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Dish and Dishonesty (Blackadder)
Encyclopedia
"Dish and Dishonesty" is the first episode of the third series
of the BBC
sitcom Blackadder
. Due to the thorough parody of the conventions of a British electoral declaration
, it has been shown several times on the dates of real General Elections
.
, Pitt the Younger
(portrayed as a petulant teenager), wants to declare war on Napoleon Bonaparte
, give "tougher sentences" for his geography
teacher "Banana Breath" Rickshanks, and, most of all, strike the idiotic Prince Regent from the Civil List. Hearing this, the Prince is nonetheless convinced that the general public
adore him because yesterday, he heard them singing "We hail Prince George! We hail Prince George!", only to be corrected by his butler, Mr. Blackadder
, as "We hate Prince George! We hate Prince George!" Since the House of Commons is evenly divided on the issue, Blackadder suggests to the Prince that they tip the scales in his favour by bribing an Member of Parliament
(MP) named Sir Talbot Buxomley (Denis Lill
) with the position of High Court judge
. The Prince calls for Buxomley, who, after assuring the Prince that he will stand by him, promptly sits down in a chair and dies.
Moving quickly, Blackadder realizes that Buxomley represented the constituency of Dunny-on-the-Wold, a rotten borough consisting of a tiny plot of land with several farm animals - 3 mangy cows, a hen in it's late forties and a Dachsund named Colin - and only one voter. Blackadder chooses to instate Baldrick as the constituency's new MP to ensure that he votes in favor of the Prince.
Pitt hears about all this and comes down to visit the Prince, the latter not recognizing him at first. The PM reveals that he once suffered "alone in a cold schoolroom, a hot crumpet
burning my cheeks with shame" under the Prince's sort before seeking and succeeding to become what he is today. Blackadder complements that Pitt wasn't "too busy to remove the crumpet." Pitt declares that he shall have his own brother, William Pitt the Even Younger, as a candidate on his side. When he leaves, Blackadder tells the Prince how they shall win the election: firstly, fight the campaign on "issues, not personalities"; secondly, be "the only fresh thing on the menu
"; and thirdly, we'll cheat
. After an obviously rigged election when it is revealed that Blackadder is both the constituency's returning officer
(whose predecessor died when he accidentally brutally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving) and voter (whose predecessor accidentally brutally cut his head off while combing his hair), Baldrick is made an MP in a landslide victory.
Once Baldrick enters the House of Commons, Pitt manipulates him into voting the wrong way, and the issue proceeds to the House of Lords
. Blackadder then plans to get himself named to the House of Lords, where he will be able to vote against the bill, and he even purchases a ludicrously expensive catskin robe in preparation. However, his scheme is ruined by Prince George's stupidity and Baldrick is elevated instead. He is also given £400,000 to bribe a few Lords, which he spends on a giant turnip
. Once he finds out, Blackadder smashes the turnip over Baldrick's head.
* Election rigged by Mr E Blackadder who used 16,472 votes on the same candidate.
as "his own great-great-great grandfather" and additionally stars a dachshund
called Colin Harwood.
Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987....
of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
. Due to the thorough parody of the conventions of a British electoral declaration
Elections in the United Kingdom
There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to the European Parliament, local elections and mayoral elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday...
, it has been shown several times on the dates of real General Elections
United Kingdom general elections
This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, before being co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom, so that Parliament...
.
Plot
The newly appointed Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
(portrayed as a petulant teenager), wants to declare war on Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, give "tougher sentences" for his geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
teacher "Banana Breath" Rickshanks, and, most of all, strike the idiotic Prince Regent from the Civil List. Hearing this, the Prince is nonetheless convinced that the general public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
adore him because yesterday, he heard them singing "We hail Prince George! We hail Prince George!", only to be corrected by his butler, Mr. Blackadder
Mr. E. Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder, Esq. is the main character in the third series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder. He was played by Rowan Atkinson.The series was set in the reign of George III of the United Kingdom . The character is in keeping with the trend of the series Blackadder is lower in rank in this series,...
