 Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder , written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton , which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986 . The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I ( 1558 – 1603 ) , and sees the principal character , Edmund , Lord Blackadder , as a Tudor courtier attempting to win the favour of the Queen while avoiding execution by decapitation , a fate that befell many of her suitors . 
