Cunning plan to make Blackadder the movie; EXCLUSIVE.

Byline: By CAMERON ROBERTSON

CLASSIC TV comedy Blackadder could be revived as a film, star Stephen Fry has revealed.

The QI presenter, who played dim- wit-ted General Melchett in , Blackadder Goes Forth, said writer Ben Elton has thought about a one-off special, set in the last days of the Tsars.

Fry, 50, said: "Ben wanted to do a Blackadder movie set in the Russian Revolution, with a Russian branch of the family. He had some brilliant ideas - maybe that'll happen one day." In January Tony Robinson, who played Baldrick, let slip leading man Rowan Atkinson was keener than him to do a fifth series.

The idea was to have the regular characters in a 60s rock band, with Baldrick as the drummer. The original four BBC series ran from 1983 to 1989, with other TV and charity specials.

In a webchat, Fry said: "We sometimes talk of future Blackadder plotlines, the 60s, WWII, that sort of thing. But it never comes to much. There's a lot of feeling that we left it on such a high note that it would be a bad idea to go back.

"I chatted to Rowan at the weekend, he's doing a Bean movie in France and confided that he missed the joys of Blackadder rehearsals and all that."

However, Fry added: "But there's nothing worse than an overweight boxer past his prime lumbering into the ring past his sell-by date. Best not risk it, eh?"

His comments came in a webchat with the Douglas Adams Continuum, a fan website for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy author.

Fry also revealed he has dropped plans to write an episode of Doctor Who.

He had been in talks with the BBC about creating a storyline, possibly set in the days of King Arthur.

But Fry said: "Unfortunately, I've had to pull out of the Dr Who gig.

"I couldn't find three minutes to string together. Barely enough time to go to the lavatory these days, let alone take on new projects."

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STAR: Rowan' WEB CHAT: Stephen Fry