, as "We hate Prince George! We hate Prince George!" Since the House of Commons is evenly divided on the issue, Blackadder suggests to the Prince that they tip the scales in his favour by bribing an Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) named Sir Talbot Buxomley (Denis Lill
Denis Lill
Denis Lill is a New Zealand-born British actor.Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles , Edward the Seventh , Survivors , The Scarlet Pimpernel , as William Knox d-Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies , Rumpole of the Bailey , Mapp &...
) with the position of High Court judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
. The Prince calls for Buxomley, who, after assuring the Prince that he will stand by him, promptly sits down in a chair and dies.
Moving quickly, Blackadder realizes that Buxomley represented the constituency of Dunny-on-the-Wold, a rotten borough consisting of a tiny plot of land with several farm animals - 3 mangy cows, a hen in it's late forties and a Dachsund named Colin - and only one voter. Blackadder chooses to instate Baldrick as the constituency's new MP to ensure that he votes in favor of the Prince.
Pitt hears about all this and comes down to visit the Prince, the latter not recognizing him at first. The PM reveals that he once suffered "alone in a cold schoolroom, a hot crumpet
Crumpet
A crumpet is a savoury griddle cake made from flour and yeast. It is eaten mainly in the United Kingdom and other nations of the Commonwealth. Crumpets are somewhat similar in appearance, not in flavor, to North American pancakes, where both have pores caused by expanding air bubbles.- Etymology...
burning my cheeks with shame" under the Prince's sort before seeking and succeeding to become what he is today. Blackadder complements that Pitt wasn't "too busy to remove the crumpet." Pitt declares that he shall have his own brother, William Pitt the Even Younger, as a candidate on his side. When he leaves, Blackadder tells the Prince how they shall win the election: firstly, fight the campaign on "issues, not personalities"; secondly, be "the only fresh thing on the menu
Menu
In a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
"; and thirdly, we'll cheat
Cheating
Cheating refers to the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer...
. After an obviously rigged election when it is revealed that Blackadder is both the constituency's returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
(whose predecessor died when he accidentally brutally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving) and voter (whose predecessor accidentally brutally cut his head off while combing his hair), Baldrick is made an MP in a landslide victory.
Once Baldrick enters the House of Commons, Pitt manipulates him into voting the wrong way, and the issue proceeds to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Blackadder then plans to get himself named to the House of Lords, where he will be able to vote against the bill, and he even purchases a ludicrously expensive catskin robe in preparation. However, his scheme is ruined by Prince George's stupidity and Baldrick is elevated instead. He is also given £400,000 to bribe a few Lords, which he spends on a giant turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
. Once he finds out, Blackadder smashes the turnip over Baldrick's head.
Dunny-on-the-Wold By-Election result
Cameos
The episode features a cameo by political commentator Vincent HannaVincent Hanna
Vincent Leo Martin Hanna was a Northern Irish television journalist famed for his coverage of United Kingdom by-elections.-Background:...
as "his own great-great-great grandfather" and additionally stars a dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
called Colin Harwood.
Historical and cultural references
- After claiming victory, Blackadder tells the Prince, by way of celebration, to "take out the drawings for that beach hut at BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
", a reference to the Royal PavilionRoyal PavilionThe Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
, a palace built in Brighton as a private residence for the Prince Regent. - The 'Standing at the Back Dressed Stupidly and Looking Stupid Party' is a parody of non-serious political parties, especially the Official Monster Raving Loony PartyOfficial Monster Raving Loony PartyThe Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
.
Anachronisms
- Pitt the Younger had been dead for five years before Prince GeorgeGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
became Regent. - Early in the episode, reference is made to Pitt the Elder being Prime Minister. At the time the title of Prime Minister did not officially exist, and when he headed the government Pitt the Elder was technically only Lord Privy SealLord Privy SealThe Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
, although he was the de facto Prime Minister. Pitt the Elder died over 40 years before the start of the Regency. - In the election sequence, Pitt's younger brother (Pitt the Even Younger) is declared to be standing as a Whig. Although Pitt considered himself an "independent Whig" in terms of ideology he spent most of his political career in opposition to the Whigs.