1. Blackadder (1983-1989)
What Was So Bad? The pilot of Blackadder (and, in fact, the whole first series) is shockingly poor. The show plays more like a historical drama with a few funny bits, instead of the other way around. The writers made the mistake of trying to be too historically accurate to the time period, and as a result we get a very boring series with very little humour. The show was shot on location with laughter added later, and it shows the film quality is awful and just dates the show completely. The casting of Brian Blessed as the King is an inspired touch, but he's completely out of place in what is supposed to be a farcical comedy how. Edmund is a complete sniveling idiot in it, nothing like the devious, saracastic anti-hero his ancestors would become.
How Did They Fix It? Ironically, with a budget cut. The BBC cut their budget hugely and forced the creators to shoot in a studio, which means more focus was put on the humour and comedy, instead of the historical accuracy. Rowan Atkinson was also kicked off the writing team and replaced with Ben Elton, who turned Edmund into the scheming, sarcastic manipulator we know and love. The format never got stale because each series was set in a different historical era and as a result different humour could be extrapolated from the various new situations we found the characters in. Also, by being shot in a studio with an audience actually there, there's a different energy with the cast, akin to live theatre and the episodes really hurtle along with jokes and gags being thrown at you so fast you don't have time to breathe. Also - no Fry, no Laurie and Baldrick isn't a complete idiot. Did we miss any TV shows that managed to survive an awful pilot and went on to great success and acclaim? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.