Mrs Miggins

Mrs Miggins is a fictional character in the British sitcom Blackadder,^[1] playing a supporting role in Blackadder the Third. She is played by Helen Atkinson-Wood.^[2]

Character development

In Blackadder II, Mrs Miggins is referred to as pie shop owner but never appears.

In the third series, Mrs Miggins plays a major role and appears in all episodes. She now owns a coffee shop that Blackadder visits regularly.^[3] Despite this he hates the shop and describes her coffee as "Brown grit and hot water." She is an unintelligent, jolly old woman and a replacement for Nursie from the second series. She is a widow and has a crush on Blackadder, but in the final episode she ends up marrying his cousin MacAdder. She often visits the palace to deliver groceries, although she never actually comes face to face with the Prince until the final episode, when the Prince is disguised as Blackadder. She then reminds him of poems Blackadder had made up about the Prince. In the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, Mrs Miggins is mentioned by Lieutenant George as part of the title of a suggestive song, "Whoops, Mrs Miggins, You're Sitting On My Artichokes!" She is finally mentioned in Blackadder: Back and Forth as Edmund Blackadder III’s cook.

Blackadder II

In Blackadder II Mrs Miggins is an unseen character and is mentioned in three episodes. She owns a pie shop and is possibly the Queen’s cook.

In "Bells" she is mentioned when Percy asks Kate to go out with him to her pie shop. To which she answers "Get lost, creep." In "Money", she is mentioned at the end when Lord Blackadder decides to have a party at her pie shop. In "Potato", she is mentioned when Percy tells Blackadder that everyone is going to honour Sir Walter Raleigh. Blackadder says "Don’t exaggerate! I’m not going, Mrs Miggins from the pie shop isn’t going..." Percy claims she is bedridden from the nose down and tells him that she is honouring Raleigh in her own special way by baking a pie in the shape of an enormous pie. After he says this, Blackadder mutters, "What a great imagination that woman has!"

Blackadder the Third

In Blackadder the Third Mrs Miggins actually appears. She now owns a coffee shop, selling (among other foodstuffs) a liquid Blackadder describes as "Hot water with brown grit in it". In "Dish and Dishonesty" she is seen talking to Blackadder about the election and says she think it is unfair that she is not allowed to vote, he says “Of course it's not fair and damn good thing too. If you gave someone like Baldrick the right to vote it would be back to living in caves and dung for dinner." In "Nob and Nobility", Blackadder and Baldrick go to her coffee shop to find a French aristocrat. They find Le Comte de Fru Fru who is in fact Lord Topper (Scarlet Pimpernel) in disguise. In "Sense and Senility", Blackadder goes to her coffee shop to meet two actors. In "Ink and Incapability", Blackadder and Baldrick visit her coffee shop to see Dr. Samuel Johnson. When they get there, they not only find Johnson but three poets. The poets tell them they are dying, but Mrs Miggins tells them not to worry, they’re not really dying. In "Amy and Amiability", she visits the palace, devastated that Blackadder is leaving. She says she they would get married and live together forever. In "Duel and Duality" she appears twice. She first appears visiting the palace and meets Baldrick (unaware that the Prince is in the room, still disguised as Blackadder), reminding him of a rude poem Blackadder made up about the Prince Regent. She next appears when Blackadder visits her coffee shop to see his Scottish cousin MacAdder, who refuses to help him and then proposes to Mrs Miggins. She accepts and they both run off together.

Blackadder Goes Forth

In Blackadder Goes Forth, Mrs Miggins is mentioned only once; In "Goodbyeee", she is part of the title of a suggestive song, "Whoops, Mrs Miggins, You're Sitting On My Artichokes!"

Specials

Back and Forth

In Blackadder: Back and Forth Mrs Miggins is Edmund Blackadder III’s cook but is unable to attend his millennium party, so Baldrick cooks in her place.

Blackadder's Christmas Carol

In Blackadder's Christmas Carol a flashback sketch is shown of Blackadder the Third. Near towards the end an old woman (whose face is never seen) is given presents by the Prince. The old woman vaguely resembles Mrs Miggins by style of dress, but also resembles Lord Smedley in disguise as "Madame Guillotine."

Mrs Miggins Dynasty

• Mrs Miggins (Pie Shopkeeper)
• Mrs Miggins (Coffee Shopkeeper)
• Mrs Miggins (song title)
• Mrs Miggins (Cook)

References

External links

• Blackadder the Third BBC Comedy
• A trip to Mrs Miggins' pie shop Blackadder Hall Blog
• HELEN ATKINSON-WOOD Mrs Miggins - Black Adder KYTV Tales from the... Tenth Planet Events
• Mrs Miggins IMDB