Frank finlay blackadder christmas

It is set in England in the late 15th century and centres on the fictitious Prince Edmund , who finds himself falsely accused of witchcraft by a travelling witch-hunter known as the Witchsmeller Pursuivant. The story satirises mediaeval superstition and religious belief. Academy Award -nominated actor Frank Finlay guest stars in this episode as the Witchsmeller, and Valentine Dyall appears in a cameo.

In , Europe is being ravaged by the Black Death , with England being no exception. Even King Richard IV has fallen ill with it, rendering him even more deranged and violent than usual; Prince Edmund goes to visit him and is nearly run through by the plague-addled king, who hallucinates him as a Turk.

Frank finlay movies and tv shows

With the king unable to rule, Harry, Prince of Wales summons the privy council to manage the crisis. The noblemen exchange tales of evil omens from around the kingdom, and before long mass-hysteria sets in and they declare that the realm is in the grip of witchcraft. Ignoring Prince Edmund's objections, they resolve to summon the Witchsmeller Pursuivant.

Prince Edmund, accompanied by Percy and Baldrick , goes to find out more about the Witchsmeller from the local village, but discovers the remains of a woman who has already been burned at the stake for witchcraft, along with her cat.

Blackadder season 5

Unbeknown to Edmund, the Witchsmeller lurks among the villagers, watching him as he boasts about his plans to give the Witchsmeller "a boot up the backside. Returning to the castle, Edmund is confronted by the Witchsmeller, who invites Edmund to undergo a test to determine if he is a witch. Edmund agrees, but the test is rigged and he is accused of witchcraft.

Prince Edmund stands trial; Percy and Baldrick are appointed defence lawyers, but the Witchsmeller silences them before they can even start their case by condemning them also as witches. The proceedings rapidly descend into a farcical show trial. The Witchsmeller interrogates Edmund and presents three pieces of evidence in his case: Prince Edmund, who he dubs "The Great Grumbledook", has a pet cat named Bubbles which the Witchsmeller says is "short for Beelzebubbles " who supposedly drinks blood; he has allegedly engaged in acts of bestiality with his horse, Black Satin, who supposedly has the ability to talk the horse later dies during interrogation, but leaves a signed "confession" ; and he is accused of having sexual relations with an elderly peasant woman who claims to have then given birth to a poodle.