Private Plane

Infobox Television episode
Title = Plan D: Private Plane
Series = Blackadder Goes Forth


Caption =
Airdate = 19/10/1989
Writer = Ben Elton, Richard Curtis
Director =
Guests = Gabrielle Glaister, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson
Episode list = List of Blackadder episodes
Season = 4
Episode = 4
Prev = Major Star
Next = General Hospital"Private Plane" is the fourth episode of "Blackadder Goes Forth", the fourth season of the BBC sitcom "Blackadder".

ummary

German machine guns in front, British firing squads behind. The only way out is up-tiddly-up-up....

Plot

The episode begins with an ongoing artillery attack that is disturbing Blackadder's peace. Shortly after it stops, an air raid begins. After Blackadder leaves an angry message for the head of the Flying Corps ("Message reads 'Where are you, you bastard?'"), he is not thrilled to learn that it was simply a display "by" the Flying Corp. Shortly afterwards, the brash and egocentric Squadron Commander, Lord Flashheart (Rik Mayall reprising his role as "Flash" from the Elizabethan series), Blackadder crashlands by the dug-out. Baldrick and George are enraptured by Flashheart, though Blackadder is unimpressed. As Flashheart leaves with Bob, who has come to pick him up, (though it seems the other way round), Flashheart offers George a place in the Royal Flying Corps. Initially disinterested, Blackadder is more agreeable when he learns of the 'Twenty Minuters' squadron, on account of the fact new pilots only spend twenty minutes in the air.

At Staff HQ, Blackadder tries to join the Flying Corps, though Darling refuses to allow it, muttering about the difficulty of getting transferred. This provides Blackadder a great oppurtunity to taunt Darling about attempting to get a cushy job, (Darling at this point claims "there's nothing cushy about life in the Women's Auxillary Balloon Corp!"). Fortunately, Melchett allows the transfer. At basic training the next day, Blackadder dashes George's expectations of heroic dogfights, saying the next five months will be of 'very clever, very dull men looking at machinery'. He is therefore not impressed to learn that the flight instructor is Flashheart. He is even less impressed when the training only lasts ten minutes, and he learns the actual reason for the name 'Twenty Minuters' is because 20 minutes is the "life expectancy" of a new pilot, not flight time. Darling at this point assures Blackadder that so long as he has a good navigator, he'll be fine. However, much to Darling's glee, the navigator is Baldrick.

Shortly after takeoff, both Blackadder and Baldrick are shot down and captured by Baron von Richthofen (Adrian Edmondson), who is very much interested in learning the subtleties of British humour (such as the toilet being the basis of British culture as opposed to being a mundane and functional item for the Germans; note that Von Richthofen really did say this in early 1918). He informs them of their fate ("worse than death"), which entails teaching home economics to young German girls in a convent outside Heidelberg, something that bothers neither Blackadder or Baldrick (indeed, Blackadder relishes the chance to escape the war and all it entails, including mud, bullets, shrapnel and "those bloody awful songs with the word "Whoops!" in the title!").

George, in the meantime, attempts to rescue Blackadder with the help of Darling and Melchett, but is informed that it would be pointless (bearing in mind that in the course of battle the British have recaptured an 'astonishing' 17 square feet of land!). He is more successful in recruiting Lord Flashheart, who swiftly rescues Blackadder and Baldrick (though Blackadder does try to stall them and get himself recaptured. However, Flashheart is not fooled and forces Blackadder out the door. Unfortunately, Richtofen appears and confronts Flasheart,comparing the nobility and majesty of their calling. However, Flashheart shoots von Richthofen before declaring him "a poof").

Back at HQ, Flashheart helps Blackadder enact revenge on Captain Darling for not rescuing him sooner. He then leaves, advising Blackadder to take something if he wants it (a principle he demonstrates with Bob). Melchett appears, at which point Blackadder asks for some time off to recuperate. Melchett agrees, stating that Blackadder's commanding officer would have to be mad to refuse. However, when Blackadder reminds Melchett that "he" is Blackadder's commanding officer, Melchett refuses. Blackadder thanks him, and Melchett responds with a "Baa!" proving he's mad.

Trivia

*According to the original script for this episode, Blackadder's response to Flashheart and Bob's "woofs" was to be, "It's like Battersea Dogs' Home in here." However, Atkinson found himself unable to say the line due to his stutter, and so "Crufts" was substituted for "Battersea Dogs' Home" in the final version.Fact|date=May 2007
* This was the first re-appearance of the Lord Flashheart character, since the second season premier "Bells". While he did not reappear under that name, Rik Mayall used the same characterization in his portrayal of Robin Hood in "Blackadder Back and Forth".