The format of the Blackadder series was changed substantially after the BBC was displeased with the first series, Blackadder (1982). The new BBC One Controller Michael Grade agreed to make another series if it was made as a standard studio sitcom with an audience, the characters' roles were redefined and the budget was substantially trimmed.
The writers realized that they had to rewrite the character of Queen Elizabeth I after they saw Miranda Richardson's wonderfully silly interpretation.
The only location shooting for this season was the courting scene in Bells (1986) and the closing credit scenes; these scenes were shot over a couple of consecutive days in the gardens of Wilton House, Wiltshire. The rest of the season was shot on the filming stage, using a couple of standard sets (Blackadder's house and the Queen's court) and a couple of sets that would be built for each episode.
Richard Curtis has said this show was the happiest he has ever worked on, due to the cast being reduced to a small number of familiar actors (he compared it to a "friendly bunch of school chums."
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