Throw in the kingdom-wide risk of plague – a different sort of millennium bug – and this could be a particularly pungent prequel. A simpering 10th-century Blacke Aedder hovering at his majesty’s side would fit right in, while constant skirmishes with the Danes would open the door for casting lots of familiar Scandi-noir faces.
Ethelred ascended to the throne in 978 after the murky assassination of his elder brother Edward, and historians suggest his wobbly rule was the result of being surrounded by dodgy advisers.
In Blackadder the Third, Edmund nurtured petty schemes while in the service of a prince, so why not party like it’s 999? Specifically, during the reign of Ethelred the Unready, who already sounds like a classic Blackadder character.
