Sir Tony Robinson, best known for playing the long-suffering Baldrick in the British comedy series Blackadder, has reportedly indicated he possesses a “cunning plan.” The statement, made privately to a small gathering in London on Saturday, has prompted speculation, though details remain scarce.
The phrase “I have a cunning plan” became a signature line for Baldrick, the character played by Robinson, throughout the show’s run. According to records of the series, the phrase first appeared in an unaired pilot episode and was subsequently revived in the first series. The website Blackadderquotes.com notes that Baldrick was the first character to explicitly utter the phrase, responding to Edmund Blackadder’s request for a more “cunning” approach to a problem.
While the context of Robinson’s recent statement is unknown, the invocation of the phrase immediately drew comparisons to the character’s often-ill-fated schemes. In one episode of Blackadder, Edmund dismisses a proposed strategy as “not a particularly cunning trick, because we’ve seen through it!” despite acknowledging the initial intention was to be deceptive.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a “cunning plan” as a set of decisions about how to do something, implying cleverness and often a degree of deception. Synonyms, according to WordHippo, include “ploy,” “ruse,” “scheme,” and “stratagem.” The dictionary also provides examples of the phrase in use, including a historical parliamentary record stating, “I suddenly realised that there was a cunning plan—but it was unsuccessful.”
Robinson’s representatives have not responded to requests for clarification regarding the nature of the plan. No further details have emerged, and the actor has maintained silence on the matter since the initial report. A T-shirt referencing Baldrick’s coffee, a running gag from the series, is currently available for purchase on Amazon.co.uk, priced from £15.97.
