Ben Elton

The 40th anniversary of BBC comedy series Blackadder is being celebrated with a special set of stamps.

The Classic sitcom, which spanned hundreds of years of British history over four series, was first broadcast on 15 June 1983.

Four decades later The Show , which launched the careers of some of the UK's most recognisable actors, remains a favourite with British viewers.

Now some of its most famous scenes have made it on to eight new stamps.

A further four stamps depict Edmund Blackadder , Played By Rowan Atkinson , in his various guises.

Writer Richard Curtis said he was " very amused and delighted" to see his creation on the stamps

" It's a great relief for Blackadder to have his head on a stamp, instead of on a stake, " he added.

Producer John Lloyd said: " The entire team behind Britain's leading situation tragedy is deeply honoured by Royal Mail 's magnificent stamps of approval.

" In The Words of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC KCB: 'Let's give them a damn good licking! "'

Oxford University friends Curtis and Atkinson co-wrote The First series, called The Black Adder, which was set in medieval England. It won an international Emmy but was not a huge commercial success.

Ben Elton was drafted in to write with Curtis on The Second series, set in Tudor times and starring Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth I .

Over The Next three series, Atkinson played the scheming, cruel, caustically funny Blackadder opposite Sir Tony Robinson 's naïve, uneducated Baldrick.

When Baldrick had a " cunning plan" Blackadder always had a scathing, hilarious retort.

The stamps, which Go On sale on 17 May, also feature characters played Hugh Laurie , Stephen Fry , Tim Mcinnerny , Miranda Richardson , Brian Blessed and the late Patsy Byrne .

The 40th anniversary of the series is also being marked with a special programme about the " lost" Blackadder pilot episode in which Sir Tony Robinson did not play Baldrick.

Blackadder: The Lost Pilot will see Sir Tony find investigate The Comedy show's origin, and end with a special screening of the episode. It will be broadcast on UKTV Gold in June .

Source of news: bbc.com