shorter.

Awards and Decorations

Lieutenant George wore these ribbons in the series:

How George Was Created

Tim McInnerny, who played Lord Percy Percy in earlier Blackadder series, worried about being "typecast". This means being known for only one type of role. So, he decided not to be in the third series. However, he did appear in one episode, "Nob and Nobility", as a different character. He also returned in the fourth series as Captain Kevin Darling.

The character of Prince George was created to be a new "clumsy helper" for Blackadder. He was based on George IV of the United Kingdom. George IV was the Prince Regent (a ruler who acts for the king) between 1811 and 1820.

Hugh Laurie had already been a guest star in the last two episodes of Blackadder II. The show's creators decided to cast him as Prince George. Interestingly, Hugh Laurie looked very different from the real George IV, who was quite overweight during his time as Prince Regent.

Hugh Laurie was supposed to wear a monocle (a single eyeglass) as Lt. George. But he decided not to, because it kept falling out of his eye!

Laurie played Prince George again in the Christmas special, Blackadder's Christmas Carol. He also played new characters in the millennium special Blackadder: Back & Forth. These included a Roman Consul named Georgius and a modern-day character, Major George Bufton-Tufton.

Even though no new series have been made, the creators have talked about ideas for the future. One idea was a movie where the characters were a 1960s rock band. George would play the guitar and keyboard. However, one of the creators later said that Hugh Laurie's success in the TV show House would make a new Blackadder difficult to create.